Roots

Jenny: What do Ronnie say to it?

Beatie: He don't mind. He don't even know though. He ent

never bin here. Not in the three years I known him. But

I'll tell you (she jumps up and moves around as she talks) I

used to read the comics he bought for his nephews and he

used to get riled —(Now Beatie begins to quote Ronnie, and when she does

she imitates him so well in both manner and intonation that

in fact as the play progresses we see a picture of him through

her.)

'Christ, woman, what can they give you that you can be-

so absorbed?' So you know what I used to do?

I used to get a copy of the Manchester Guardian and sit with that wide

open — and a comic behind !

Jimmy: Manchester Guardian ? Blimey Joe — he don' believe

in hevin' much fun then ?

Beatie: That's what I used to tell him. 'Fun?' he say, 'fun?

Playing an instrument is fun, painting is fun, reading a

book is fun, talking with friends is fun — but a comic? A

comic? for a young woman of twenty-two?'

Jenny: [handing out meal and sitting down herself) He sound a

queer bor to me. Sit you down and eat gal.

Beatie: (enthusiastically). He's alive though.

Jimmy: Alive? Alive you say? What's alive about someone

who can't read a comic ? What's alive about a person that

reads books and looks at paintings and listens to classical

music?

(There is a silence at this, as though the question answers

itself — reluctantly.)

Jimmy: Well, it's all right for some I suppose.

Beatie: And then he'd sneak the comic away from me and

read it his-self !

by Arnold Wesker