In this passage, Odets highlights Jacob's age as one of the character's major obstacles. Jacob cannot incite the revolution because those around him dismiss his ideas due to his age, thus he must put that burden onto Ralph.
The most obvious way Odets emphasizes Jacob’s age is by having Jacob refer to the younger Ralph as "boychick" (74). This Yiddish term is used to refer to young boys, and since Ralph is given as in his twenties, for Jacob to be using such a term he must be significantly older than the boy. Odets uses it to remind the reader not only of the familiarity of Jacob and Ralph but also the age difference, with each usage the reader recalls Jacob’s seniority.
Odets then reinforces this idea by having Jacob tell a story about an …show more content…
He asks for blood as he is need of the passion and sacrifice required to advance the Marxist cause. He cannot offer his own blood like the miners in Kentucky he mentioned earlier in the scene as he is too old and his blood would not be an aid. This line also foreshadows Jacob’s eventual sacrifice for Ralph.
Jacob’s reference to his arms calls back to the character of Schlosser who is constantly complaining about soreness in his arms from carrying garbage cans. This is the pain of a working class man, a physical pain associated with caring for the oppressor. When Schlosser complains about the dog defecating, Bessie ignores him. Odets puts in this line about arms to link Schlosser and Jacob, for Schlosser is a proletariat worker whose basic requests are being denied by his oppressors, the Berger family, the same way that Jacob feels unheard by the same …show more content…
Morty also frequently calls Jacob “Pop” (72), in a derogatory manner, to call attention to Jacob’s age. This term is contrasted with Morty calling Ralph "snotnose" (73), another insult but one used for a childish person which furthers the age divide between Ralph and Jacob. Morty then refers to Jacob’s “second childhood” explicitly using Jacob's age to discredit his ideas. By calling Jacob childlike, Odets associates the ideas of childhood and elderhood. This connection furthers the link between Ralph and Jacob which has been building throughout the play, Ralph is Jacob's literal and figurative heir. In addition, by using the word "childhood" Odets is recalling the snotnose line and reinforcing Morty’s command of “keep quiet” (73). Morty would never say to his father, but it is an implicit instruction through the scene as shown through Morty’s more subtle statements such as “What are you bothering?” and “you don’t know practical affairs” (73). By connecting Ralph and Jacob, Odets makes explicit Morty’s
The most obvious way Odets emphasizes Jacob’s age is by having Jacob refer to the younger Ralph as "boychick" (74). This Yiddish term is used to refer to young boys, and since Ralph is given as in his twenties, for Jacob to be using such a term he must be significantly older than the boy. Odets uses it to remind the reader not only of the familiarity of Jacob and Ralph but also the age difference, with each usage the reader recalls Jacob’s seniority.
Odets then reinforces this idea by having Jacob tell a story about an …show more content…
He asks for blood as he is need of the passion and sacrifice required to advance the Marxist cause. He cannot offer his own blood like the miners in Kentucky he mentioned earlier in the scene as he is too old and his blood would not be an aid. This line also foreshadows Jacob’s eventual sacrifice for Ralph.
Jacob’s reference to his arms calls back to the character of Schlosser who is constantly complaining about soreness in his arms from carrying garbage cans. This is the pain of a working class man, a physical pain associated with caring for the oppressor. When Schlosser complains about the dog defecating, Bessie ignores him. Odets puts in this line about arms to link Schlosser and Jacob, for Schlosser is a proletariat worker whose basic requests are being denied by his oppressors, the Berger family, the same way that Jacob feels unheard by the same …show more content…
Morty also frequently calls Jacob “Pop” (72), in a derogatory manner, to call attention to Jacob’s age. This term is contrasted with Morty calling Ralph "snotnose" (73), another insult but one used for a childish person which furthers the age divide between Ralph and Jacob. Morty then refers to Jacob’s “second childhood” explicitly using Jacob's age to discredit his ideas. By calling Jacob childlike, Odets associates the ideas of childhood and elderhood. This connection furthers the link between Ralph and Jacob which has been building throughout the play, Ralph is Jacob's literal and figurative heir. In addition, by using the word "childhood" Odets is recalling the snotnose line and reinforcing Morty’s command of “keep quiet” (73). Morty would never say to his father, but it is an implicit instruction through the scene as shown through Morty’s more subtle statements such as “What are you bothering?” and “you don’t know practical affairs” (73). By connecting Ralph and Jacob, Odets makes explicit Morty’s