I'm Not Rappaport | Themes

I'm Not Rappaport Themes

The Power of Illusions

From the very beginning of the play, Nat reveals himself to be a master of illusions. He is able to make Midge, Midge's boss, and even his own daughter believe the tall tales that he is telling. Despite himself, Midge gets caught up in these stories because Nat knows how to tell a tall tale without making it seem like one. For example, in his first story, Nat says that he is a spy for the government and that they add money to his social security check every month for doing nothing. Nat says, "Fact is, I think they got me in what they call 'deep cover."' Nat gives a long explanation, and Midge starts to believe him: "MIDGE. (nodding) Yeah. Deep cover. I hearda that." Unfortunately, the power of the illusion does not last long, and Midge soon realizes that he has been had. "MIDGE. (suddenly) Bullshit! (sits upright)...
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