Booth Character Analysis in Topdog/Underdog

A hotheaded, unemployed man who allows his older brother, Lincoln, to stay in his apartment. Booth is obsessed with making money and attracting women, though he has neither a job nor a healthy romantic relationship. Indeed, he talks often about his love interest, Grace, whom he’s determined to keep from seeing other men. He periodically brags to Lincoln about how much Grace loves him, though there’s no evidence to support these claims. When he’s not talking to his brother about Grace, he’s begging Lincoln to teach him the trade of a Three-Card Monte dealer, explaining that he wants to be a revered hustler. He even makes Lincoln call him 3-Card, declaring that he’ll shoot anybody who calls him Booth. Throughout the play, Booth reveals his violent side, an element of his personality that surfaces early on, when he points a gun at Lincoln in the very first scene. This aggression is ultimately his way of overcompensating for his various insecurities, many of which are related to his fraught conception of masculinity and the traumas of his abandonment as a child. These violent and confrontational predilections eventually come to fruition when he admits to Lincoln that he not only slept with Cookie (Lincoln’s wife), but he also murdered Grace for spurning him. Later that night, after Lincoln cons Booth out of the $500 “inheritance” his mother gave him, Booth tries to reassert his power by shooting and killing his older brother. This only leaves him in a state of sorrow and desperation, and the play ends with him screaming out in agony while holding his brother’s lifeless body.

Booth Quotes in Topdog/Underdog

The Topdog/Underdog quotes below are all either spoken by Booth or refer to Booth. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Watch me close watch me close now: who-see-thuh-red-card-who-see-thuh-red-card? I-see-thuh-red-card. Thuh-red-card-is-thuh-winner. Pick-thuh-red-card-you-pick-uh-winner. Pick-uh-black-card-you-pick-uh-loser. Theres-thuh-loser-, yeah, theres-thuh-black-card, theres-thuh-other-loser-and-theres-thuh-red-card, thuh-winner.

[…]

You wanna bet? 500 dollars? Shoot. You musta been watching 3-Card real close. Ok. Lay the cash in my hand cause 3-Cards thuh man. Thank you, mister. This card you say?

(Rest)

Wrong! Sucker! Fool! Asshole! Bastard! I bet yr daddy heard how stupid you was and drank himself to death just cause he didnt wanna have nothing to do witchu! I bet yr mama seen you when you was born and she wished she was dead, sucker! Ha Ha Ha! And 3-Card, once again, wins all thuh money!!

Related Characters: Booth (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 7

Explanation and Analysis:

Booth speaks these lines at the very opening of the play while he’s practicing his skills as a Three-Card Monte dealer. In the stage directions, however, Parks expresses that his movements and speech patterns are clumsy and awkward. Booth’s bumbling nature is also apparent in Parks’s use of hyphens, which break the words into strange patterns and give Booth’s banter a stilted, unnatural feel. What’s most important, though, is that these are the play’s opening lines and that they immediately establish the fact that playing Three-Card Monte means perfecting (or trying to perfect) a standardized routine. Indeed, these words resurface Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Duc

I got her this ring today. Diamond. Well, diamond-esque, but it looks just as good as the real thing. Asked her what size she wore. She say 7 so I go boost a 6 and a half, right? Show it to her and she loves it and I shove it on her finger and its a tight fit right, so she cant just take it off on a whim, like she did the last one I gave her. Smooth, right?

Related Characters: Booth (speaker), Grace, Lincoln

Page Number and Citation: 10

Explanation and Analysis:

Booth speaks these words to Lincoln, explaining that he’s going to give his lover Grace a ring on a date the following day. He has just finished explaining to Lincoln that Grace suddenly wants him back after having taken some time for herself, and now he’s clearly eager to impress her. However, his conception of authenticity is perhaps a bit lacking in this moment, as he trusts that Grace will be impressed by a fake diamond ring. This attitude is indicative of his characteristic overconfidence when it comes to his ability to deceive other people. In the same way that Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi

She was putting her stuff in bags. She had all them nice suitcases but she was putting her stuff in bags.

