Topdog/Underdog

Topdog/Underdog features two theatrical mirrors that initially seem unrelated—the Lincoln assassination and the three-card Monte. However, Parks connects these two theatrical mirrors through the observation that they are both rigged. Lincoln asserts that there is no true way for the Mark to win the card game. The only way for him to win, he states, is if the Dealer lets him. Lincoln also says that the Dealer is in supreme control of the situation, twisting the crowd’s attitude to his will. On page 410 he says, “Thats thuh Dealer’s attitude. He acts like he dont wanna play. He holds back and thuh crowd, with their eagerness to see his skill and their willingness to take a chance, and their greediness to win his cash, the larcerny in their hearts, all goad him on and push him to throw his cards, although of course the Dealer has been wanting to throw his cards all along. Only he dont ever show it.” The Dealer’s total control over his Mark ensures that he will never win.

By the same token, the outcome of the Lincoln assassination is absolutely certain. Lincoln’s job at the arcade is planned in a way that ensures that the customer will always be able to shoot Lincoln. On page 404 Lincoln says, “Theres some feet shapes on the floor so he knows just where he oughta stand. So he wont miss.” In both the card game and the arcade game, Parks draws attention to the fact that the outcome is certain because the Dealer and the game creators make it so. However, unlike the card game, the Lincoln assassination is set up so that the customer will always win. In the card game, Lincoln is in complete control, whereas he has no control over the outcome in the arcade game. Lincoln can only sit as “Booth” puts a gun to his head and shoots him. This parallels Lincoln’s lack of control when his boss replaces him with a wax dummy to cut costs.