The Representation of Desire in ‘True West’

‘True West’ is a play by Sam Shepard, which is set in a Southern Californian
suburban kitchen focusing on ambiguity regarding the existence of two wests, of which one is
true and the other false as depicted by the title. In True West, Sam Shepard uses the character
of two brothers, Austin and Lee, in examining and exploring family relationships, the
entertainment industry, and the differences regarding the idealised American life. The play
depicts differences regarding the real modern west life whereby Lee is portrayed as
synonymous with the American West lifestyle, having spent some time in the desert. On the
other hand, Austin is depicted as synonymous with the modern 21st Century lifestyle
prevalent in the West of Southern California. The play represents different forms of desires
for the two characters, Austin and Lee, including the desire to make money, desire for
independence and freedom, desire for prosperity, and the desire for a reconciled family. This
paper discusses the representation of desire in ‘True West.’ It explores the different forms that
desire takes for Austin and Lee, the two main characters in the play, and what the various
forms of desire might signify broadly.

Representation of Different Forms of Desire in ‘True West’
The first form of desire that is represented in the play, ‘True West’, is the desire to
make vast sums of money to attain the California dream characterised by a prosperous and
successful modern family. The play starts with the two brothers spending time together at
their Mum’s West Californian house, contemplating making money and living according to

Surname 2

their standards of a prosperous and successful American life. Although both brothers desire
more money, their motivations are different since, for Austin, he is in California to make
more money for comfort and live the American dream. In contrast, for Lee, money is a
necessity to transform his lifestyle. Lee, the elder brother and his father’s true descendant is
illiterate, a drunkard, a loner, and a drifter in the desert, who has come to California to make
money regardless of the means, including stealing.
On the other hand, Austin, his younger brother, is a scriptwriter with an Ivy League
degree, a prosperous family in the North, and a real Eastern middle-class intellectual seeking
to seal a deal with Kimmer, a fil producer, to make more money and live a fulfilled and
successful American life. The representation of the desire for money in the play can be
construed to signify that individuals will always desire to make more money. However, the
motivation for the money will be different across and among individuals. Thus, it is critical
for people not to assume that specific individuals have enough money based on their lifestyle
since other people have different needs for the money they seek.
The second form of desire represented in True West is the brothers’ desire to outdo
each other and prove how strong or good each one is compared to the other. The brothers are
consumed by the desire to prove that neither is better or more gifted than the other
(Malkovich and Sinise). For instance, Austin is desperate to prove to Lee that he is a better
scriptwriter and can develop better movie scripts based on his academic achievements and
career exploitations. On the other hand, Lee desperately tries to prove to Austin that he, too,
could be a better scriptwriter even if he is not as educated as Austin was. Lee states that
Austin should not assume that he is the only one who could be creative and imaginative
simply because he had Ivy League education qualifications. The brothers’ desire to outdo
each other resulted in continual confrontations, and eventually physically wars both Austin
and Lee tried to show how talented, strong and daring each of them was, as compared to the

Surname 3

other. For instance, Austin engaged in criminal activities such as stealing and driving while
drunk to prove to Lee that he too could lead a criminal lifestyle by stealing dozens of toasters.
In representing this form of desire, Shepard signifies that interpersonal competition and the
desire to outdo each other could be potentially dangerous and misleading, as depicted by the
brothers. Thus, individuals must understand that we are all gifted differently, and the
diversity of our talents completes us. For instance, Austin was gifted as a scriptwriter while
Lee was talented as a negotiator. Thus, the brothers could have mutually benefitted by
working alongside each other rather than competing against each other by maximizing their
talents to meet their common goal to make more money.
The desire for independence and freedom is the third form of desire that is represented
in True West. In the play, Shephard depicts the characters’ desire for freedom and
independence at the onset, whereby the brothers have left their former lives to stay on their
own at their mother’s residence. Austin, who is married and has a prosperous family in the
North, has the desire for independence since he had left his family behind with the excuse of
seeking time to complete his script and seal a deal with Kimmer on his own. Besides, Austin
desires to be free and independent, as depicted by his obsession with his career that affords
him money, time, and freedom to plan his schedule and enjoy his time writing flexibly. At the
same time, Lee seeks the freedom and independence that comes with drifting in the desert, as
exemplified by his statements when he first steps into his mother’s kitchen. The sounds,
sights, smells, and the responsibility to other people and objects make Lee feel confined
staying at his mother’s house and increase his desire to roam in the desert where he is not
bound to anything or anyone freely. For instance, Lee states that the cricket sounds were the
most monotonous sounds he had ever heard in his entire life, which depicts his lack of
contention in staying at his mother’s house and seeking a different place (Malkovich and
Sinise). Austin exemplifies another example of the brother’s desire for freedom in his efforts

Surname 4

to get rid of his brother and be alone to seal the deal with Kimmer, the film producer. Austin
offers his brother some money to go away and give him the privacy and independence he
desired when meeting with Kimmer. However, Lee refused Austin’s offer for the money and
opted to have his brother’s car for a while to provide Austin with the freedom he desired to
conduct his business affairs. The representation of this desire signifies that although everyone
desires freedom and independence, it is wrong to assume that they desire similar forms of
freedom as we do. For instance, although Austin desired to be free and independent, he
believed that his freedom could be achieved through money, tempting him to influence Lee to
use the money to gain freedom. On the contrary, Lee’s desire for freedom and independence
is based on having a car he could easily roam the neighbourhood and complete his
mischievous endeavours.
Another form of desire that is represented in True West is the desire for a family
reunion and close relationship as depicted by the characters’ utterances throughout the play.
The play showcases that Austin’s and Lee’s father has been absent in their lives for a while
since they were small kids, and both brothers desired to have a reunion with him (Malkovich
and Sinise). Although Austin is adamant about meeting or helping his father again, their
conversations indicate that they both desire to have a reconciled family in which they would
all be happy. For instance, Lee states that if he gets large sums of money from his movie
script, he will take good care of his father, while Austin laments that he had tried to help their
father financially in the past, but in vain (Malkovich and Sinise).

Conclusion

In True West, Shepard represents different forms that desire for the characters, Austin
and Lee, took, including the desire for money, desire for freedom and independence, and a
family reunion and close relationship. The paper concludes that Shepard represented the

Surname 5

different forms of desire and their implications in the characters’ lives to signify the essence
of controlling and containing our desires to enhance relationships with other people.

Surname 6

Work Cited

Sam Shepard’s “True West” – 1984. Dir. Allan Goldstein. Perf. John Malkovich