(Rest)

Packing up her shit. She told me to look out for you. I told her I was the little brother and the big brother should look out after the little brother. She just said it again. That I should look out for you. Yeah. So who gonna look out for me. Not like you care. Here I am interested in an economic opportunity, willing to work hard, willing to take risks and all you can say you shiteating motherfucking pathetic limpdick uncle tom, all you can tell me is how you dont do more what I be wanting to do. Here I am trying to earn a living and you standing in my way. YOU STANDING IN MY WAY, LINK!

Related Characters: Booth (speaker), Lincoln

Page Number and Citation: 21

Explanation and Analysis:

In this moment, Booth describes watching his and Lincoln’s mother pack her things before abandoning the family. Rehashing her parting words, he backhandedly suggests to Lincoln that their mother saw Booth as the responsible one in their relationship. Although Lincoln is the older brother who has enjoyed more success in his life, Booth’s mother seems to have planted in his mind the idea that he’s the one who needs to “look out for” Lincoln. Of course, this doesn’t align with reality, since Lincoln has a steady job whereas Booth merely steals and spends his time trying—in vain, the audience eventually Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit

Lincoln
I cant be hustling no more, bro.

Booth
What you do all day aint no hustle?

Lincoln
Its honest work.

Booth
Dressing up like some crackerass white man, some dead president and letting people shoot at you sounds like a hustle to me.

Lincoln
People know the real deal. When people know the real deal it aint a hustle.

Booth
We do the card game people will know the real deal. Sometimes we will win sometimes they will win. They fast they win, we faster we win.

Related Characters: Booth (speaker), Lincoln (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 22

Explanation and Analysis:

This conversation occurs when Booth tries to convince Lincoln to teach him Three-Card Monte. Lincoln’s assertion that a job isn’t a “hustle” “when people know the real deal” draws a stark delineation between the nature of Three-Card Monte and the nature of a more legitimate job (like the one he has as an Abraham Lincoln impersonator). Under this interpretation, as long as everybody is on the same page, nobody is getting conned. When Lincoln impersonates Abraham Lincoln and lets customers shoot him with cap guns, for example, everybody involved understands and accepts what’s going on—Lincoln has agreed to dress up Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui digniss

Lincoln
They say the clothes make the man. All day long I wear that getup. But that dont make me who I am. Old black coat not even real old just fake old. Its got worn spots on the elbows, little raggedy places thatll break through into holes before the winters out. Shiny strips around the cuffs and the collar. Dust from the cap guns on the left shoulder where they shoot him, where they shoot me I should say but I never feel like they shooting me. The fella who had the gig before I had it wore the same coat. When I got the job they had the getup hanging there waiting for me. Said thuh fella before me just took it off one day and never came back.

(Rest)

Remember how Dads clothes used to hang in the closet?

Booth
Until you took em outside and burned em.

Related Characters: Lincoln (speaker), Booth (speaker)

Related Symbols: The Abraham Lincoln Costume

Page Number and Citation: 29

Explanation and Analysis:

This conversation passes between Lincoln and Booth after Booth has just stolen new suits for them both. Admiring his new outfit, Lincoln considers the nature of appearances, challenging an old adage upholding that “the clothes make the man.” He himself rejects this notion because he’s an impersonator. If clothes did indeed “make the man,” then, Lincoln would have to reconfigure his own identity, stepping into the unfitting role of Abraham Lincoln, a white man who lived through the Civil War, a time when slavery hadn’t yet been abolished. His assertion that he never feels like Abraham Lincoln is an important Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat.

Grace Grace Grace. Grace. She wants me back. She wants me back so bad she wiped her hand over the past where we wasnt together just so she could say we aint never been apart. She wiped her hand over our breakup. She wiped her hand over her childhood, her childhood years, her first boyfriend, just so she could say that she been mine since the dawn of time.

Related Characters: Booth (speaker), Grace, Lincoln

Page Number and Citation: 38

Explanation and Analysis:

Booth says this to Lincoln after having supposedly met with Grace, though it’s never clear to the audience whether or not what he says about her is true, since all of their interactions take place offstage. Taken in conjunction with what becomes evident later—that Grace doesn’t want to have sex with Booth and, finally, that Booth kills her because she thinks he has “nothing going on”—it’s safe to say his claim that she “wiped her hand over [their] breakup” is at the very least a delusional exaggeration, if not an outright lie. However, Booth’s fabrication ultimately provides insight into his Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perfer

Im hot. I need constant sexual release. If I wasnt taking care of myself by myself I would be out there running around on thuh town which costs cash that I dont have so I would be doing worse: I’d be out there doing who knows what, shooting people and shit. Out of a need for unresolved sexual release. I’m a hot man. I aint apologizing for it. When I dont got a woman, I gotta make do. Not like you, Link. When you dont got a woman you just sit there. Letting yr shit fester. Yr dick, if it aint falled off yet, is hanging there between yr legs, little whiteface shriveled-up blank-shooting grub worm. As goes thuh man so goes thuh mans dick. Thats what I say. Least my shits intact.

