SG
Prologue: In the newly found matriarchy of the Younger household, the new widow, Mama, is attempting to find a way to ensure the wellbeing of all the separate but unified members in the family. Given the recent death of her husband and partner powerhead of the Younger household, Mama has needed to harness the power that used to be their duo entirely on her own. Mama has yet to find a balance between trust and independence within the male and female members of her growing household. The money left behind after their father’s death is a small glimmer of hope for the family, especially with the new opportunity to finally decide for themselves how they want to live, regardless of the color of their skin or their “social status”. The women of the Younger house are adapting to the possibility of this new chapter of their lives and blooming, while the males of the Younger household seem to fear the darkness of the shadows cast by the women and jeopardize the family entirely.
Dialogue: Walter: I was just wondering if you’ve made up your mind and everything. Beneatha: (Gathering in sharpness and impatience) And what did I answer yesterday morning- and the day before that? Chorus: This is the Younger household in the early 1950’s, with Walter attempting to salvage his “masculinity” and his place within his marriage with Ruth. Beneatha is Walter’s younger sister, their interaction could easily be seen as “sibling rivalry”, but it seems to be much deeper rooted than that due to the world and time he lives in as a black male who still lives with his mother in the midst of sexism, gentrification and blockbusting while the only thing
a man’s worth was weighed by was the money in his bank and how self-sufficient they were. Ruth: (From the ironing board, like someone disinterested and old) Don’t be so nasty, Bennie. Beneatha: (Still to her brother) And the day before that and the day before that! Walter: (Defensively) I’m interested in you. Something wrong with that? Ain’t many girls who decide--Chorus: Walter’s “interest” in Beneatha stems from more than a “brotherly” place. Given Walter’s role as one of the only males in the entire Younger household, seeing a woman aspire strive towards such a position of power societally and professionally triggers his own deep feelings of insecurity, inferiority due to the fact that during their time period men were seen as the breadwinners and anything otherwise was frowned upon and embarrassing socially. Beneatha and Walter: (In unison) “To be a doctor”. (Silence) Walter: Have we figured out yet just exactly how much medical school is going to cost? Chorus: Given the fact that this does take place in the early 1950’s Walter’s condescending attitude toward Beneatha’s path choice would be worse if she weren’t his sister. Given his own
internal battle with the fact that his sister is aspiring to such big heights, which she’ll most likely reach, the only outlet Walter sees for his emotions is to berate and belittle. Ruth: Walter Lee, why don’t you leave that girl alone and get out of here to work? Chorus: Even at this point, aside from the normalcy that happens to be sexism in the 1950’s, Ruth notices that her husband’s intent is to, if not discourage Beneatha of becoming a doctor for the sake of his pride- at very least, pick a fight. The fact that Walter sees no other outlet than to fight, like a cornered dog not only speaks to his level of pre-conditioned sexist tendencies, but also to the pressures he feels from society to attain and ooze a certain level a masculinity that he doesn’t currently believe himself to have.