The Odd Couple

“I keep winning my own money back.”

Oscar’s fiscal irresponsibility caught up to him in the aftermath of his divorce. He is now forced to borrow money from Murray to gamble. While this is presented as an absurd comedic moment, it highlights the extent of Oscar’s flaws.

“It doesn’t bother you? That you can go to jail? Or that maybe your kids don’t have enough clothes or enough to eat?”

Murray is appalled by Oscar’s apathy after hearing he is a month behind on child support payment. This is one of many instances where Oscar’s vices alienate his friends. By showing Murray’s shock at Oscar’s callousness, Simon provides a clear picture of the changes Oscar must make to have more successful relationships.

VINNIE. They were such a happy couple.

MURRAY. Twelve years doesn’t mean you’re a happy couple. It just means you’re a long couple. 

Murray’s cynical observation connects to Simon’s overall message about marriage. Many couples struggle in private but are able to put on a brave face for friends and family. However, the difficulties that come from living together are sometimes insurmountable.

OSCAR. (Rubbing neck.) Think of warm jello! ...

FELIX. Isn’t that terrible? I can’t do it…

This quote catalogs one of the earliest instances of Oscar and Felix’s changing relationship. They are able to do something intimate (in this case, something only Frances used to do) while still maintaining normal conversation as if nothing had changed.

FELIX. How can you forget your kids? How can you wipe out twelve years of marriage?

OSCAR. You can’t. When you walk into eight empty rooms every night it hits you in the face like a wet glove.

This is one of Oscar’s rare moments of genuine vulnerability. Though he publicly has a nonchalant and carefree attitude, he still privately grapples with the aftermath of his divorce. Moments like this are what allows audiences to connect with Oscar and sympathize with him despite his flaws.

“I bought her a book and made her write down every penny we spent. Thirty-eight cents for cigarettes, ten cents for a paper. Everything had to go in the book. And then we had a big fight because I said she forgot to write down how much the book was…Who could live with anyone like that?”

This gives the audience insight into the reasons behind Felix’s divorce. He selfishly tried to impose his ways onto Frances under the guise of fiscal responsibility. This connects to the theme of egocentrism in relationships. Just as he does with Oscar, Simon also gives Felix a moment of true vulnerability to keep the audiences sympathetic.

“You don’t hate you. You love you. You think no one has problems like you.”

In this quote, Oscar highlights the role Felix’s ego plays in compromising his relationships. Even when complaining about his divorce, he focuses on his own unhappiness before thinking about Frances’s struggles.

“You think you’re impossible to live with? Blanche used to say, ‘What time do you want dinner?’ And I’d say, ‘I don’t know. I’m not hungry.’ Then at three o’clock in the morning I’d wake her up and say ‘Now!’ … I’ve been one of the highest paid sports writers in the East for the past fourteen years – and we saved eight and a half dollars – in pennies! I’m never home, I gamble, I burn cigar holes in the furniture, drink like a fish and lie to her every chance I get, and for our tenth wedding anniversary, I took her to see the New York Rangers-Detroit Red Wings hockey game, where she got hit with a puck. And I still can’t understand why she left me. That’s how impossible I am!”

This confession to Felix is one of Oscar’s rare moments of vulnerability. By including Oscar’s admission early in the play, Simon suggests that Oscar has the capacity for growth. However, it also displays Oscar’s tendency for egocentrism. Even after admitting his flaws, Oscar believes there must be other reasons for his failed marriage.

“There is one major difference between this scene and the opening poker game scene. It is immaculately clean. No, not clean. Sterile! Spotless! Not a speck of dirt can be seen under the ten coats of Johnson’s Glo-Coat that have been applied in the last two weeks. No laundry bags, no dirty dishes, no half filled glasses.”

As previously discussed, the state of the apartment usually correlates to its residents’ attitudes. At this point, the apartment reflects Felix’s state. This is apparent in Simon’s choice to clarify that it is not simply “clean” but “sterile.” A sterile environment invokes a medical scene with no room for contaminants or outside error. This describes Felix’s overall worldview.

“In the last three hours we played four minutes of poker. I’m not giving up my Friday nights to watch cooking and housekeeping.”