(Rest)

You a limp dick jealous whiteface motherfucker whose wife dumped him cause he couldnt get it up and she told me so. Came crawling to me cause she needed a man.

(Rest)

I gave it to Grace good tonight. So goodnight.

Related Characters: Booth (speaker), Lincoln, Grace

Page Number and Citation: 45

Explanation and Analysis:

Booth spews this venomous rant after Lincoln suggests that Booth didn’t actually have sex with Grace earlier in the night, as he claims to have done. Lincoln has just revealed that he discovered Booth’s pornography stash and that the semen stuck to the magazine pages makes it obvious that Grace isn’t actually having sex with him. Somewhat comically, Booth accidentally confirms this notion in his very attempt to refute it, since he says, “When I dont got a woman, I gotta make do,” thereby inadvertently confessing that he hasn’t actually gotten back together with Grace. More importantly, though, his monologue Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Moll

Its pretty dark. To keep thuh illusion of thuh whole thing.

(Rest)

But on thuh wall opposite where I sit theres a little electrical box, like a fuse box. Silver metal. Its got uh dent in it like somebody hit it with they fist. Big old dent so everything reflected in it gets reflected upside down. Like yr looking in uh spoon. And thats where I can see em. The assassins.

(Rest)

Not behind me yet but I can hear him coming. Coming in with his gun in hand, thuh gun he already picked out up front when he paid his fare. Coming on in. But not behind me yet. His dress shoes making too much noise on the carpet, the carpets too thin, Boss should get a new one but hes cheap. Not behind me yet. Not behind me yet. Cheap lightbulb just above my head.

(Rest)

And there he is. Standing behind me. Standing in position. Standing upside down. Theres some feet shapes on the floor so he knows just where he oughta stand. So he wont miss. Thuh gun is always cold. Winter or summer thuh gun is always cold. And when the gun touches me he can feel that Im warm and he knows Im alive. And if Im alive then he can shoot me dead. And for a minute, with him hanging back there behind me, its real. Me looking at him upside down and him looking at me looking like Lincoln. Then he shoots.

Related Characters: Lincoln (speaker), Booth

Page Number and Citation: 49

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, Lincoln explains to Booth what it feels like to work as an Abraham Lincoln impersonator. The most interesting element of his brief monologue comes when he describes the “little electrical box” on the wall in front of him, in which he watches the customers’ reflections as they shoot him. The fact that their reflections appear inverted in this fuse box is important because it suggests that Lincoln sees these people from a different perspective than the average person might. This is perhaps because he’s in a unique position, one in which he’s completely vulnerable. Indeed, this is Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. A

I slump down and close my eyes. And he goes out thuh other way. More come in. Uh whole day full. Bunches of kids, little good for nothings, in they school uniforms. Businessmen smelling like two for one martinis. Tourists in they theme park t-shirts trying to catch it on film. Housewives with they mouths closed tight, shooting more than once.

(Rest)

They all get so into it. I do my best for them. And now they talk bout cutting me, replacing me with uh wax dummy.

Related Characters: Lincoln (speaker), Booth

Page Number and Citation: 50

Explanation and Analysis:

Lincoln says this to Booth, cataloguing the kind of people that visit the arcade and pretend to shoot him while he’s dressed like Abraham Lincoln. His list of customers is quite varied, including “kids,” “businessmen,” “tourists,” and “housewives.” The wide range of these customers implies that seemingly everybody is interested in acting out a violent act and engaging with a historic moment. It’s interesting to note here that Booth refuses several times throughout the play to visit Lincoln at the arcade, rejecting the idea of participating in this violent reenactment. And yet, Booth is the most violent person in the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque erro

People are funny about they Lincoln shit. Its historical. People like they historical shit a certain way. They like it to unfold the way they folded it up. Neatly like a book. Not raggedy and bloody and screaming. You trying to get me fired.

