Mamie Hansberry

1
Mamie Hansberry
Strange


Jailed

• Rutgers Black Drama
• April 13, 2011

Freedoms Gate Runaway Slave
Reading
2
The Screenplay, The Ballot or the Bullet, and
Baldwin
The Hansberry Screenplay is in no sense a repeat
or slightly different expanded version of the
stage play, and it is vastly different from the
1961 movie, which was essentially the stage play
with minor openings out. At least forty
percent of the text (not counting smaller
variations within speechesthere were hundreds of
these) is brand new, containing what all whove
read it recently recognize as some of her finest
(and most contemporary) writing new scenes
heighten the drama, expand our realities of the
ghetto the Youngers are struggling to transcend
and, most strikingly, anticipate the revolution
in black national consciousness the next decades
would bring. Bob Nemioff (of his restoration of
the screenplay for the 1989 PBS and Columbia
Pictures television production of Hansberrys
original screenplay.

• After hearing the news of Hansberrys death,
  James Baldwin remarked that Hansberrys voice was
  ironically silenced at a moment in history when
  African Americans desperately needed her voice to
  bear witness to the explosive situation which
  they confronted in 1965.
• Never before in the entire history of American
  theatre has so much of the truth of black
  peoples lives on stage. James Baldwin ESQUIRE

3
A Raisin in the Sun (1959)byLorraine Hansberry
(1930-1965)

• Part I and II of II

4
Langston Hughess Dream DeferredIntertextuality

• Talking Points
• Would you characterize Hughes poem as more of a
  meditation than a stringent warning or vice
  versa? Either way, is Hansberrys project
  in-line with that of Hughess poems?
• Why do you think Hansberry chose a title for her
  play that would (almost automatically) make an
  inter-textual reference to Hughess poem? In
  other words, what purpose(s) are served by this
  intertextuality?
• There are many deferred dreams in A Raisin in the
  Sun? Name (at least) one deferred dream for each
  of the plays character and one dream deferred
  that all the characters share and/or realize?
  Which dry up? Which fester? Which stink like
  rotten meat? Which sag like heavy loads? Which
  ones explode and how would you characterize the
  aftermath of the explosion? How does pride,
  dignity, and self-worth play into all of this?

• Dream Deferred
• What happens to a dream deferred?Does it dry
  upLike a raisin in the sun?Or fester like a
  sore--And then run?Does it stink like rotten
  meat?Or crust and sugar over--like a syrupy
  sweet?Maybe it just sagslike a heavy load.Or
  does it explode?

5
The Genre and Theatrical Conventions ofA Raisin
in the Sun
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MARXIST SOCIAL REALISMMaxim Gorky
(1869-1936)--the originatorJohn Reed
(1987-1920)--the American Marxist Missionary
Social Realism developed as a reaction against
the philosophical vogue of German idealism and
the literary vogue of French Romanticism. As
the harmful consequences of the Industrial
Revolution became increasingly apparent urban
centers grew, and slums proliferated on a new
(never before seen) scale contrasting with the
display of wealth of the upper classes. With a
new sense of social consciousness, the Social
Realists pledged to fight the beautiful art
with any style which appealed to the eye or
emotions. They tended, though, to focus on the
ugly realities of contemporary life and
sympathized with working-class people,
particularly the poor. They professed to record
what they saw (as it existed) in a
dispassionate manner. Richard Wrights NATIVE
SON is perhaps the most well known example of
African American Marxist Social Realism, but
Hansberrys play runs, arguably, a close second.
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Domestic Drama and Socialist Realism

• Nineteenth century drama took the complete step
  in incorporating realism into drama, thus
  resulting in more serious and philosophical
  drama. Characters and settings gradually
  developed into the realistic truths of the
  current society. Along with realism was
  naturalism or selective realism emphasizing the
  more sordid and pessimistic aspects of life.
• The twentieth century introduced symbolism into
  the makings of domestic dramas, ultimately
  causing variations within domestic drama. Early
  twentieth century shows incorporated minimal
  scenery, telegraphic dialogue, talking machines,
  and characters portrayed as types rather than
  individuals. Domestic drama suddenly became a
  combination of naturalism, expressionism,
  symbolism, and commonly treated psychological
  affairs.
• Modern dramas usually revolve around
  psychological, social, or political affairs, all
  of which seem to have their roots in domestic
  drama. Using ita interpretive ideas, such as
  distinctive voice and vision, stark settings,
  austere language in spare dialog, meaningful
  silences, the projection of a powerful streak of
  menace, and outbursts of real or implied
  violence.
• Domestic drama also carries the implications of
  current affairs with society such as civil
  rights, feminism and current political and
  sociological disputes.

