‘It isn’t desolate because you are here’: Lorraine Hansberry’s comedy in Raisin in the Sun and ‘The Arrival of Mr. Todog’

Abstract

Lorraine Hansberry’s work is often noted for the seriousness of its purpose, while many have passingly noted the comedic elements of her output. This article examines Hansberry’s use of two distinct comedic registers, one in Raisin in the Sun, and another in the unpublished short play, ‘The Arrival of Mr. Todog’. Drawing on Glenda R. Carpio’s linking of African American modes of comedy to existing formulations of Western comedic practice allows a close reading of both plays, showcasing the variety of Hansberry’s comedic modes. In Raisin, Hansberry uses Janus-faced relief comedy for character development and to couch strident political critiques in a more palatable form. To this end, some of Hansberry’s more radical messages were missed by certain audiences. In ‘Mr. Todog’, Hansberry instead uses incongruous comedy to directly critique the work of Samuel Beckett and her understanding of his philosophy as nihilistic. She uses both of these forms of comedy to ward off despair or resignation. The paper showcases not only the functions and variety of Hansberry’s comedy but also how this comedy served as a vital tool serving the larger social goals of her work.

Keywords:

• Lorraine Hansberry
• Raisin in the Sun
• ‘The Arrival of Mr. Todog’
• Glenda R. Carpio
• theatrical comedy
• Samuel Beckett
• African American comedy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Carpio uses both the terms black humor and African American humor, drawing on the resonance of black humor as both racialized and a form of “gallows humor” (8).

2 For an analysis of how white identity precluded more radical readings of the play, see Chapter 3 in McConachie’s American Theatre in the Culture of the Cold War: Producing and Contesting Containment (McConachie 2003).

3 See note in Box 50, File 5 in Hansberry’s Papers at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Dave Peterson

Dave Peterson is an Assistant Professor of Theatre History at Niagara University in Western New York. He holds a PhD in Theatre and Performance Studies from the University of Pittsburgh. His previous publications include work on Bill Irwin, Mark Rylance, and Clowning, in Comparative Drama, Comedy Studies, and Contemporary Theatre Review, along with a variety of reviews. He has presented work at The Association of Theatre in Higher Education, The American Society for Theatre Research, The Mid America Theatre Conference, and others. His current research area focuses on the work of American playwright Lorraine Hansberry.