Free A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

life. Money is life. Once upon a time freedom used to be life—now it’s money. I guess the world really do change …
    WALTER No—it was always money, Mama. We just didn’t know about it.
    MAMA No … something has changed. (
She looks at him
) You something new, boy. In my time we was worried about not being lynched and getting to the North if we could and how to stay alive and still have a pinch of dignity too … Now here come you and Beneatha—talking ’bout things we ain’t never even thought about hardly, me and your daddy. You ain’t satisfied or proud of nothing we done. I mean that you had a home; that we kept you out of trouble till you was grown; that you don’t have to ride to work on the back of nobody’s streetcar— You my children—but how different we done become.
    WALTER (
A long beat. He pats her hand and gets up
) You just don’t understand, Mama, you just don’t understand.
    MAMA Son—do you know your wife is expecting another baby? ( WALTER
stands, stunned, and absorbs what his mother has said
) That’s what she wanted totalk to you about, ( WALTER
sinks down into a chair
) This ain’t for me to be telling—but you ought to know. (
She waits
) I think Ruth is thinking ’bout getting rid of that child.
    WALTER (
Slowly understanding) No
—no—Ruth wouldn’t do that.
    MAMA When the world gets ugly enough—a woman will do anything for her family.
The part that’s already living
.
    WALTER You don’t know Ruth, Mama, if you think she would do that.
    ( RUTH
opens the bedroom door and stands there a little limp
)
    RUTH (
Beaten
) Yes I would too, Walter. (
Pause
) I gave her a five-dollar down payment.
    (
There is total silence as the man stares at his wife and the mother stares at her son
)
    MAMA (
Presently
) Well – (
Tightly
) Well — son, I’m waiting to hear you say something … (
She waits
) I’m waiting to hear how you be your father’s son. Be the man he was … (
Pause. The silence shouts
) Your wife say she going to destroy your child. And I’m waiting to hear you talk like him and say we a people who give children life, not who destroys them—(
She rises
) I’m waiting to see you stand up and look like your daddy and say we done give up one baby to poverty and that we ain’t going to give up nary another one … I’m waiting.
    WALTER Ruth— (
He can say nothing
)
    MAMA If you a son of mine, tell her! ( WALTER
picks up his keys and his coat and walks out. She continues, bitterly
) You … you are a disgrace to your father’s memory. Somebody get me my hat!
    Curtain

ACT II
SCENE ONE
    Time: Later the same day
.
    At rise:
RUTH
is ironing again. She has the radio going. Presently
BENEATHA’S
bedroom door opens and
RUTH’S
mouth falls and she puts down the iron in fascination
.
    RUTH What have we got on tonight!
    BENEATHA (
Emerging grandly from the doorway so that we can see her thoroughly robed in the costume Asagai brought
) You are looking at what a well-dressed Nigerian woman wears—(
She parades for
RUTH ,
her hair completely hidden by the headdress; she is coquettishly fanning herself with an ornate oriental fan, mistakenly more like Butterfly than any Nigerian that ever was
) Isn’t it beautiful? (
She promenades to the radio and, with an arrogant flourish, turns off the good loud blues that is playing
) Enough of this assimilationist junk! ( RUTH
follows her with her eyes as she goes to the phonograph and puts on a record and turns and waits ceremoniously for the music to come up. Then, with a shout—
) OCOMOGOSIAY!
    ( RUTH
jumps. The music comes up, a lovely Nigerian melody
, BENEATHA
listens, enraptured, her
eyes far away—“back to the past.” She begins to dance
. RUTH
is dumbfounded
)
    RUTH What kind of dance is that?
    BENEATHA A folk dance.
    RUTH (
Pearl Bailey
) What kind of folks do that, honey?
    BENEATHA It’s from Nigeria. It’s a dance of welcome.
    RUTH Who you welcoming?
    BENEATHA The men back to the