#onetwothreefour

In falsettos we only get to see two instances of Marvin and Whizzer playing racquetball. The second one serves as a segue into Whizzer’s sickness, but the first one, or rather the fact that they play racquetball in general is what I want to focus on.

They don’t outright say it but to me, and likely to many others, the two men playing this game together is a testament to Marvin’s growth as a character. In every way, racquetball serves as a direct contrast to the chess game towards the end of act one.

The chess game is Marvin’s desire for control. He wants to win, he wants others to follow him, he always wants to be right and be in charge. He wants to be smart, he wants to be the best. He’s arrogant and self centered.

Racquetball is the opposite. Even in the physical sense. In chess, one must sit down and think precisely about every move. Racquetball is fast paced and you’re constantly moving. But what it shows is that Marvin now knows that his love for Whizzer is more important than all of those selfish things before. He’s ok with being bad at something. He is jokingly disappointed when he loses or makes a mistake, but he’s also happy to do something with Whizzer that Whizzer will always win.

The racquetball games are proof that Marvin has a better understanding of love. It’s no longer self serving but instead a true partnership. He doesn’t expect to be treated like a king, but finally as an equal. It makes both of them so much happier and their relationship so much more fulfilling.

Not to mention, that’s what makes the second round of racquetball games so sad. Whizzer collapses while doing the thing that was so fun for him and Marvin. Their last happy and innocent memory is the game that helped them overcome their strongest relationship struggles.

𝑅𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠, 𝐶𝐵𝐺𝐵, 𝐴𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑙 10𝑡𝒉, 1979.