Summary
On Saturday, a week later, it is moving day. Ruth shows
Beneatha the curtains she has bought for the new house and tells
her that the first thing she is going to do in their new house is
take a long bath in their very own bathroom. Ruth comments on the
changed mood around the household, noting that she and Walter even
went out to the movies and held hands the previous evening. Walter
comes in and dances with Ruth. Beneatha teases them about acting
in a stereotypical fashion but does not really mean any harm. Ruth
and Walter understand and join in the lighthearted teasing, and
Walter claims that Beneatha talks about nothing but race.
A middle-aged white man named Karl Lindner appears at
the door. He is a representative from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association,
and he tells the Youngers that problems arise when different kinds
of people do not sit down and talk to each other. The Youngers agree,
until he reveals that he and the neighborhood coalition believe
that the Youngers’ presence in Clybourne Park would destroy the
community there. The current residents are all white, working-class
people who do not want anything to threaten the dream that they
have for their community. Mr. Lindner tells the Youngers that the
association is prepared to offer them more money than they are to
pay for the house in exchange for not moving to Clybourne Park.
Ruth, Beneatha, and Walter all become very upset, but they manage
to control their anger. Walter firmly tells Mr. Lindner that they
will not accept the offer and urges Mr. Lindner to leave immediately.
When Mama comes home, Walter, Ruth, and Beneatha tell
her about Mr. Lindner’s visit. It shocks and worries her, but she
supports their decision to refuse the buyout offer. Then, as she
is making sure that her plant is well packed for the trip, the rest
of the family surprises her with gifts of gardening tools and a
huge gardening hat. Mama has never received presents other than
at Christmas, and she is touched by her family’s generosity. Just
as the whole family begins to celebrate, Bobo, one of Walter’s friends,
arrives. After some stumbling, he announces that Willy Harris has
run off with all of the money that Walter invested in the liquor
store deal. It turns out that Walter had invested not only his $3,500 but
also the $3,000 intended for Beneatha’s education.
Mama is livid and begins to beat Walter in the face. Beneatha breaks
them up. Weakness overcomes Mama, and she thinks about the hard
labor her husband endured in order to earn the money for them. She
prays ardently for strength.
Analysis
This scene presents two conflicts and worries for the
Youngers and their future. First, the incident with Mr. Lindner
of the Clybourne Park Improvement Association reveals the power
of both dreams and racial prejudice. Mr. Lindner’s comments do not
intimidate the members of the Younger family. Rather, they seem
to expect the conflict. The Youngers know that they are about to
achieve some of their dreams and are not going to let racism get
in their way. Mama’s careful packing of her plant when she hears
of the incident shows she is proud of her fortitude in holding onto
her dream. She knows that she needs a token of the dream’s power
in order to face hardship in the all-white neighborhood. The plant
symbolizes her dream of escaping from their poverty-stricken life.
It also represents a dream for African-American equality and acceptance
in the general culture. In addition, this episode shows that the
fact that Mama holds onto her dream is as important as the realization
of this dream.
The second conflict, Walter’s duplicitous investment
of the insurance money and its disastrous result, evokes much greater
strife and discord. When Bobo arrives and announces that the money
is gone, Walter yells, “THAT MONEY IS MADE OUT OF MY FATHER’S FLESH,”
reflecting his belief that money is the lifeblood of human existence.
None of the Youngers feels pity for Walter, and it seems now that
none of their dreams will come true. Ruth and Beneatha reach a new
low of depression and pessimism. While Mama protests at first, she
seems to agree with their attitude when she talks about watching
her husband wither from hard work. In the face of the loss of the
money, Mama’s idealism about family falters. Mama’s sudden sad realization
that her husband’s life boils down to a stack of paper bills compels
her to turn on Walter as if he had killed his father himself. This
anger is uncommon for Mama, and it is significant because it demonstrates
that her compassion is not born of passivity. She cares too much
for the memory of her husband, for their mutual dream of buying
a home, and for her family to let Walter off the hook. Her beating
him is the only way for her to force Walter to realize his mistakes
and to look for a way to correct them.
Though the other characters talk about Willy Harris,
the man who runs away with Walter’s and Bobo’s money, he never makes
an appearance onstage. Willy remains a faceless symbol for Walter’s negligence
and risky handling of the money. Moreover, Hansberry’s focus is
not on the act of theft but rather on the Younger family and the
reactions of its members to adversity.
