A little healthy competition between brothers is no big deal. After all, if Eli Manning didn't grow up trying to beat his big brother Peyton in backyard football, there's a good chance he wouldn't have any Super Bowl rings.
With Austin and Lee, though, the "healthy" part of the equation kind of falls apart. These two brothers envy each other, they're desperate to prove that they're just as good or strong as the other, and in a very real way, they want to be each other. This is why, for a time, they actually switch roles in the play. Not in a Freaky Friday way or anything, but in a way that gives each of them a glimpse of how the other lives.
This desire and the competition between them ultimately leads to the final fight, in which Austin almost kills Lee.
Questions About Competition
- Why do you think Lee brings up Austin's "Ivy League" background on multiple occasions?
- What evidence is there in the script that Lee might actually want to settle down? What evidence is there to support the theory that he wants to roam around for the rest of his life?
- If Saul had agreed to make Austin's script instead of Lee's, do you think the final outcome of the play would be the same?
- What is it about Lee's life that leads Austin to say he would give up all of his success and his family, and "cash it all in in a second" (2.8.260)?
Chew on This
Austin simply needs an excuse to leave his family and his life behind. His coming to his mother's on his own was actually just a first step in his seeking independence.
Once the typewriter is destroyed, the two brothers are on equal ground.