Mrs. Johnson's appearance is largely for comedic relief. She is a cartoon version of the nosy, envious neighbor. However, Hansberry uses Mrs. Johnson to highlight the explosive reality that await the Youngers as the first blacks to move into Clybourne Park. Mrs. Johnson is rude and nasty, and she asks inappropriate, unnecessarily intrusive questions. At one point, she almost openly expresses her desire for the Youngers' new home to be attacked. Mrs. Johnson's demeanor is so insulting that she seems comical, despite the fact that her warnings are concerning a very serious risk to the Youngers. She is typically insensitive and incapable of speaking civilly. She predicts that the Youngers will be terrified out of the all-white neighborhood once they move in, and she insults many members of the family by referring to them as a "proud-acting bunch of dark folks." She then quotes Booker T. Washington.
