Copyright Claire Gleitman 2022. /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] 21 Jul. Each of these replayed scenes creates a small circle, the kind of repeated history referenced in Ralph Waldo Emerson's (180382) essay "Circles" (1841), which is quoted in the play's epigraph.
(LogOut/ At 2:00 a.m., the audience knows Grace won't be joining Booth for dinner and likely suspects that she never agreed to come at all. As goes thuh man so goes thuh mans dick. Susan Lori Parks also invites the the viewer to grapple with the unique sexual requirements for the performance of black masculinity. If you belong to such Not to get too metaphysical, he says, I dont know sometimes whether or not am I wearing a mask? Topdog/Underdog Study Guide. % In their imaginary scenario, Booth casts himself as lookout, saying, "I'll keep an eye for thuh cops. As Booth discusses the illusion of a happy family life, he grows angry with Grace and what he thinks she's trying to take from him.
Iwamoto argues that, young men of color often enter into hyper-masculine behaviors to combat the degrading effects of racism on their self esteem (Iwamoto, 2003). Throughout the play, Parks creates the same scene over and over and over in slightly different waysBooth setting the table, for example, the dealing of cards, and the gun passing hands between Lincoln and Booth. Booth sits anxiously, waiting, in his new suit. Later in life, he would occupy that same office againthis time as the Dean. 0000009517 00000 n for the past fifteen years. 656 0 obj Lincoln bursts out laughing, which enrages Booth, who puts on his coat and pockets his gun. googletag.enableServices(); We spoke with the plays cast, Brian Lee West and Keith McGill, about working on the piece, and how their own lived experiences informed the choices they made on stage. And in certain situations, you go right back to those roles., West says the play forces you to think about what shapes our self-identities. He tells Booth to look in his eyes, not at his hands, and Booth questions whether Lincoln's been crying. 3 0 obj
/F3 12 0 R The title of the play. ', He says the play mirrors the real relationships between brothers. Booth chooses correctly and struts around the apartment. << "Topdog/Underdog Study Guide." He continues to fret about the pornographic magazines, repeatedly shoving them under the bed, and eventually he takes off his suit pants to climb under the bed to ensure they're hidden. Lincoln, the breadwinner, serves as the traditional male who makes a living and pays the bills. The play frequently invites the reader to grapple with the issue of financial independence and masculinity for black men living in poverty. %PDF-1.5 /Parent 2 0 R Grace is running late, he says, but she's coming. He wants to show Grace that he has bettered himself, that he's respectable, and that he can fulfill the traditionally masculine role.
>> Ignoring him, Lincoln tells Booth to find the two of spades. Though the backyard was cement and the front yard was filled with trash, they thought it was the best house in the world. Download a PDF to print or study offline. Even her name, "Grace," means savior. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Topdog-Underdog/. %%EOF I always carry it." 45). 0000003651 00000 n
Booth chooses correctly again. Rc6~J|\wy9B1V&-.=ky/#uCOt>z. While arguing with Lincoln, Booth exclaims, Every Friday you come home with your paycheck. ?erT$\+Krgc"s@R
8U)$0{zgR+Wo.CZfUgF}}oM~Pm2wU~_wUmTt1S._@/ Course Hero, Inc. As a reminder, you may only use Course Hero content for your own personal use and may not copy, distribute, or otherwise exploit it for any other purpose. All Rights Reserved. As Booth quickly dresses again, Lincoln admires the new flatware, wondering whether Booth stole it or spent his inheritance on it. The period of American chattel slavery was marked by repeated and intentional efforts by white men to demasculinize and depower their slaves. Laura is LPM's Director of Podcasts & Special Projects. /F1 6 0 R Is it how many women you have, is it holding a steady job, is it being able to get it over on The Man and prevailing?, Lincwas once the best three-card monte hustler around, and Booth wants to follow in his footsteps, so lots of conversation in the play revolves around the hustle. Hell be greatly missed, but he leaves behind important work and the inspiration, in us, to carry it on. The de-masculinization of black men during American chattel and through the present moment has established the paradigm that the black man is inherently inferior and is responsible for his condition. Next thing you learn is what aint." (LogOut/ Course Hero. 21 July 2022. 0000000656 00000 n
Their father raged about "how thuh white man done sabotaged him again," and neither boy ever told him the truth. 0000004032 00000 n Change). 0000016185 00000 n >> How do you define yourself as a black man? The play follows two young African American brothers, Lincoln and Booth, who frequently clash over their financial distress and sexual exploits. White men frequently referred to black men as either as uncle (old) or boy (child) to undermine their strength relative to their owners. By definition, American chattel slavery denied black men the ability to provide for their families. All kinds of things can happen. Booth tries to hide his true identity in the same superficial way he thinks he can become a great card shark simply by changing his name. Sign up for a daily dose of WFPL news curated for you each morning. Tupac Shakur: Understanding the identity formation of hyper-masculinity of a popular hip-hop artist. The Black Scholar 33.2 (2003): 44-49. Lincgave it up and now holds a legitimate, if somewhat bizarre, job. The title of the play, Topdog/Underdog, invites discussion about what it means to be a topdog and what are the cultural norms that undergird these values. In this scene, audiences see the proof of Booth's self-aggrandizing lies. Without women in their lives, Lincoln and Booth exist in a homosocial relationship, meaning they are two men in a nonsexual relationship, fulfilling the typical gender norms of a male-female relationship. He proves himself to be the perfect mark in Lincoln's great swindle because, just as in his relationship with Grace, he's too eager to reinvent himself to actually do any transformative work.
