The BookKeeper scene takes part during Act two when Al has lost the majority of his power, and by this point his family too, meaning that has little to aim for except from to be optimistic and try and get with girls like he's used to doing, where ever he happens to be in the country.
Tom wants to find out why there are strikers around the store and asks Al if he'll join to which Al's reply is:
"Guess I'd look aroun' in here, first."
Expanding on my earlier point, Al is bored of moving around the country, especially now that the Family have reached their goal of California; at this point Al is thinking about new goals, settling down again and getting a piece of land for the Family like they've briefly talked about through out the play, or even getting land and a Family of his very own. Al would hope for the meantime to spend more time in one place and isn't too sure that the Book shop will be that place so isn't worth him wasting his time doing a great deal of exploring like Tom. However Al may keep an eye out for girls, like usual, hoping to for fill his greater goal of settling.
Tom later asks Al again to which he replies similarly further showing his boredom, he doesn't try to change or hide his views, his ambitions are very different to the start of the piece and now he is set in his ways. Tom replies:
"Lookin' for girls, huh?"
Which is quite patronising for Al; he is bored and restless yet what's left of his Family, which meant alot to Al at the start of the play (but like most things has deteriorated through out), is insulting him and making him out to be a 'man slut'. It is more patronising coming from Tom as Al sees him to blame for the deterioration of most those things close to him at the start of the play which is why he snaps back with:
"Mindin' my own business."
Then Al "moves off" stage.
Later in the the Book store Tom further slates Al:
"Take my brother Al. He's out lookin' for a girl. He don' care 'bout nothin' else."
I believe this signifies, aswell as other comments in Act two, the brotherly jealousy feeling is now mutual between the two characters.
No comments:
Post a Comment