Related Characters: Lincoln (speaker), Booth

Page Number and Citation: 52

Explanation and Analysis:

Lincoln says this after Booth tells him that his new arcade routine—in which he dies more realistically after being shot—is disconcerting because it looks too real. Although Booth himself was the one who originally suggested that Lincoln should liven up his act to avoid getting replaced by a wax dummy, now he shies away from the idea because the image of Lincoln writhing on the floor is too visceral and disturbing. In response, Lincoln reprimands his brother for suggesting this in the first place, upholding that, although people come to his booth at the arcade to engage with history, they’re Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore co

I think there was something out there that they liked more than they liked us and for years they was struggling against moving towards that more liked something. Each of them had a special something that they was struggling against. Moms had hers. Pops had his. And they was struggling. We moved out of that nasty apartment into a house. A whole house. It werent perfect but it was a house and theyd bought it and they brought us there and everything we owned, figuring we could be a family in that house and them things, them two separate things each of them was struggling against, would just leave them be. Them things would see thuh house and be impressed and just leave them be.

Related Characters: Lincoln (speaker), Booth

Page Number and Citation: 67

Explanation and Analysis:

This passage showcases Lincoln’s theory that his and Booth’s parents tried to run from their troubled pasts by moving to a new house. He explains how they must have thought the things they “struggle[ed] against” would suddenly disappear if they changed their lifestyles. By moving out of a “nasty apartment into a house,” they seemed to think economic advancement would exempt them from having to feel the hardships that previously followed them throughout their lives. This recalls Booth’s optimism about his ability to erase his past and his attraction to the idea of “wiping away” unsavory memories. Of course, the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. C

All she knew was you couldnt get it up. You couldnt get it up with her so in her head you was tired of her and had gone out to screw somebody new and this time maybe werent never coming back.

(Rest)

She had me pour her a drink or 2. I didnt want to. She wanted to get back at you by having some fun of her own and when I told her to go out and have it, she said she wanted to have her fun right here. With me.

(Rest)

And then, just like that, she changed her mind.

(Rest)

But she’d hooked me. That bad part of me that I fight down everyday. You beat yrs down and it stays there dead but mine keeps coming up for another round. And the bad part of me took her clothing off and carried her into thuh bed and had her, Link, yr Cookie. It wasnt just thuh bad part of me it was all of me, man, I had her. Yr damn wife. Right in that bed.

Related Characters: Booth (speaker), Cookie, Lincoln

Page Number and Citation: 93

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, Booth tells Lincoln that he slept with Lincoln’s ex-wife, Cookie, right when their marriage was falling apart. As such, he reveals that he ensured the demise of Lincoln’s failing romance. To make matters worse, he tells his brother this story in a blatantly aggressive manner, going out of his way to remind Lincoln of his impotency. Once again, then, he actively tries to emasculate his older brother, and when Lincoln doesn’t respond, he pushes on, saying, “It wasnt just thuh bad part of me it was all of me, man, I had her.” By saying this, Booth Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error

And ooooh you certainly was persistent. But you was in such a hurry to learn thuh last move that you didnt bother to learning thuh first one. That was yr mistake. Cause its thuh first move that separates thuh Player from thuh Played. And thuh first move is to know that there aint no winning. Taadaaa! It may look like you got a chance but the only time you pick right is when thuh man lets you. And when its thuh real deal, when its thuh real fucking deal, bro, and thuh moneys on thuh line, thats when thuh man wont want you picking right. He will want you picking wrong so he will make you pick wrong. Wrong wrong wrong. Ooooh, you thought you was finally happening, didnt you? You thought yr ship had come in or some shit, huh? Thought you was uh Player. But I played you, bro.

Related Characters: Lincoln (speaker), Booth

Page Number and Citation: 106

Explanation and Analysis:

In this moment, Lincoln admits that he has hustled Booth, involving his younger brother in a long con by playing on his naivety. Indeed, Lincoln recognized that his brother was so eager to play Three-Card Monte that he wouldn’t pause to fully consider the nature of the game. “You was in such a hurry to learn thuh last move that you didnt bother to learn thuh first one.” Throughout the play, Booth begs Lincoln to give him lessons, but he fails to internalize the plain fact that the dealer always wins. This recalls Booth’s earlier argument—delivered in an attempt to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum.