Booth has taken great care to redecorate the apartment before Grace's arrival. Dear Mr. Blue, This is a very interesting essay you have here. endobj Because Lincoln and Booth both live paycheck to paycheck, they frequently spar over their financial limitations and inability to provide for the people in their lives. In reality, of course, Booth's changes are entirely superficial. Before they left, their parents gave each of the boys $500, which they call their inheritance. 0000002060 00000 n
Booth wants to bet money this time, but Lincoln won't let him. Copyright 2016. 0000006865 00000 n googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); Course Hero, "Topdog/Underdog Study Guide," June 14, 2019, accessed July 21, 2022, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Topdog-Underdog/.
(2019, June 14). Topdog/Underdog, written by Susan Lori Parks, explores the unique pressure of masculinity for African American males. He's not performing, or pretending to be more masculine, for Lincoln.
Upload them to earn free Course Hero access! Lincoln takes away his brother's gun and puts it on the table, telling him to focus on the cards. Despite this, Booth still thinks he has the ability to outsmart his brother. Throughout the book, Lincoln and Booth challenge each other to prove their masculinity through their sexual exploits which, because of their low socioeconomic status, are rarely successful. Lincoln finally begins schooling Booth on the skills needed to become a successful three-card monte hustler. London,: Methuen Drama, 2022. Maybe this is a sign that they should hustle together. /Contents 4 0 R twitter beef between rapper Azealia Banks and blogger Perez Hilton, By His moves are much more awkward than Lincoln's and his banter sounds forced.
Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Clearly agitated, Booth ping-pongs between blaming Lincoln's presence for jinxing his date with Grace and reassuring himself that she'll arrive any minute. Or is there a mask?. The hypermasculine actions and language of Lincoln and Booth might similarly be mistaken as deviant, rather than a logical coping mechanism for hundreds of years of marginalization.
Bloomsbury Collections. startxref Performing White Male Heteronormativity: Anxious Masculinity in the Drama of Arthur Miller and Beyond. , invites discussion about what it means to be a topdog and what are the cultural norms that undergird these values. McGill portraysLincoln, the plays older brother. 0000016001 00000 n And does one LGBTQ-identified person using a slur against another mean something different in black gay culture than it does to white people? Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 0000000016 00000 n Lincoln interrupts him to say that he lost his job. "Topdog/Underdog Study Guide." In Course Hero. Once youre the younger brother youre always the younger brother.
Lincoln agrees that she's probably going to be there any second. binary system that consists of a giant star and a black hole. To calm him down, Lincoln offers to show him a few three-card monte moves. 4 0 obj /ProcSet [/PDF /Text ] This scene becomes important at the play's closing, when Booth kills Lincoln, because Lincoln takes this moment to warn Booth about the dangers of getting "played." It is now Wednesday night. The play follows two young African American brothers, Lincoln and Booth, who frequently clash over their financial distress and sexual exploits. Least my shits intact. In an escalating argument between Booth and Lincoln, Booth remarks, When you dont got a woman you just sit there. /Font << Lincoln deals again, upping his banter and swiping the cards around the table more quickly. I am an actor studying at the National Theatre Conservatory in Denver, CO and I am currently working on a production of Topdog Underdog with a classmate of mine.
It should come as no surprise that Lincoln's inheritance came from their father and Booth's inheritance came from their mother, because these are the gender roles each character has "inherited" from their parents. googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); Letting your shit fester.
Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without prior permission in writing from the publishers. High-speed jets of charged particles spiral out into space from SS 433, a x^r]_G*1. Booth shouts at him to get out of the apartment because he has a date tonight. All kinds of bad feelings can surface and erupt while your little brother waits for you to bring in your share (Parks, pg. Anxious Masculinity in the Drama of Arthur Miller and Beyond: Salesmen, Sluggers, and Big Daddies. Lincoln notes that Booth looks sad waiting for Graceit's after 3:00 a.m. nowbut he remains convinced that she'll arrive soon. Thats what I say. stream The independent man must have the financial resources to provide for his family and partners, which is disproportionately read onto young black males. >> "Cakewalks and the White Gaze: Topdog/Underdog, Fairview, Slave Play." /Type /Page
All rights reserved. Like Mother Like Son: Masculinity and Melancholy Murray, Penelope--Classical Literary Criticism, Artaud, Antonin--The Theater and Its Double, Highmore, Ben--Everyday Life and Cultural Theory. Accessed July 21, 2022. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Topdog-Underdog/. Laura Ellis. @fksfZ}QAn/7E{o-WzJcf iiuY)"; (ua?Tv\)Cn. 171206. /F4 15 0 R 14 June 2019. Once youre the older brother youre always the older brother, whatever happens. endobj
They switch places so Booth can practice being the dealer.
Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. First, Lincoln recalls made-up happy memories, but then the brothers laugh, reminiscing about the time they lined the driveway with nails, giving their father's car four flat tires. Each small "circle" reminds audiences how Parks plays with the idea of history repeating itself in Topdog/Underdog. `rM`e):,i`L%@Q HL7-}w :@x >\|>8Qi2Yf3Yu^c 6?q9A?P +6/p:jD=K\/\%Vd@l!quk02$>s89"8\ym^E]$@cNs(>@UK Historically, the narrative has been that black men are not real men because they fall short of the financial capabilities of white men.
View wordpressdotcoms profile on Twitter. West says that line between selling out and getting by is confronted in real life too, when African Americans have to decide whether to try to tone down their blackness in certain situations. Course Hero. In this scene, it becomes clear that he's "performing" just as much as Lincoln, although his performance happens in real life rather than on stage. Still wearing his costume, Lincoln wonders whether he should go back tomorrow and say he'll take a pay cut to keep the job.
He tells Booth that the dealer always wins, that he always looks like he doesn't want to play, and that the mark can't win unless the dealer lets him. In this scene, the audience learns more about the childhood trauma that resulted in Lincoln and Booth living together. %PDF-1.7 % In this cultural moment, the rhetoric in the popular press frequently de-masculinizes the African American male by blaming them for being absent fathers and failing to provide adequate child support payments for their wife and kids. googletag.defineSlot('/13076449/L-Marketing', [300, 250], 'div-gpt-ad-1429642448542-0').addService(googletag.pubads());
As a young man he participated in protests on UofLs campus, including a takeover of the Deans office, when negotiations with school administrators over diversity measures broke down. He says the dealer must first size up the crowd, then once he's found a mark he should pretend he doesn't want to play. As Booth sits by the window awaiting Grace's arrival, he and Lincoln talk about their childhood home. 0000114100 00000 n As he's doing this, Lincoln walks in. 639 0 obj Today is Thursday and I tell you brother, its a long way from Friday to Friday. 0 This week the Strange Fruit team got to sit in on a dress rehearsal of a local production of Suzan Lori-Parks play, Top Dog/Underdog. The arcade bought the wax dummy. I would love to be able to email you with some thoughts and questions about the play and our process. Course Hero. We close our show by remembering Louisville educator and activist Dr. J. Blaine Hudson, who passed away this week. << 0000003045 00000 n Course Hero. Their conspicuous displays of hypermasculinity throughout the play are deeply rooted in the legacy of American chattel slavery. googletag.cmd.push(function() { 0000002639 00000 n Finally, the constant presence of the gun in scenes between Lincoln and Booth continue to foreshadow Lincoln's shooting death in the final scene. <>stream He was a friend to the show and to the social justice community in Louisville. Yr dick, if it aint fallen off yet, is hanging there between your legs, little whiteface shriveled-up blank-shooting grub worm. Hypermasculinity can be understood as complete rejection of any traditionally feminine characteristics and requires the exaggeration of stereotypical male behavior, including physical strength, aggression, and sexuality. Several days have passed. He dresses up as Abraham Lincoln (in whiteface) and people in an arcade pay money to pretend to shoot hima job Booth maintains is a hustle in its own way. Gleitman, Claire. Retrieved from Bloomsbury Collections, www.bloomsburycollections.com. /F2 9 0 R He has managed to convince himself that Grace is interested in him despite her actions proving otherwise. hVLuR`() Was she merely reclaiming a word, the waythe word queer has been reclaimed? /Filter /FlateDecode Whats great about this play is that there is part of these characters in everyone, McGill says.
>> The history of de-masculinization of black men during American chattel slavery offers an explanation for the existence of hypermasculinity within the black community. ^xx36 Q?')M*%,/$vk3B=P5mskWtES#vU+-U2WJmk3't[;c(CM?U This helps explain his boastful stories of sexual conquesthe is desperately trying to assert his masculinity.
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Just as the character Lincoln dies in a constant loop at work, Parks reminds readers on a constant loop that the character Booth is going to shoot his brother, Lincoln. Have study documents to share about Topdog/Underdog? Lincoln was 16 and Booth was 11 when their parents left. Web. In this scene the audience sees his thoughtful eye for decorating and his clear skill for identifying what might seem romantic to a woman. LA Stage Alliance - LAStageAlliance.com - Empowering Artists and Engaging Audiences since 1975. Booth sits at his three-card monte table, but it has been set up for a fancy, romantic dinner. an institution, please login or read more about How to Order. Booth admits that Grace was supposed to be there at 8:00 p.m. but it's 2:00 a.m. now.