• Talking Points
• How does A Raisin in the Sun (or the film A
  Raisin in the Sun) conform to the tenets of the
  domestic drama, and in what significant ways does
  it depart from them?
• Is A Raisin in the Sun a pessimistic play? If
  so, why? If not, why?
• If domestic drama is typically invested in
  psychological affairs, what psychological
  affairs are Hansberrys focal points. Are they
  uniquely African American? If so, how and why is
  that the case?
• What social and political affairs are at stake
  besides integration in A Raisin in The Sun?
  (Think about black nationalism, internationalism.
  Local politics in Chicago, etc.)

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Lorraine Hansberry Playwright, Social Agitator,
and the Radical You Never KnewAll art is
Ultimately Social that which agitates and that
which prepares the mind for slumber

• Born in 1930 in Chicago
• W.E.B. Du Bois, Paul Robeson, Langston Hughes,
  Duke Ellington, and others were frequent visitors
  in her childhood home.
• In her early 20s, Hansberry was a leader of the
  Communist Youth Movement.
• As a child, her family moves to an all-white
  suburb in Chicago a hellishly hostile white
  neighborhood. Her fathers refusal to vacate
  the Washington Park Subdivision of the South Side
  of Chicago led to a key victory in the Civil
  Rights Movement when the Supreme Court found in
  his favor (Lee vs. Hansberry)
• 1948- Attends University of Wisconsin at Madison
  and becomes active in various incarnations of
  Communist youth groups
• At the New School, Hansberry takes a class from
  Du Bois on colonialism.
• 1959 A Raisin in the Sun opens in Philadelphia
• The play runs 530 time on Broadway
• It is the most successful play written, to date,
  by an African American and the first play written
  by an African American woman to appear on
  Broadway
• Joins the Daughters of Bilitis in 1957 (the
  nations first lesbian organization) and also
  advocates for abortion rights and an independent
  Africa
• She dies, quite young, in 1965.
• Other Works
• The Drinking Gourd (1960)
• The Movement Documentary of a Struggle for
  Equality (1964)
• The Sign in Sidney Brusteins Window (1965)
• To Be Young, Gifted, and Black Lorraine
  Hansberry in Her Own Words (1969)

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Some of The Plays Key Themes and Symbols

• Themes
• Black Masculinity and Black Femininity
• Capitalism, Labor, Acute Ghettoitis, Marxism, and
  the American Dream
• Pan-Africanism , Atavistic Primitvism, and Black
  Nationalism
• The Obligation for Self-Fulfillment and its
  balance with the Obligation to Support Family and
  Race (Communal-Fulfillment) The
  Inter-generational tranfer of wealth and value
• Matriarchy and the role its plays in a unique and
  perhaps dangerous African American Christianity
  
• Assimilation, Radicalism, and their relationship
  to Heritage
• Independence and Pride v.s. Communal Indebtedness
  
• Self-Expression and Self-Realization v.s.
  Communal-Expression and Self-Realization
• Inter-generational transfer of wealth/value(s)
  and Continuity
• Mental and physical migrations
• The Black Family as both Patriarchal and
  Matriarchal
• Self-Expression v.s. Communal-Expression
• Chicago as National Microcosm
• Realist symbols
• Rats. (The rat trap and the toothless rat) What
  other famous portrait of the racist machinery of
  Chicago real-estate invoke?
• Lenas plant a little too obvious?
• Sunlight
• Clothing

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Masculinity, Emasculation, and Performing the
FeminineandReading Playing in Plays

• Talking Points
• What are the multiple resonances, with respect to
  the Black Matriarchal family, of Walter Lees
  assumption that Mama will listen to Ruth about
  the store but not him?
• Notice that Hansberry has inserted the stage
  direction (Ignoring her) before Walter Lee
  launches into his loudmouth rant about needing
  to be backed up by a woman. What are the
  multiple ironies at work here?
• Walter, in essence, plays Ruth in this scene,
  assuming his performance (were he Ruth) would
  convince Mama to allow him to invest? What does
  his performance (given the fact that, later, Ruth
  does ask and Mama still says no) suggest about
  how he feels about them and where they should be
  positioned both in society and within the family?
• Walter buys into a version of the American dream
  that accepts corruption as a given. Success, in
  other words, is generally a product of crime?
  What economic critique is Hansberry leveling with
  this detail?
• Eat you eggs! Emasculation, Empowerment,
  reproduction, abortion.

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Capitalism, Labor, and LeisureReading Telling
Contradictions

• Talking Points
• Ruth tells Mama of Walters desire and feelings
  about investment and advancement with particular
  respect to colored people? She also relates
  that this necessitates, in Walters eyes, a
  gamble. Consider the American dream and the myth
  of Horatio Alger? What commentary is Hansberry
  making about labor on the one hand, and owners
  (investors) on the other? If the owners are
  gamblers are they really living out the American
  dream? If not, what are they doing?
• Mama makes a distinction here between business
  people and plain working folks. In the end, her
  statement turns out to be true. What might
  Hansberry be trying to suggest (given the
  totality of events) about labor and economics in
  this play?
• The color line asserts itself into a
  conversation about labor in a very intriguing way
  here. How do Mamas flu remarks speak to the
  theme of assimilation at work in the play?
• Consider Ruths suggestion. For her, wealth is
  leisure (potentially) here. What commentary is
  Hannsberry making about wealth (with respect to
  labor and leisure) with this line?
• Think of two ways to play mamas line 10,000
  dollars. What dramatically different suggestions
  could the actor make?

