American Buffalo by David Mamet
"American Buffalo" is a drama by David Mamet, first staged in 1975, that centers around the lives of three characters—Donny, Bobby, and Teach—who operate in a resale shop. The narrative unfolds over a single day, highlighting themes of friendship, loyalty, and the ethical dilemmas of capitalism. The story begins with Donny expressing frustration at Bobby for abandoning his duties, while also mentoring him about the harsh realities of business, exemplified through a poker player named Fletcher.
Tensions rise as Teach enters the shop, bringing his own grievances and a desire to plan a theft of a valuable buffalo nickel. As the plot progresses, the dynamics among the characters shift, revealing Teach's manipulative nature and Bobby's vulnerability, particularly in light of his past struggles with substance abuse. The story explores the moral complexities involved in their intentions to reclaim what they perceive as wrongfully taken from them, leading to a climax of violence and emotional confrontation. With its sharp dialogue and underlying tension, "American Buffalo" delves into the darker aspects of human relationships and the consequences of moral choices within the context of their struggles for survival and respect.
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American Buffalo by David Mamet
First produced: 1975; first published, 1975
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Social criticism
Time of plot: One Friday in the 1970’s
Locale: Chicago
Principal characters
Donny Durbrow , owner of Don’s Resale ShopWalter “Teach” Cole , a friend of DonnyBobby , Donny’s gofer at the shopFletcher , a poker player and Donny’s friend
The Story:
One Friday morning in Don’s Resale Shop, Donny and Bobby are talking; Donny is upset because Bobby abandoned his post in the store when he was supposed to be watching someone. While Bobby apologizes, Donny imparts some wisdom about running a business, referring to Fletcher, a winning poker player, who embodies the critical savvy people can learn only on the street. It is evident that Donny cares about Bobby as a friend and his mentor.
Shortly, Walter Cole, called Teach, enters the shop ranting about a trivial misunderstanding with Ruthie and Grace, some poker friends, over a recent breakfast; to assuage Teach’s fury, Donny suggests that Bobby run to the Riverside restaurant to pick up breakfast for the three of them. In Bobby’s absence, the two discuss last night’s poker game, and Teach expounds on the necessary distinction between business and friendship. During the exchange, Teach picks up some old knickknacks from the counter and complains that if only he had kept all the things he threw out, he would be a wealthy man.
Bobby reenters the shop with breakfast, but he has forgotten Donny’s coffee. Before heading back to the restaurant to retrieve the coffee, Bobby tells Donny that he saw the guy they are looking for leaving the restaurant with a suitcase. Teach wants to know about the man with the suitcase. Donny first hesitates but then tells Teach that the man had recently taken advantage of him by purchasing a buffalo nickel for less than what it is worth. Donny wants revenge and plans to steal the nickel from the man, then resell it at a higher price to another collector.
Teach warns against involving Bobby, alluding to Bobby’s history of drug use, and argues that Donny is blinded by his sense of loyalty, which angers him. Donny assures Teach that Bobby is clean, but Teach insists he himself is the better person for the job. Bobby reenters the shop with the coffee, and Teach verbally bullies him, trying to make him look incompetent to Donny. Bobby, oblivious, asks Donny for some money for the nickel job up front; Donny agrees to give Bobby the cash, but tells him to forget about the job.
Bobby leaves, and Teach and Donny discuss their plans for the theft, talking with certainty about how they will get in but uncertain where the coins will be located. Teach suggests they take more than just the coins for their trouble. Donny, worried they might need help, decides to bring in Fletcher, which makes Teach feel slighted; in the end he agrees. They plan to meet again later that night.
Later that evening, Donny tries to contact Teach and Fletcher, irritated by their tardiness. Bobby enters and tells Donny that he needs money; he wants to sell a buffalo nickel that he has acquired. Distracted, Donny tells him he wants to consult his coin book first. Teach enters, sees Bobby, and demands an explanation. To get Bobby to leave, Donny orders Teach to give him some money and promises Bobby they will talk tomorrow. Bobby leaves.
