Claudine

Quotes: « Claudine: What are you going to do? » « Charlene: Get married, and we'll both work. » « Claudine: You'll both work? Together, you'll make one salary. And when the baby comes, they'll be three people living on half a salary. That's the half you can't even count on. » « Charlene: Abdullah says that if… » « Claudine: 'Abdullah says'? Abdullah's full of crap, that's what he is. He's just like all those other black studs. Full of crap! » « Charlene: [close to tears] Mama, black men have made great contributions. George Washington Carver. W.E.B. DuBois. Frederick Douglass. » « Claudine: Ain't if just too damn bad you didn't get your ass knocked up by Frederick Douglass! » « Charles: [Charles comes down the stoop stairs and sees Claudine sitting there] I knew it all the time. I knew that nigga was gonna walk out on you. I knew that! It's your own damn fault. That's right- don't blame nobody but yourself! You had the six kids! » « Claudine: That's right! Six kids- that's right! That's all I got in this world- my children. » « Charles: I hate them. » « Claudine: Get away from me, Charles! » « Charles: I knew I had nothing but I have to share what I ain't got. » « Claudine: My son, the black revolutionary. You ain't nothing but a snot-nosed coward. That's what you are. » « Charles: Yeah, that's right. That's what you want me to be, Mama? Why do you think Francis the way we is? He's being exactly what you want him to be- invisible. » « Claudine: You're a damn crybaby. » « Charles: I don't know why you didn't kill me when I was born. » « Claudine: Oh, you talk crazier every day! » « Charles: If you loved me, you would have killed me like those women back on the plantations. They killed their kids so they wouldn't have to be slaves. » « Claudine: I guess I didn't love my children because I wanted them to live. » « Charles: Yeah, so you told us to be afraid, right? » « Claudine: You better be afraid! You better be afraid- this world out there will kill you. » « Charles: How can frightened people change anything? » « Claudine: There ain't no other kind of people, Charles. I'm scared all the time, but I do my job. If you ain't scared, you don't have need for guts. » « Charles: What you gonna do now? » « Claudine: I'm gonna get some sleep and I'm going to work tomorrow. » « Charles: Well, as you crawl into bed, you take a look at Charlene's tits. Good night, Grandma. » « Claudine: Roop, how come you settle for being a garbageman? I know you smarter than that. » « Roop: Shoog, I been smarter than any job I ever had. No, you see, I have actually avoided success. Oh, no. You know why? » « Claudine: Why? » « Roop: Because when you are successful and rich, people will envy you and hate you. And I want people to love me. »