. . that ain't nothing at all" (1855). Once the check arrives, Walter can think only of investing the money, which to him "is life" (1856); consequently, he does not give Ruth a chance to tell him she is pregnant and has decided to abort their baby. Mama interrupts Walter to encourage him to listen to his wife; however, this causes a detonation of Walter's anger when he yells, "WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE LISTEN TO ME TODAY!" (1854).
Ruth has made a habit out of not listening to Walter: rather than exploding in a fit of rage, the timid Ruth releases her frustration by nagging and ignoring her husband, but at times she explodes with joy. Ruth is tired and worn out like her house in the ghetto, and nagging Walter has become part of her daily routine; for instance, each morning Ruth complains, "Why you always got to smoke before you eat in the morning?" (1832). When Walter says he wants his eggs "Not scrambled" (1831), Ruth ignores him and automatically begins to scramble his eggs. She gives similar treatment to Walter's sister: Ruth pesters Beneatha about cleaning her room and makes fun of her experimentation with "different forms of expression" (1843) by reminding Beneatha of her "fifty-five-dollar riding habit that's been hanging in the closet" (1842). Because she is afraid of not having enough money to support her new baby, Ruth decides to have an abortion; however, she does not consult her husband before making the decision. Walter believes, "Ruth wouldn't do that" (1856), and he is astonished when she tells him, "I gave her a five-dollar down payment [for the abortion]" (1856). Ruth would rather avoid conflict with Walter, and she explains to him later, "I&emdash;I'm sorry about his new baby, Walter. I guess maybe I better go on and do what I started" (1863). Because of all the frustration and anger in the family, Ruth is very anxious to leave the "rat trap" (1841) she calls her home. When Mama tells her she put a down payment on a new home, Ruth exclaims, "PRAISE GOD!" (1865); additionally, when the family is ready to move, she shouts, "LET'S GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" (1895).
