I think SLP chose to include these two mirrors in the same play to show the similarities in trickery, power, deception. The Three Card Monte is all about convincing the mark they have a chance of winning, getting others involved to make the situation seem real, and ultimately duping the mark out of money. The Lincoln game is all about tricking the player into thinking they have the power (while holding the gun) and ultimately hold the fate of "Lincoln"'s life in their hands.
What I found interestingly similar between these two mirrors is the pseudo-relinquishing of power in the relationship. The TCM dealer makes the mark feel comfortable enough that they can win. They orchestrate the game in a way that the mark is thinking, "Ha! I've got this. I can't wait to see his face when I pick the right card! Idiot." The same with Lincoln. He makes the player feel like they can sneak up, shoot him, and win. However, when you think about it, the TCM dealer and Lincoln are the real winners. They hold the power, they know what's coming next. It's a mind game, like when a child plays hide and seek with a parent. Mom can obviously see her horrible-at-hiding child, but feigns ignorance and pretends to search more. You make your mark feel like they're winning, but you know you already have it in the bag.
This power deception strategy is the heart of Topdog/Underdog, and I think SLP has a very crafty and unique way of weaving this into her story.
I actually hadn't even considered this until I read this post, but it makes total sense. Giving people the pseudo-power to assassinate Abraham Lincoln for profit is a good connection between the Lincoln/Booth and 3-card Monte mirrors. I think it's interesting, however, that with this theory, Lincoln is the winner in this scenario. However, he winds up being killed by Booth at the end of the play, which I guess was to be expected.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that the parallel between the card game and Lincoln's act is their similarities of trickery, power, and perception. The one that got me the most was the introduction of power as an exploited trait between both mirrors. The fact that the patrons are "given" power with the fake gun is interesting especially since Lincoln is the one that ends up getting paid. There is also a false sense of hope with the 3-card monte that makes the mark comfortable, and he also loses money.
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