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Pan-African Solidarity, Atavistic Primitivism,
and the Possibility of Black Nationalism Reading
WTF? Moments
OCOMOGOSIAY! is a Yoruban chant that welcomes
the hunters back to the village." "Owimoweh" is
the title of a Yoruban chant, referring to the
waking of the lion.

• Talking Points
• How do Walters and Beneathas actions in this
  scene speak to heritage, and how do they manifest
  atavistic primitivism? What is Hansberry trying
  to suggest with all of this?
• Notice that the stage directions repeatedly point
  to things we cannot see and lighting that
  suggests Walters imagination, Also notice that
  when this happens, the stage directions tell us
  the inner Walter is speaking the Southside
  chauffeur has assumed an unexpected majesty In
  what way is Hansberry sly distancing herself from
  iterations of atavistic primitivism and to what
  ends? In other words, what is this inner an
  atavistic construct?
• George brings matter to an abrupt halt here. How
  does his rejection of Walters brotherhood speak
  to Hansberrys messages about black nationalism
  and and internationalism? (Keep in mind that
  George is a rich shmuck.)
• 5) Why a record? Why not just drumming? What
  is Hansberry suggesting about the possibilities
  pitfallls and successful modus operandi of Du
  Boisian Pan-Africanism with all of this?

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Inter-generational Transfer of Value(s)

• Talking Points
• Walter Lee has grown-up with his face pressed
  against the glass (as we see in his monologue).
  Mama, on the other hand, grew up in an
  environment of racial terrorism (left the South)
  and seems, at times, all too content with her
  lot. How might proximity to wealth/leisure help
  to account for the thing thats changed which
  Mama so laments?
• Consider the multiple ironies of the line Once
  upon a time freedom used to be life--now its
  money. How do these ironies (or do they)
  support Walters notion that it was always
  money, Mama. We just didnt know about it.?
• Walter is certain Ruth would never consider an
  abortion, and Mama is immediately suspicious (in
  this sense Walter can be said to have
  internalized his parents professed values more
  fully than they have). Mama does not condemn
  Lena, though, for what might happen. Instead,
  she blames Walter for not doing more to stop her,
  calling him a disgrace to his fathers memory.
  Why does Walter remain silent? How does his
  silence actually complicate Mamas statement?
  (Keep in mind Walter Lees fathers motto about
  dreams and children) How does this help us to
  recontextualize Walters silence?
• If Walter is a disgrace to a memory, what memory
  is he disgracing? How might not pursuing
  economic success also be a betrayal of not only
  his fathers memories, but of his fathers
  dreams?

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In my mothers houseClose Reading More
Inter-textuality

• Talking Points
• In light of Matthews Gospel--clearly invoked and
  inverted with the line In my mothers
  house--how in Beneatha more Christian than her
  mother in this scene?
• Keep in mind the following A) The Fathers house
  has many mansions. B) The Younger apartment is
  a rat-trap. C) The new Younger home--the mansion
  mama has prepared for her children-- we know,
  will be a type of hell. In light of all this, how
  is Hansberry positioning Beneathas Marxist
  vision of religion? How does this positioning
  (when considered in light of Mamas rather
  non-Christian conversion) make us think of Mama
  (or more specifically Mamas religion)
  differently? How does Mamas decision to
  hand-over the head of the household (and to leave
  the house) impact your interpretation of all
  this?
• Does Mama really have a counter-argument here
  besides violence? What does that imply?
• Notice the tension and echoing between the lines
  I dont accept and we aint gonna have. How
  does it speak to the plays vexed positioning of
  a mandate for self-fulfillment and familial
  indebtedness?

