True West quiz
Austin and Lee's father
"Old Man"
Who doesn't appear in the play, but their influence and presence haunts the brothers and drives most of the play's events and motivations of its characters?
"Old Man"
How does Lee describe his stories?
"True-life"
What does Austin think of himself as?
A laborer
Is real art possible to create?
Almost impossible to create under the pressure of economic necessity
Has a wife and kids in Northern California, but he works at his mom's house in Southern California while she is in Alaska
Austin
Squeaky clean, ambitious ivy league grad working as a screenwriter
Austin
Successful but thinks of his life as humble
Austin
Which brother is diligent?
Austin
Who is "New West"?
Austin
Who tries to escape the curse of ancestry in the play but fails?
Austin
When Lee offers that if Austin writes the play he can come to the desert with him, how does Austin respond?
Austin agrees and Lee chews the toast loudly
Who are the contrasting characters in the play?
Austin and Lee
What does Austin ask Lee at the beginning of scene 8?
Austin asks Lee how he should feel abt the victims of his theft (poor suburban folks w/ no toast)
What does Austin ask Lee at the end of scene 1? How does Lee respond?
Austin asks Lee if he wants to sleep, Lee says no
What does Austin ask Lee at the beginning of scene 2?
Austin asks Lee if he went of the house the night before
When Lee smashes the typewriter on the table in scene 7, how does Austin respond?
Austin excuses himself promising to see Lee in a bit
When Austin tries to leave in scene 7, what happens?
Austin falls on the floor drunk
What does Austin do when Lee knocks the plate of toast out of his hand in scene 9?
Austin gathers the toast
What does Austin do at the end of scene 2 in hopes of keeping Lee away?
Austin lends Lee his car
What happens when Austin realizes his identity and morals aren't true?
Austin neglects the houseplants and they die. When his mom finds out, she is unable to cope.
What does Austin offer Lee in the first scene? How does Lee respond?
Austin offers Lee more money, Lee responds by lunging at Austin
What does Austin do when Lee demands to see what Austin wrote in scene 4?
Austin refuses because it is an outline
When Saul maintains he is following his instincts in scene 6, how does Austin respond?
Austin reminds Saul he is doing this bc he lost a bet
When Lee suggests the money should be used for their father, how does Austin respond in scene 4?
Austin says "Old Man" will never change
When Lee offers to call Austin's wife, how does Austin respond?
Austin says he doesn't need anyone and that he is going to commit bigger crimes than Lee
When Lee and Saul try to get Austin to take on the screenwriting duties, how does Austin respond?
Austin says he is too busy and that he is unfamiliar w/ the material
When Lee asks for help on the play again in scene 7, how does Austin respond?
Austin says he will just help with the characters
How does Austin respond when their mom asks if they are joining their father in the desert?
Austin says they are going to a "different desert"
Since Lee is now the screenwriter, what does Austin suggest?
Austin suggests that he should be the theif
What does Austin want for Lee in scene 4?
Austin wants Lee to get out of the desert and live in nor cal
What do characters use drinking to do?
Avoid pain in life and the world they live in
When Lee says Saul is shopping the outline around town, why does Austin become enraged?
Because Austin wrote the script
What is the "Old Man" an inspiration for?
Brothers' dispute and transformation
Why couldn't Lee sleep?
Coyotes
To create a living art, what must one do?
Get involved in the business of art
What do Saul and Lee talk abt the first time they meet?
Golf
With the cord around Lee's neck, what deal does Austin make?
Head start
How does Austin polish toe toasters in scene 8?
His breath and a dish towel
How does Austin try to gain a sense of identity?
His work and accomplishments (they become meaningless)
What does Austin ask Lee in scene 9?
If Austin can accompany Lee in the desert
What is the first thing Austin asks Lee?
If Lee has seen their father (they squabble abt it)
Before Saul leaves, what does Lee ask him?
If Saul likes stories
How does Austin end up?
Incapable of dealing w/ life in the real world
When the operator hangs up, what does Austin think?
It's all for the best
When Austin begs his mom to stay, what does she do?
Leaves for a motel and remarks that she doesn't even recognize her home anymore
Austin's older brother
Lee
Loves beer and is a petty theif
Lee
Which brother is visionary?
Lee
Who comes to his mother's house to loot neighbor's household appliances?
Lee
Who has the upperhand at the end of scene 6?
Lee
Who is "Old West"
Lee
Who lunges at Austin during an argument at the beginning of the play?
Lee
Who offers to set down mom's luggage in scene 9 but awkwardly holds it?
Lee
What does Lee ask Austin in scene 8? How does Austin respond?
