A Raisin in the Sun (13 page)

(
WALTER’S
voice has risen in pitch and hysterical promise and on the last line he lifts
TRAVIS
high
)

As the curtain rises we see that
RUTH
is alone in the living room, finishing up the family’s packing. It is moving day. She is nailing crates and tying cartons
.
BENEATHA
enters, carrying a guitar case, and watches her exuberant sister-in-law
.

RUTH
Hey!

BENEATHA
(
Putting away the case
) Hi.

RUTH
(
Pointing at a package
) Honey—look in that package there and see what I found on sale this morning at the South Center. (
RUTH
gets up and moves to the package and draws out some curtains
) Lookahere—hand-turned hems!

BENEATHA
How do you know the window size out there?

RUTH
(
Who hadn’t thought of that
) Oh—Well, they bound to fit something in the whole house. Anyhow, they was too good a bargain to pass up. (
RUTH
slaps her head, suddenly remembering something
) Oh, Bennie—I meant to put a special note on that carton over there. That’s your mama’s good china and she wants ’em to be very careful with it.

BENEATHA
I’ll do it.

(
BENEATHA
finds a piece of paper and starts to draw large letters on it
)

RUTH
You know what I’m going to do soon as I get in that new house?

BENEATHA
What?

RUTH
Honey—I’m going to run me a tub of water up to here … (
With her fingers practically up to her nostrils
) And I’m going to get in it—and I am going to sit … and sit … and sit in that hot water and the first person who knocks to tell me to hurry up and come out—

BENEATHA
Gets shot at sunrise.

RUTH
(
Laughing happily
) You said it, sister! (
Noticing how large
BENEATHA
is absent-mindedly making the note
) Honey, they ain’t going to read that from no airplane.

BENEATHA
(
Laughing herself
) I guess I always think things have more emphasis if they are big, somehow.

RUTH
(
Looking up at her and smiling
) You and your brother seem to have that as a philosophy of life. Lord, that man—done changed so ’round here. You know—you know what we did last night? Me and Walter Lee?

BENEATHA
What?

RUTH
(
Smiling to herself
) We went to the movies. (
Looking at
BENEATHA
to see if she understands
) We went to the movies. You know the last time me and Walter went to the movies together?

BENEATHA
N
O
.

RUTH
Me neither. That’s how long it been. (
Smiling again
) But we went last night. The picture wasn’t much good, but that didn’t seem to matter. We went—and we held hands.

BENEATHA
Oh, Lord!

RUTH
We held hands—and you know what?

BENEATHA
What?

RUTH
When we come out of the show it was late and dark and all the stores and things was closed up.… and it was kind of chilly and there wasn’t many people on the streets … and we was still holding hands, me and Walter.

BENEATHA
You’re killing me.

(
WALTER
enters with a large package. His happiness is deep in him; he cannot keep still with his newfound exuberance. He is singing and wiggling and snapping his fingers. He puts his package in a corner and puts a phonograph record, which he has brought in with him, on the record player. As the music, soulful and sensuous, comes up he dances over to
RUTH
and tries to get her to dance with him. She gives in at last to his raunchiness and in a fit of giggling allows herself to be drawn into his mood. They dip and she melts into his arms in a classic, body-melding “slow drag”
)

BENEATHA
(
Regarding them a long time as they dance, then drawing in her breath for a deeply exaggerated comment which she does not particularly mean
) Talk about—oldddddddddd-fashioneddddddd—Negroes!

WALTER
(
Stopping momentarily
) What kind of Negroes? (
He says this in fun. He is not angry with her today, nor with anyone. He starts to dance with his wife again
)

BENEATHA
Old-fashioned.

WALTER
(
As he dances with
RUTH
) You know, when these New Negroes have their convention—(
Pointing at his sister
)—that is going to be the chairman of the
Committee on Unending Agitation. (
He goes on dancing, then stops
) Race, race, race! … Girl, I do believe you are the first person in the history of the entire human race to successfully brainwash yourself. (
BENEATHA
breaks up and he goes on dancing. He stops again, enjoying his tease
) Damn, even the N double A C P takes a holiday sometimes! (
BENEATHA
and
RUTH
laugh. He dances with
RUTH
some more and starts to laugh and stops and pantomimes someone over an operating table
) I can just see that chick someday looking down at some poor cat on an operating table and before she starts to slice him, she says … (
Pulling his sleeves back maliciously
) “By the way, what are your views on civil rights down there? …”

(
He laughs at her again and starts to dance happily. The bell sounds
)

BENEATHA
Sticks and stones may break my bones but … words will never hurt me!