Booth Character Timeline in Topdog/Underdog

The timeline below shows where the character Booth appears in Topdog/Underdog. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

It is Thursday evening and Booth sits alone in his dingy apartment, which contains one bed, an armchair, and a makeshift... (full context)

Masculinity, Sexuality, and Violence Theme Icon

As Booth practices “throwing the cards,” his brother Lincoln enters the apartment wearing an old frock coat,... (full context)

Booth tells Lincoln he hates to see him “wearing that bullshit” in his apartment. He instructs... (full context)

“You boosted a ring?” Lincoln asks. “Yeah,” Booth replies. “I thought about spending my inheritance on it but—take off that damn coat man,... (full context)

Lincoln sees the makeshift cardboard table and asks if Booth is making bookshelves. In response, Booth lies and says that’s exactly what he’s doing, saying,... (full context)

...food, and Lincoln complains about having to sleep in the reclining chair. “Its my place,” Booth replies. “You don’t got a place. Cookie, she threw you out. And you cant seem... (full context)

When Booth mentions his inheritance, Lincoln says Booth might as well not have any money at all,... (full context)

“My new names 3-Card,” Booth announces while Lincoln cleans. He declares that he’ll shoot anybody who refuses to call him... (full context)

Lincoln tries to tell Booth that throwing cards isn’t as simple as he has made it sound, but Booth presses... (full context)

After a long pause, Booth abruptly starts talking about the day their mother abandoned the family. While Lincoln was at... (full context)

...that he doesn’t want to “hustle” anymore. “What you do all day aint no hustle?” Booth asks, referencing Lincoln’s job as an impersonator. Lincoln rejects this insinuation, saying, “People know the... (full context)

Frustrated by Booth’s harshness, Lincoln says, “Dont push me,” and Booth tells him he’s going to have to... (full context)

It’s Friday evening and Booth enters the apartment wearing multiple layers of clothing. When he sees that Lincoln isn’t home... (full context)

As the brothers prance around and delight in their money, Booth tells Lincoln to look around (wanting him to notice the suit he stole for him).... (full context)

Booth brags, saying he’s going to look so handsome in his new suit that Grace will... (full context)

...arcade. Worried about losing his job, he catalogues everything he likes about the position, but Booth merely says, “Thats a fucked-up job you got.” In response, Lincoln says, “Its a living.”... (full context)

After disparaging his brother’s job, Booth finally suggests that Lincoln “jazz up” his Abraham Lincoln act if he doesn’t want to... (full context)

...as Abraham Lincoln, it’s clear he’s been drinking heavily. He drifts back to sleep, but Booth barrels into the apartment and slams the door, clearly trying to wake his brother, who... (full context)

Lincoln asks if Grace and Booth had sex. “Course she let me do it,” Booth says. “She let you do it... (full context)

Booth waxes poetic about his love for Grace, saying she’s not like the “fly-by-night-gals” he used... (full context)

Lincoln asks Booth if he’ll help him practice his new Abraham Lincoln death routine. Booth declines, and when... (full context)

Defending himself for owning pornographic magazines, Booth says, “Im hot. I need constant sexual release. If I wasnt taking care of myself... (full context)

A long silence passes between the brothers. Eventually, Booth looks beyond the divider to see if Lincoln is sleeping and the two men make... (full context)

Lincoln points out that Booth will have to get a gun if he wants to start hustling, saying the pistol... (full context)

On the topic of these “miscellaneous strangers,” Booth asks what kind of people come to the arcade and pretend to shoot Lincoln, but... (full context)

Lincoln’s boss wants to replace him with a wax dummy. Hearing this, Booth insists again that Lincoln enhance his act to prove his worth. He finally helps his... (full context)

Booth reminds Lincoln that, if he does indeed get fired, they can join together as brothers... (full context)

On Saturday, Lincoln wakes up before Booth and takes off his costume. In doing so, he rips the fake beard, then starts... (full context)

...and practices his Three-Card Monte moves. His banter has much more fluidity to it than Booth’s, and his hands are fast across the cardboard table. As he mumbles his routine, Booth... (full context)

