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ancestry, class, community, family, fieldnegro, gender, harringtons, heritage, housenegro, malcolmx, master, oprahwinfrey, oprahwinfreynetwork, OWN, power, race, sex, slave, slavery, thehavesandthehavenots, tylerperry, wealth, youngs
As briefly discussed in my first blog post, Tyler Perry creates an interesting plot twist in the traditional master/servant white/black narrative with the addition of the upper class, extremely wealthy, and powerful black Harrington family, who are very close friends of the white Cryer family. This class tension between the two characters of the same race, the maid Hanna Young and wealthy business-woman Veronica Harrington, is what I will discuss today in this blog post.
While it would be easy to assume that the title of the show, The Haves and the Have Nots, refers simply to the white Cryers’ as the ‘Haves’ and the black Hanna Young and her family as the ‘Have Nots’, the black Harrington family are very much also in the ‘Haves’ category. The division and tension between the upper class Harrington’s and the lower class Young’s is made thoroughly transparent in episode one when Hanna’s remark, “I can’t stand black people like that…who think they’re better than everyone else” (10:03). Her comment does not seem to come from jealousy or resentment of the wealth that Veronica has, but simply Veronica’s attitude and behaviour towards her. She is extremely dismissive, judgemental and it is clear she sees herself as superior. Later on in the series, we find out why Veronica has this attitude towards Hanna. The character of Veronica is something I will focus on in more depth in a future blog post, for now I will discuss Hanna’s issues with her.
The maid Hanna Young with Veronica Harrington and Mrs Cryer
Although Veronica has an obvious superiority complex, Hanna is not left without fault in her negative attitude towards her. When told that Veronica is worth $20 million, Hanna scoffs that she must have married into the money by marrying a white man. This assumption turns out to be completely untrue and she is, in fact, a self-made black woman. Here it is apparent that even Hanna is buying into the idea that a black person could not be self-sufficient and successful without the help of a white person. However, Veronica is the founder of Higher Hope, which is an extremely successful rehabilitation facility. When Celia (the other maid) explains this to Hanna, she rolls her eyes in distaste and sneers, “The black Betty Ford”, with an unimpressed look on her face.
Once again, Hanna is referring to Veronica in terms of her connection to a white woman. While one could argue it is jealously that creates Hanna’s negative attitude, it would in fact seem that it is because she sees Veronica as betraying the black community. She believes that Veronica has turned her back on her own people and has chosen the side of the white society, a society who has a long history of mistreating (to say the least!) black communities in the U.S. This idea could be connected to Malcolm X’s concept of the ‘Field Negro’ and the ‘House Negro’. The ‘House Negro’, according to Malcolm, loved his white
Veronica Harrington and Mrs Cryer
master and would do anything for them (Malcolm X, 1963). In modern day, this is the black person who loves the white society more than their black community. They want to be the white person. Malcolm claimed that if a black person acts like this then they are not to be trusted.
It would seem that this is how Hanna sees Veronica; she is trying to act white rather than embracing her race and its heritage. This is why Hanna constantly refers to Veronica in regard to her relationship or connection with white people with resentment and hostility, because she sees it as a betrayal of the African American community and ancestry.
I am looking forward to seeing how this relationship and tension between the two characters develops in further episodes. Especially as we learn more about Veronica and her background and upbringing.
The Haves and the Have Nots 