Hally warmly remembers the simple act of flying a kite Sam had made for him out of junk  . However, Hally feels the whole kite story ended too simply, as it ended with Hally sitting to watch the kite fly, while Sam quietly went back to work. Conversation then turns to Hally's 500-word English composition. He opts to write about Sam and Willie's competition, and the ballroom dancing floor, which is described as "a world without collisions"; a transcendent metaphor for life. Almost immediately despair returns: Sam had early on mentioned why Hally's mother is not present; the hospital had called about his father, who has been receiving treatment for complications from a leg he lost in World War II, to discharge him, and she had left to bring him home. However, Hally, indicating that his father had been in considerable pain the previous day, insisted that his father couldn't possibly be well enough to be discharged already, and that the call must've been about a bad turn, rather than a discharge notice. A call from Hally's mother at the hospital confirms that Hally's father, is  manipulating the hospital into discharging him, although he is indeed, not feeling any better than before, so it's still unofficial, so Hally remains hopeful that the discharge won't happen . A second call from Hally's mother reveals that the discharge is official , and Hally's father is now home. Hally is distraught about this news, since his father, who in addition to being crippled, is revealed to be a tyrannical alcoholic, and his being home will make home life unbearable with his drinking, fighting, and need for constant treatment, which includes demeaning tasks of having to massage his stump  , and empty chamber pots full of urine. Hally vents to his two black friends years of anger, and pain, viciously mocking his father and his condition. But when Sam chastises him for doing so, Hally, although ashamed of himself, turns on him, unleashing vicarious racism, that he learned from his father, creating possibly permanent rifts in his relationship with both Sam and Willie. For the first time, apart from hints throughout the play, Hally begins explicitly to treat Sam and Willie as subservient help rather than as friends or playmates, insisting that Sam call him "Master Harold" and spitting on him , among other things . Sam is hurt and angry, and both he and Willie stop just short of attacking Hally, but they both come to understand that Hally is really causing himself the most pain. There is a glimmer of hope for reconciliation at the end, when Sam addresses Hally by his nickname again and asks to start over the next day, harkening back to the simple days of the kite. Sam recalls the reason he made the kite in the first place: at the time, Hally's father had had an incident, where he had gotten publicly drunk, passed out, and soiled his pants. Sam had literally carried the man home on his back, cleaned him up, and put him to bed, while Hally, ashamed and embarassed over his father's situation , followed Sam, carrying his father's crutch. Sam had taken pity on Hally's shame and made him the kite to give him something to be proud of. Sam now suggests they maybe fly another kite. Hally, horrified about what he's done, is barely able to face Sam, responding without looking up "It's still raining, Sam. You can't fly kites on rainy days, remember," then asks Willie to lock up the tea shop. Before Hally leaves, Sam gives him a surprise ending to his kite story: the bench Hally sat on as he flew the kite said "Whites Only" but Hally, at the time, was too excited to notice it, but now he can (figuratively) leave it at any time. Hally exits into the rain without response.
Hally warmly remembers the simple act of flying a kite Sam had made for him out of junk , when Hally was much younger . However, Hally feels the whole kite story ended too simply, as it ended with Hally sitting to watch the kite fly, while Sam quietly went back to work. Conversation then turns to Hally's 500-word English composition. He opts to write about Sam and Willie's competition, and the ballroom dancing floor, which is described as "a world without collisions"; a transcendent metaphor for life. Almost immediately despair returns: Sam had early on mentioned why Hally's mother is not present; the hospital had called about his father, who has been receiving treatment for complications from a leg he lost in World War II, to discharge him, and she had left to bring him home. However, Hally, indicating that his father had been in considerable pain the previous day, insisted that his father couldn't possibly be well enough to be discharged already, and that the call must've been about a bad turn, rather than a discharge notice. A call from Hally's mother at the hospital confirms that Hally's father, is indeed manipulating the hospital into discharging him, although he 's not feeling any better than before, so it's still unofficial, and Hally remains hopeful that the discharge won't finalize . A second call from Hally's mother confirms that the discharge has finalized , and Hally's father has been brought home. Hally is distraught about this news, since his father, who in addition to being crippled, is revealed to be a tyrannical alcoholic, and his being home will make home life unbearable with his drinking, fighting, and need for constant treatment, which includes demeaning tasks of having to massage his stump for hours at a time , and empty chamber pots full of urine. Hally vents to his two black friends years of anger, and pain, viciously mocking his father and his condition. But when Sam chastises him for doing so, Hally, although ashamed of himself, turns on him, unleashing vicarious racism, that he learned from his father, creating possibly permanent rifts in his relationship with both Sam and Willie. For the first time, apart from hints throughout the play, Hally begins explicitly to treat Sam and Willie as subservient help rather than as friends or playmates, insisting that Sam call him "Master Harold" , threatening to fire him if he refuses. It all comes to a head, as Hally maliciously spits in Sam's face . Sam is hurt and angry, and both he and Willie stop just short of attacking Hally, but they both come to understand that Hally is really causing himself the most pain. There is a glimmer of hope for reconciliation at the end, when Sam addresses Hally by his nickname again and asks to start over the next day, harkening back to the simple days of the kite. Sam recalls the reason he made the kite in the first place: at the time, Hally's father had had an incident, where he had gotten publicly drunk, passed out, and soiled his pants. Sam had literally carried the man home on his back, cleaned him up, and put him to bed, while Hally, ashamed and embarassed over his father's drunkeness , followed Sam, carrying his father's crutch. Sam had taken pity on Hally's shame and made him the kite to give him something to be proud of. Sam now suggests they maybe fly another kite. Hally, horrified about what he's done, is barely able to face Sam, and respond without looking up "It's still raining, Sam. You can't fly kites on rainy days, remember," then asks Willie to lock up the tea shop. Before Hally leaves, Sam gives him a surprise ending to his kite story: the bench Hally sat on as he flew the kite said "Whites Only" but Hally, at the time, was too excited to notice it, but now he can (figuratively) leave it at any time. Hally exits into the rain without response.
A
, when Hally was much younger
A
indeed
R
is indeed,
's
R
so
and
R
happen
finalize
R
reveals
confirms
R
is official
has finalized
R
is now
has been brought
A
for hours at a time
R
and spitting on him , among other things
, threatening to fire him if he refuses. It all comes to a head, as Hally maliciously spits in Sam's face
R
situation
drunkeness
R
responding
and respond