In the play, American Buffalo, by David Mamet, several ideas are discussed. It is a play which describes the life’s of three crooks and their tribulations. It can be called a “life lesson” for these three robbers who learn about themselves and human nature while trying to continue with their lives. Mamet puts his experience and knowledge of people into his characters. He uses a very new and almost twisted sense of humor in his plays which makes the play all the more controversial.

To understand some of David Mamet’s work, one must first understand him. He started writing plays in college and continued throughout his life and still is today. Not a conventional author, Mamet chooses other ways to convey his message. “Rapidly alternating the poetic and the profane, Mamet’s writing ranges from the conversational repetition and the dropping of words and phrases to complete grammatical chaos.”. He can go from saying, “So, God forbid, something in inevitable occurs and the choice is (And I’m saying “God forbid”) it’s either him or us.” to saying something so profane that it would offend even the crudest of people. One example is “Now , don’t ge

One of the main characters, Don, tells Bobby, “Cause there’s business and there’s friendship, Bobby... there are many things, and when you walk around you hear a lot of things, and what you got to do is keep clear who your friends are, and who treated you like what or else the rest is garbage”. He tells him that in the real world, not every one can be your friend and you do have to watch your back. Don takes it upon himself to teach Bobby the ways of the world. He feels responsible for Bobby and will show him the ropes of the business and life. He says “There’s lotsa people on this street, Bob, they want his and they want that. Do anything to get it. You don’t have friends this life...”. It is a wake up call for Bobby, he is innocent and learning and he is learning the wrong way.

The play is not one with a truly dramatic plot or ending, it is one that teaches a lesson or at least presents one. Many good and legitimate ideas have come out of the book. We cannot know everything, we do need help. Sometimes people have to be suspicious and trust is a delicate issue. The three crooks proved that they needed one another and all contributed to the group. For that reason they could not do anything on their own. Through the stunning characters, Mamet “reveals the motivation of actions. The Questions of life, death, and interpersonal responsibility are raised, if obliquely, through essentially static situations.”. There are many unanswered questions and situations today that are unfamiliar to people. Mamet found his form of expression through the question of sexuality and profane language. He revealed the characters as harsh and overbearing to make an exaggerated point and to prove its absurdity and that is why the play is categorized under the Theater of the Absurd.

Teach’s attitude about this matter has been developed in the same frame of mind, especially when he says, “Someone

Some topics in this essay:
David Mamet’s, Nevertheless Don, American Buffalo, David Mamet, Unfortunately Mamet’s, Don Don’t, Don Bobby, american buffalo, profane language, don’t smart, Theater Absurd, bob don’t, david mamet, style writing, bobby world, prove absurdity,