Teach is defensive and suspicious, asking Donny about Fletcher’s whereabouts and about Bobby’s nickel; eventually, Donny settles him and they continue working on the robbery plan, deciding they should call the target’s house to make sure he is not there; it appears he is not.
Donny continues to make calls in search of Fletcher, while Teach explicates a cutthroat version of free enterprise. Teach is suspicious of Fletcher and suggests they do the job without him, but Donny disagrees; they continue in heated discussion about the theft. The longer they wait, however, the more aggressive Teach becomes. Finally, Teach declares he is going to the target’s house himself, and then reveals a gun, which he explains he needs in case something goes wrong. There is a sudden knock on the door, but it is only Bobby.
According to Bobby, Fletcher has been mugged and is in the hospital. Bobby then says that he has business to take care of, and turns to leave; Teach stops him, disbelieving his story. Bobby cannot tell them exactly where Fletcher has been taken, so Teach continues his interrogation and asks where Bobby got the nickel. Donny begins to side with Teach, thinking perhaps Bobby went ahead with the deal himself. The men grow more combative, and Bobby pleads that he is telling the truth. Suddenly, Teach picks up some junk from nearby and hits Bobby in the head.
Donny, having lost all softness toward Bobby, tells him he brought the hit on himself and demands he tell them where Fletcher is. The phone rings; it is Ruthie, who says Fletcher is at Columbus Hospital. Donny confirms with a phone call. Meanwhile, Bobby begins to bleed out of his ear, and Donny concedes there will be no job tonight. Bobby, whimpering, explains that he bought the nickel for Donny in a coin store earlier today. Donny’s feelings of compassion for Bobby return, but Teach insists that hitting Bobby was for his own good. Donny yells at Teach to leave.
Teach calls Donny a fake, accusing him of taking the side of a junkie. Furious, Donny advances on him, beating him. In the background, Bobby admits that he never saw the coin buyer earlier. After this news, Teach trashes Donny’s store in a rage. After the destruction, Donny stands stunned. Teach asks if he is mad at him, and Donny replies no, telling Teach to get his car and take Bobby to the hospital. Teach leaves, and Donny helps Bobby to his feet and apologizes; Bobby returns the apology, blaming himself. Donny consoles him, saying he did “real good.”
Bibliography
Bigsby, C. W. E. “American Buffalo.” In David Mamet. London: Methuen, 1985. An analysis of American Buffalo as social criticism, examining the play as an illustration of the failure of capitalism and the corruption of American business.
Bigsby, Christopher, ed. The Cambridge Companion to David Mamet. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. An accessible overview of Mamet’s work. Chapter 2 explores the influence of corrupt business ethics on the formation of personal relationships in American Buffalo.
Bloom, Harold. David Mamet. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2004. A collection of essays discussing the dominant themes of Mamet’s work. American Buffalo is referenced throughout and is contextualized in comparison to other works.
Dean, Anne. “American Buffalo.” In David Mamet: Language as Dramatic Action. Rutherford, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1990. A thorough investigation of how Mamet’s characters employ language, specifically as a means of survival.
Dennis, Carrol. “Business.” In David Mamet. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1987. Discusses how American Buffalo and Glengarry Glen Ross critique an American society built on business.
Dietrick, Jon. “Real Classical Money: Naturalism and Mamet’s American Buffalo.” Twentieth Century Literature 52, no. 3 (2006): 330-345. Explores Mamet’s naturalism as it applies to the anxieties of a money-based economy.
Kane, Leslie. “The Comfort of Strangers.” In Weasels and Wise Men: Ethics and Ethnicity in the Work of David Mamet. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1999. Discusses ethnicity, specifically Jewish identity, and how it informs the actions of Mamet’s characters.
Zeifman, Hersh. “Phallus in Wonderland: Machismo and Business in David Mamet’s American Buffalo and Glengarry Glen Ross.” In David Mamet: A Casebook, edited by Leslie Kane. New York: Garland, 1992. Investigates the male exclusivity of American business mirrored in Mamet’s work. Part of a collection of twelve critical essays and two interviews.