Parallels Between Topdog/Underdog and the Story of Abel and Cain
Suzan-Lori Park’s play Topdog/Underdog is composed of a dialogue between two brothers, Lincoln and Booth. The plot revolves around the tension in the brother’s relationship of a miniscule power struggle or sibling rivalry between them. The rivalry sets out to establish the topdog underdog in their relationship. The brother’s dialogue is also used to “explores the plight of African American males in conditions of family dysfunction, urban poverty, and social oppression.” (LeMahieu, 34) The work exhibits several parallels with the biblical story of Cain and Abel. In the biblical tale, both brothers make an offering to God, but only Abel’s is appreciated. This results in Cain’s feeling dejected and jealous towards his brother. Yet, he is warned by God to holdback his anger. Seeking revenge, Cain tricks Abel into coming with him on a walk where he murders him. When questioned about Abel's disappearance, Cain responds by mocking God, and is then punished for his crime. This paper will use examples from both stories to highlight where parallels exist.
Sibling rivalry is evident in the dialogue between Booth and Lincoln. The play begins with Booth practicing the card dealing game his brother was famous for, trying hard to replicate Lincoln’s skill while mumbling the same lines he would when he was dealing on the street. This suggests his competitiveness towards his brother. Throughout the play he continually pleads for Lincoln to teach him how to deal cards, admitting that he has already adopted a new “stage name” for his card-dealing career. Their rivalry is exhibited in other themes throughout the play as well. When it comes to women, Booth brags in detail about his memorable night with Grace, and does not refrain from retelling again and again the sore truth of Lincoln’s ex-wife coming onto him. Rivalries over money are expressed, and as Booth likes to show off his thieving skills, he brags to Lincoln about his acquirements, even gifting him a suit. This behavior is not unlike Cain’s rivalry towards Abel’s when the latter’s gifts were decidedly less worthy in comparison to the former’s more prestigious sacrifice. In the biblical story, Cain is described as having “cultivated the ground” (New Living Testament, Gen, 4.2), which may resonate with Booth’s thievery. In comparison to Lincoln’s success as a card dealer, and later his employment in an honest job, Booth’s livelihood is less lucrative and less prestigious than his brother’s.
God asks Cain in the Biblical story where Abel has disappeared, to which Cain mockingly replies “I don't know….Am I my brother’s guardian?” (Gen, 4.9) This correlates to Booth’s confiding in his older brother that when their mother left them, she asked him to look out for his older brother. “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.” …