(
BENEATHA
goes to the door and opens it as
WALTER
and
RUTH
go on with the clowning
.
BENEATHA
is somewhat surprised to see a quiet-looking middle-aged white man in a business suit holding his hat and a briefcase in his hand and consulting a small piece of paper
)

MAN
Uh—how do you do, miss. I am looking for a Mrs.—(
He looks at the slip of paper
) Mrs. Lena Younger? (
He stops short, struck dumb at the sight of the oblivious
WALTER
and
RUTH
)

BENEATHA
(
Smoothing her hair with slight embarrassment
) Oh—yes, that’s my mother. Excuse me (
She closes the door and turns to quiet the other two
) Ruth! Brother! (
Enunciating precisely but soundlessly: “There’s a white man at the door!” They stop dancing
,
RUTH
cuts off the phonograph
,
BENEATHA
opens the door. The
man casts a curious quick glance at all of them
) Uh—come in please.

MAN
(
Coming in
) Thank you.

BENEATHA
My mother isn’t here just now. Is it business?

MAN
Yes … well, of a sort.

WALTER
(
Freely, the Man of the House
) Have a seat. I’m Mrs. Younger’s son. I look after most of her business matters.

(
RUTH
and
BENEATHA
exchange amused glances
)

MAN
(
Regarding
WALTER
,
and sitting
) Well—My name is Karl Lindner …

WALTER
(
Stretching out his hand
) Walter Younger. This is my wife—(
RUTH
nods politely
)—and my sister.

LINDNER
How do you do.

WALTER
(
Amiably, as he sits himself easily on a chair, leaning forward on his knees with interest and looking expectantly into the newcomer’s face
) What can we do for you, Mr. Lindner!

LINDNER
(
Some minor shuffling of the hat and briefcase on his knees
) Well—I am a representative of the Clybourne Park Improvement Association—

WALTER
(
Pointing
) Why don’t you sit your things on the floor?

LINDNER
Oh—yes. Thank you. (
He slides the briefcase and hat under the chair
) And as I was saying—I am from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association and we have had it brought to our attention at the last meeting that you people—or at least your mother—has bought a piece of residential property at—(
He digs for the slip of paper again
)—four o six Clybourne Street …

WALTER
That’s right. Care for something to drink? Ruth, get Mr. Lindner a beer.

LINDNER
(
Upset for some reason
) Oh—no, really. I mean thank you very much, but no thank you.

RUTH
(
Innocently
) Some coffee?

LINDNER
Thank you, nothing at all.

(
BENEATHA
is watching the man carefully
)

LINDNER
Well, I don’t know how much you folks know about our organization. (
He is a gentle man; thoughtful and somewhat labored in his manner
) It is one of these community organizations set up to look after—oh, you know, things like block upkeep and special projects and we also have what we call our New Neighbors Orientation Committee …

BENEATHA
(
Drily
) Yes—and what do they do?

LINDNER
(
Turning a little to her and then returning the main force to
WALTER
) Well—it’s what you might call a sort of welcoming committee, I guess. I mean they, we—I’m the chairman of the committee—go around and see the new people who move into the neighborhood and sort of give them the lowdown on the way we do things out in Clybourne Park.

BENEATHA
(
With appreciation of the two meanings, which escape
RUTH
and
WALTER
) Un-huh.

LINDNER
And we also have the category of what the association calls—(
He looks elsewhere
)—uh—special community problems …

BENEATHA
Yes—and what are some of those?

WALTER
Girl, let the man talk.

LINDNER
(
With understated relief
) Thank you. I would sort of like to explain this thing in my own way. I mean I want to explain to you in a certain way.

WALTER
Go ahead.

LINDNER
Yes. Well. I’m going to try to get right to the point. I’m sure we’ll all appreciate that in the long run.

BENEATHA
Yes.

WALTER
Be still now!

LINDNER
Well—

RUTH
(
Still innocently
) Would you like another chair—you don’t look comfortable.

