Raisin in the Sun - Lorraine Hansberry [46]
MAMA You making something inside me cry, son. Some awful pain inside me.
WALTER Don’t cry, Mama. Understand. That white man is going to walk in that door able to write checks for more money than we ever had. It’s important to him and I’m going to help him … I’m going to put on the show, Mama.
MAMA Son—I come from five generations of people who was slaves and sharecroppers—but ain’t nobody in my family never let nobody pay ’em no money that was a way of telling us we wasn’t fit to walk the earth. We ain’t never been that poor. (Raising her eyes and looking at him) We ain’t never been that—dead inside.
BENEATHA Well—we are dead now. All the talk about dreams and sunlight that goes on in this house. It’s all dead now.
WALTER What’s the matter with you all! I didn’t make this world! It was give to me this way! Hell, yes, I want me some yachts someday! Yes, I want to hang some real pearls ’round my wife’s neck. Ain’t she supposed to wear no pearls? Somebody tell me—tell me, who decides which women is suppose to wear pearls in this world. I tell you I am a man—and I think my wife should wear some pearls in this world!
(This last line hangs a good while and WALTER begins to move about the room. The word “Man” has penetrated his consciousness; he mumbles it to himself repeatedly between strange agitated pauses as he moves about)
MAMA Baby, how you going to feel on the inside?
WALTER Fine! … Going to feel fine … a man …
MAMA You won’t have nothing left then, Walter Lee.
WALTER (Coming to her) I’m going to feel fine, Mama. I’m going to look that son-of-a-bitch in the eyes and say—(He falters)—and say, “All right, Mr. Lindner—(He falters even more)—that’s your neighborhood out there! You got the right to keep it like you want! You got the right to have it like you want! Just write the check and—the house is yours.” And—and I am going to say—(His voice almost breaks) “And you—you people just put the money in my hand and you won’t have to live next to this bunch of stinking niggers! …” (He straightens up and moves away from his mother, walking around the room) And maybe—maybe I’ll just get down on my black knees … (He does so; RUTH and BENNIE and MAMA watch him in frozen horror) “Captain, Mistuh, Bossman—(Groveling and grinning and wringing his hands in profoundly anguished imitation of the slowwitted movie stereotype) A-hee-hee-hee! Oh, yassuh boss! Yasssssuh! Great white—(Voice breaking, he forces himself to go on)—Father, just gi’ ussen de money, fo’ God’s sake, and we’s—we’s ain’t gwine come out deh and dirty up yo’ white folks neighborhood …” (He breaks down completely) And I’ll feel fine! Fine! FINE! (He gets up and goes into the bedroom)
BENEATHA That is not a man. That is nothing but a toothless rat.
MAMA Yes—death done come in this here house. (She is nodding, slowly, reflectively) Done come walking in my house on the lips of my children. You what supposed to be my beginning again. You—what supposed to be my harvest. (To BENEATHA) YOU—you mourning your brother?
BENEATHA He’s no brother of mine.
MAMA What you say?
BENEATHA I said that that individual in that room is no brother of mine.
MAMA That’s what I thought you said. You feeling like you better than he is today? (BENEATHA does not answer) Yes? What you tell him a minute ago? That he wasn’t a man? Yes? You give him up for me? You done wrote his epitaph too—like the rest of the world? Well, who give you the privilege?
BENEATHA Be on my side for once! You saw what he just did, Mama! You saw him—down on his knees. Wasn’t it you who taught me to despise any man who would do that? Do what he’s going to do?
MAMA Yes—I taught you that. Me and your daddy. But I thought I taught you something else too … I thought I taught you to love him.
BENEATHA Love him? There is