Saturday, December 7, 2013

Topdog/Underdog


Topdog/Underdog-

This play well represents theatrical mirroring that do not seem to have much in common in the beginning, those being the Lincoln assassination and the game, three card Monte. We see Parks make a connection between these things showing them both as manipulated situations. When playing three card Monte the dealer is in complete control and Lincoln even states that the only way for anyone to win is by the dealer allowing it to happen.  “… the dealer has been wanting to thro his cards all along. Only he don’t ever show it.” (410) In the card game Lincoln is in total control but in the arcade game he ha no control at all, all he can do is stay put while Booth puts the gun up to his head.  He isn’t used to this lack of control he has and it is shown to us again when Lincolns boss replaces him with a wax dummy.

John Michael Moore

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