Lee asks Austin if there is enough gas in the car to go to Bakersfield Austin doesn't know and suggests toast is better than a woman (a woman never helped anyone)
How does Lee think of art at the beginning of the play?
Lee doesn't think art is worthwhile to make a living
How does scene 7 open?
Lee is at the typewriter, Austin is on the floor drunk
How does Lee respond when Austin asks him if he can accompany him in the desert?
Lee knocks the plate of toast on the floor
What does Austin decide abt Lee in scene 8?
Lee needs toast for breakfast (he drops toast in all the toasters)
When Austin insults Lee's play again and Lee's screenwriting abilities, what does Lee offer?
Lee offers to leave if Austin helps him with the play
When Lee doesn't like what Austin wrote in scene 9, how does he respond?
Lee pours beer all over himself
When Austin demands his keys back, how does Lee respond
Lee refuses until the outline is done
When Lee offers to leave in scene 7 if Austin helps him with the play, where does Lee say he will go?
Lee says he would disappear. Austin denies disappearing could work bc the Old Man tried to.
When Austin releases the phone cord around Lee's neck in scene 9, what does Lee do?
Lee stops moving
What does Lee do when Austin continues the accusations?
Lee swings a club at Austin
What does Lee tell Austin when Austin asks for his keys so he can drive and cool off?
Lee tells Austin that he has nowhere to go (Austin wants to go to desert to clear his head)
Why does Lee want to go to Bakersfield in scene 8?
Lee wants the pleasure of a woman
When Austin sings a drunken song about the sunset, what does Lee do?
Lee yells at Austin to be quiet bc Lee needs to concentrate
What are Saul's favorite kinds of stories?
Love and lots of action
Who is powerless?
Mom
After Lee pours beer on himself in scene 9, who appears?
Mom with her suitcases
Where are the houseplants?
Mom's kitchen
Are Lee or Austin able to sit down and write a play?
No
Money makes the world go round, but do you have to go with it?
No
Does Austin play golf?
No, but he watches it on TV
What do the houseplants symbolize?
Order and structure pervading the suburbs of the new west
What does Austin accuse Lee of?
Physically harming Saul (Lee denies violence)
Who is mom excited is in town?
Picasso, but the boys tell her he is dead
Slick, manipulative hollywood producer motivated by profit
Saul Kimmer
Who promises whatever is necessary to get his way?
Saul Kimmer
How does scene 6 start?
Saul and Lee are in the kitchen persuading Austin
After Saul says love is an integral part of a story's commercial potential, what does Saul do?
Saul chuckles at Austin whose project is a period-piece romance
After Lee's golf game with Saul, what does Saul say about Lee's story?
Saul says he likes Lee's story so much that he has given Lee his clubs and his bag
When Austin protects that his screenplay is also true, how does Saul respond?
Saul says no one cares about love
What does Austin do for a living?
Screenwriter
When Austin asks mom why she returned so soon, what does she say?
She misses her plants
How does scene 8 begin?
Small fire in alcove Lee is beating the typewriter w/ a club Austin is polishing the stolen toasters on the kitchen counter Empty bottles are all over the floor and the houseplants are dead
What does Austin want if he wins the bet in scene 7?
Something from the desert (Lee is annoyed and smashes his typewriter on the table
Art is
Struggle
When Austin suggests he should be the theif, what does Lee joke?
That Austin can't even steal a toaster
What does Austin suggest in scene 7?
That Saul thinks Austin and Lee are the same person (Lee dismisses the remark)
What story does Austin tell Lee on the floor in scene 7?
The Old Man went to Mexico to get his teeth pulled, and his fake teeth were lost in a doggy bag of Chop Suey
What is the supernatural force of attraction for the brothers and father?
The desert
When Lee finally finds a pen, what happens?
The operator hangs up
What is Saul excited about in scene 6?
The possibility of 2 brothers working together on a project
What does the desert symbolize?
The promise of life outside the boundaries Old West Anything is possible Abandoning the American Dream and false hope
What sound does scene 1 start w/?
The sound of crickets
How does scene 9 open?
The sun beats down making the house look worse Austin desperately writes on the pad while Austin prowls w/o a shirt
When Lee calls the operator looking for Melanie Ferguson in Bakersfield, what does Lee find out?
There are 10 different Melanie Fergusons in Bakersfield (Lee wants to take down all of them, but destroys the kitchen trying to find a pen)
What happens when characters drink in the play?
They become more honest
How does Lee carry the golf clubs and the bag?
With pride
Does Saul apologize that he can't go on w/ Austin's project in scene 6?
Yes
Does the mother have high security measures?
Yes
Is antagonist relationship necessary?
Yes