LINDNER
(
More frustrated than annoyed
) No, thank you very much. Please. Well—to get right to the point I—(
A great breath, and he is off at last
) I am sure you people must be aware of some of the incidents which have happened in various parts of the city when colored people have moved into certain areas—(
BENEATHA
exhales heavily and starts tossing a piece of fruit up and down in the air
) Well—because we have what I think is going to be a unique type of organization in American community life—not only do we deplore that kind of thing—but we are trying to do something about it. (
BENEATHA
stops tossing and turns with a new and quizzical interest to the man
) We feel—(
gaining confidence in his mission because of the interest in the faces of the people he is talking to
)—we feel that most of the trouble in this world, when you come right down to it—(
He hits his knee for emphasis
)—most of the trouble exists because people just don’t sit down and talk to each other.

RUTH
(
Nodding as she might in church, pleased with the remark
) You can say that again, mister.

LINDNER
(
More encouraged by such affirmation
) That we don’t try hard enough in this world to understand the other fellow’s problem. The other guy’s point of view.

RUTH
Now that’s right.

(
BENEATHA
and
WALTER
merely watch and listen with genuine interest
)

LINDNER
Yes—that’s the way we feel out in Clybourne Park. And that’s why I was elected to come here this afternoon and talk to you people. Friendly like, you know, the way people should talk to each other and see if we couldn’t find some way to work this thing out. As I say, the whole business is a matter of
caring
about the other fellow. Anybody can see that you are a nice family of folks, hard working and honest I’m sure. (
BENEATHA
frowns slightly, quizzically, her head tilted regarding him
) Today everybody knows what it means to be on the outside of
something
. And of course, there is always somebody who is out to take advantage of people who don’t always understand.

WALTER
What do you mean?

LINDNER
Well—you see our community is made up of people who’ve worked hard as the dickens for years to build up that little community. They’re not rich and fancy people; just hard-working, honest people who don’t really have much but those little homes and a dream of the kind of community they want to raise their children in. Now, I don’t say we are perfect and there is a lot wrong in some of the things they want. But you’ve got to admit that a man, right or wrong, has the right to want to have the neighborhood he lives in a certain kind of way. And at the moment the overwhelming majority of our people out there feel that people get along better, take more of a common interest
in the life of the community, when they share a common background. I want you to believe me when I tell you that race prejudice simply doesn’t enter into it. It is a matter of the people of Clybourne Park believing, rightly or wrongly, as I say, that for the happiness of all concerned that our Negro families are happier when they live in their
own
communities.

BENEATHA
(
With a grand and bitter gesture
) This, friends, is the Welcoming Committee!

WALTER
(
Dumbfounded, looking at
LINDNER
) I
S
this what you came marching all the way over here to tell us?

LINDNER
Well, now we’ve been having a fine conversation. I hope you’ll hear me all the way through.

WALTER
(
Tightly
) Go ahead, man.

LINDNER
You see—in the face of all the things I have said, we are prepared to make your family a very generous offer …

BENEATHA
Thirty pieces and not a coin less!

WALTER
Yeah?

LINDNER
(
Putting on his glasses and drawing a form out of the briefcase
) Our association is prepared, through the collective effort of our people, to buy the house from you at a financial gain to your family.

RUTH
Lord have mercy, ain’t this the living gall!

WALTER
All right, you through?

LINDNER
Well, I want to give you the exact terms of the financial arrangement—

WALTER
We don’t want to hear no exact terms of no arrangements. I want to know if you got any more to tell us ’bout getting together?

LINDNER
(
Taking off his glasses
) Well—I don’t suppose that you feel …

WALTER
Never mind how I feel—you got any more to say ’bout how people ought to sit down and talk to each other? … Get out of my house, man.

(
He turns his back and walks to the door
)

LINDNER
(
Looking around at the hostile faces and reaching and assembling his hat and briefcase
) Well—I don’t understand why you people are reacting this way. What do you think you are going to gain by moving into a neighborhood where you just aren’t wanted and where some elements—well—people can get awful worked up when they feel that their whole way of life and everything they’ve ever worked for is threatened.

WALTER
Get out.

LINDNER
(
At the door, holding a small card
) Well—I’m sorry it went like this.

WALTER
Get out.

LINDNER
(
Almost sadly regarding
w
ALTER
) Y
OU
just can’t force people to change their hearts, son.