Claudine (1974)

Diahann Carroll: Claudine

Photos 

Quotes 

• Claudine : What are you doing 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.