John 142 In my Father's house are many mansions
if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to
prepare a place for you. Mathew 538-42 Ye have
heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye,
and a tooth for a tooth But I say unto you, That
ye resist not evil but whosoever shall smite
thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other
also. And if any man will sue thee at the law,
and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak
also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a
mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh
thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn
not thou away.
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Resistance, Heritage, Assimilation Reading
Miscommunication and Contradiction

• Talking Points
• Consider the ironic meta-theatricality of
  Georges line (they are in a play) as well as the
  plethora of contradictions issuing forth from him
  (e.g. Thats what being eccentric means--being
  natural. How does Georges confused thinking
  bear witness to Beneathas assertion that he is
  an assimilationist Negro?
• Is there a similarity between the fictional uncle
  Uncle Tom and George the fictional
  assimilationist? Are they not, here, both
  fictions? Explore the resonance of this
  question.
• Beneatha offers a dictionary definition of
  assimilation straight from the black-radical
  edition of Websters. She then sets herself apart
  from George by saying that she, unlike him,
  embraces her heritage? To what extent is
  Beneatha full of it? Is she also trying to
  assimilate? If so, how so?
• Consider where Beneathaa knowledge of Africa
  comes from. Is this the normal means by one
  which establishes heritage? If not, what is
  Hansberry trying to suggest about the complex
  notion of African-American heritage here? (Dont
  forget that Beneatha, insofar as her family is
  concerned, is rather close to rejecting a
  heritage)

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Home Independence and SubmissionHansberrys
Micro and Macrocosmic

• Talking
  Points
• Consider the first monologue on this page. How
  does Asagai position death? Do you take his
  vision to be African or something more? To
  what other kind of thinking does Asagais
  monologue point and how might he seen as a
  mouthpiece for Du Bois (who had, by this time,
  become a Pan-Africanist socialist). How does his
  demand for action from Beneatha figure into all
  of this?
• How does his request that Beneatha leave with him
  for home complicate the notion of Asagai as
  authentically African or Pan-Africanist?
• Asagai positions home, for Beneatha, as
  ancestral origin. How does Mamas earlier attempt
  to give Asagai a second home (in combination
  with the fact that Nigeria is NOT Beneathas
  home) frustrate the discourse of lineage here?
  (Notice he even uses the word pretend). How is
  Hansberry forcing the audience to confront the
  idea that going back home is not as easy as it
  seems and why is she doing it? How does Asagais
  notion of a home in contant flux or forward
  movement play a role in all of this (notice the
  contradiction that arises in Asagais
  characterization of Nigeria as a home of contant
  flux once he starts luring Beneatha with mentions
  of old songs?
• Asagai has an our people and Beneatha, perhaps,
  has two. How or are their two our people
  different?
• Asagai distances himself from Beneatha, arguably
  belittling her as a young creature of the New
  World? Is Asagai a creation of the New World?
  Why not?
• Asagai is rather aggressive and repressive in
  this scene. He seems to almost want to capture
  Beneath. What do you make of this? To what kind
  of Pan-Africanism (that Du Bois rejected) point?
• Beneatha (a perhaps faux-stand-in for Hansberry
  herself) seems to take all Asagai has to say as
  gospel. Given all weve just discussed, what do
  you make of her angry echoing of Asagai at
  Walter? Is she using the term in the same way,
  in a different way, or both? Explain.

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Acting Black and Playing Black in the Black
Play

• Talking Points
• Walter plays darkie in front his family to
  Beneathas great shame. Of course, here, Walter
  plays the role to a hilt, but to what extent is
  he simply dramatizing his every day life (or what
  we know of it from the play)?
• Is Walter playing at assimilation or something
  else. If something else, what?
• Once Walter acts-out a loss of race pride,
  Beneatha delivers a heavily charged line, Hes
  no brother of mine. Explore the lines multiple
  resonances (noticing her later use of the word
  individual) and those of the phrase a
  toothless rat?
• Why does Hansberry repeatedly call attention to
  playing Black in a Black play? What purposes are
  served?
• How has death now come into the house? How does
  this explain why it didnt when Walters father
  died?
• Contrast Mamas desires to begin again with
  Asagais, Ruths, Beneathas, and Lenas desire
  to move forward.
• Notice that Walters plan would probably fulfill
  Beneathas dream of becoming a doctor, but for
  her the cost is to high? What is the cost (or
  value lost)?

18
Pride, Manhood, Possession, Conclusion- Hope,
Explosion, or Pessimism?The Deceptively
Simplicity of Socialist Realism

• Talking Points
• Things come to a rapid climax (thematic wise) on
  this page. Once Walter is said to have found his
  manhood and asserts his pride, the family
  departs my mothers house? What are the
  multiply implications of this departure (which
  is, notably, a prideful ascent and fall)?
• What do you make of the notion that once Walter
  finds his pride, Beneathas wish to marry and go
  to Africa appears little more than childish to
  the rest of her family?
• Decode the symbol of Mamas plant. Why is it of
  such importance that she take it with her?
  (Remember that her other harvest constitutes
  her children) How does (if it does) the Lords
  mercy figure into all of this?
• We have already noted that this is far from a
  happy ending. In light of their ambiguous
  fates, recall both the social realist dictate to
  record what they saw as it and the resonances
  and suggestive powers of Hughess poem. Is a
  similar effect produced here? If so, what is it?
  In other words, how is this play a cry of
  revolt, and why is that cry never quite heard
  (remember the constraints of form here)?