It’s Wednesday night, and Booth’s apartment no longer looks squalid and dirty. Instead of the makeshift cardboard box setup, there... (full context)

Lincoln suddenly tries to open the door, but Booth darts over and keeps him from entering. “The casas off limits to you tonight,” he... (full context)

...about returning to the arcade the following day and begging for his job back, but Booth strongly objects, saying, “Link. Yr free. Dont go crawling back. Yr free at last! Now... (full context)

While Booth looks for Grace out the window, Lincoln sips from a bottle of whiskey and reminisces... (full context)

“Why do you think they left us, man?” Lincoln asks Booth, referring to their parents. When Booth doesn’t give him a satisfying answer, he provides his... (full context)

Holding fast to his notion that their childhood wasn’t so bad, Booth says, “They didnt leave together. That makes it different. She left. 2 years go by.... (full context)

...tirade about Grace, Lincoln reveals that their mother told him to never get married, and Booth confirms that she told him the same thing. “They gave us each 500 bucks when... (full context)

As Lincoln and Booth sit drinking whiskey and reminiscing, Booth says, “I didnt mind [our parents] leaving cause you... (full context)

When Lincoln hears Booth use the word “customer,” he instructs his brother that hustlers call the customer a “mark.”... (full context)

Lincoln instructs Booth, saying, “Theres thuh Dealer, thuh Stickman, thuh Sides, thuh Lookout and thuh Mark. I’ll be... (full context)

“I’ll be thuh Side,” Booth determines, and finally Lincoln agrees. Commencing with the lesson, he says, “First thing you learn... (full context)

After having sized up the crowd, Lincoln says, “Dealer dont wanna play!” Booth explodes at this, reminding his brother that he promised to teach him how to play... (full context)

Lincoln instructs Booth, telling him that a mark pays attention to the dealer using two “organs”: the eyes... (full context)

Now Lincoln gives Booth the cards. As Booth slides them around the table, his hands move awkwardly and his... (full context)

As Lincoln brags to himself, Booth silently emerges from behind the partition between the bed and the reclining chair (he has... (full context)

As Lincoln finds a suitcase and begins packing, Booth says, “Just like that, huh? ‘No sweat’?! Yesterday you lost yr damn job.” In response,... (full context)

After asserting that Grace is “cool” with who he is, Booth watches Lincoln pack and wonders aloud why their father didn’t take his clothes with him... (full context)

As Lincoln packs his Abraham Lincoln costume, Booth admits he’s going to miss seeing his brother come home in the “getup.” “I don’t... (full context)

Booth continues to narrate the night Cookie came to the apartment, revealing that she wanted to... (full context)

Lincoln tells Booth he doesn’t think about Cookie anymore. Booth then criticizes him, suggesting that Lincoln pales in... (full context)

...“I didnt know it went so deep for you lil bro. Set up the cards.” Booth scrambles to set up the Monte table, and Lincoln sits down and starts throwing the... (full context)

After receiving Lincoln’s compliment, Booth tells him to throw the cards “for real.” Lincoln upholds that he already was throwing... (full context)

Lincoln refutes Booth’s claim that he’s holding back, since he bet money and “money makes it real.” “But... (full context)

Looking at Booth’s inheritance, Lincoln says, “Dont put that down,” but Booth urges him to throw the cards.... (full context)

Booth tells Lincoln he thinks they are, indeed, brothers, and after a very long pause, Lincoln... (full context)

...says, struggling with the nylon stocking, “she sure did tie this up tight, didnt she?” Booth agrees that their mother did tie a tight knot and admits that he’s never opened... (full context)

Once again, Lincoln express how baffled he is that Booth never once opened the stocking to count the money. “She coulda been jiving you, bro,”... (full context)

Right as Lincoln is about to cut the stocking, Booth says, “I popped her.” Lincoln pauses in confusion, and Booth goes on. “Grace,” he says.... (full context)

Lincoln tries to convince his brother to take back the stocking. Booth refuses, suddenly insisting that Lincoln cut it open—“OPEN IT!!!”, he screams. Watching his younger brother,... (full context)

Booth Character Analysis

Booth Quotes in Topdog/Underdog

Scene One Quotes

Scene Two Quotes

Scene Three Quotes

Scene Five Quotes

Scene Six Quotes

Booth Character Timeline in Topdog/Underdog