Speed’s remark highlights one of Felix’s core flaws. While he thinks he is being helpful by cooking and cleaning, he is doing so in a way that prevents people from enjoying themselves. This shows the extent to which Felix’s habits alienate his friends and loved ones.

“I’m cooped up here with Mary Poppins twenty-four hours a day.”

Oscar refutes the illusion that he is happy living with Felix. He expresses feeling smothered by his care. Since the audience knows he is referring to their living arrangement, Simon suggests that something similar contributed to his divorce from Frances.

“How do you know how you’d feel? Maybe you’d feel wonderful. Why do you have to control every single thought in your head? … Why don’t you let loose once in your life? Do something that you feel like doing – and not what you think you’re supposed to do. Stop keeping books, Felix. Relax. Get drunk. Get angry. … C’mon, break the Goddamned cup!”

Felix’s reluctance to break the cup represents his difficulty with change and breaking his self-imposed rules. The fact that he hurt himself after likely inspired him to remain rigid in his ways.

OSCAR. (Puts lotion down on small table.) All right, so it’s eight o’clock. So? (Begins to fix tie.)

FELIX. So? … You said you’d be home at seven.

[...]

FELIX. If you knew you were going to be late, why didn’t you call me?

This is an example of how Oscar and Felix’s friendship adopted marriage-like qualities. In the lighthearted environment of the poker game, they were never forced to have any serious conversations. Now that they live together, they clash over issues, such as communication. Sharing a space requires them to consider the other more thoughtfully, but they are unable to due to their stubbornness.

“Wait a minute. I want to get this down on a tape recorder…because no one’ll believe me! … You mean now I have to call you if I’m coming home late for dinner?

This demonstrates Oscar’s fundamental inability to understand the obligations of marriage or partnership. Even though he made a promise to Felix, he was willing to break it if it meant being able to go out and drink after work.

“He’s so sensitive. So fragile. I just want to bundle him up in my arms and take care of him.”

Oscar, who is used to brushing off Felix’s idiosyncrasies, tries to apologize for his outburst. However, Cecily Pigeon found it endearing. This suggests that Oscar is having difficulty understanding how anyone could see his friend in a positive light due to their deteriorating relationship.

OSCAR. You mean you’re not going to make any effort to change…This is the person you’re going to be…until the day you die.

FELIX. (Sitting on couch.) We are what we are.

This is the point of no return for Oscar and Felix’s domestic partnership. Felix’s assertion that he will never change is what prompts Oscar to stop talking to him. This connects to Simon’s overarching idea that compromise and change are the key to any successful marriage.

“I’ll tell you exactly what it is. It’s the cooking, cleaning, and crying…It’s the talking in your sleep, it’s the moose calls that open your ears at two o’clock in the morning…I can’t take it anymore, Felix. I’m crackin’ up. Everything you do irritates me. And when you’re not here, the things I know you're gonna do when you come in irritate me…”

Both Oscar and Felix regularly lack the introspection needed to see their own flaws. They are also unable to fully take ownership for the role they played in their past divorces. Here, Oscar makes it impossible for Felix to deny responsibility by bluntly stating the effect he has on his life.

“You’re also one of the biggest slobs in the world [...] And completely unreliable [...] Undependable [...] And irresponsible.’”

While Felix lacks the conviction to be as direct as Oscar, he now takes his turn admonishing him for his shortcomings. By having each man forced to confront their flaws head on, Simon gives our protagonists the opportunity to begin their sorely needed reflection.

“Felix, we’ve been friends a long time. For the sake of that friendship, please say, ‘Oscar, we can’t stand each other, let’s break up.’”

Oscar and Felix frequently speak with each other as though they were partners. This alludes to the satirical target of the play, which is the institution of marriage. The qualities that contributed to the end of their marriage are also placing strain on their relationship, causing their “break up.”

“Don’t you understand? It’s Felix. He does it to himself [...] I don’t know why. He doesn’t know why. There’s a whole tribe in Africa who hit themselves on the head all day long.’”

Murray points out that Felix seems to have a penchant for getting himself kicked out. However, Felix seems incapable of understanding how his habits influence others.

“You’re right, Oscar. Thanks a lot. Getting kicked out twice is enough for any man…”

Here, Felix acknowledges his role in his deteriorating relationships. While he was initially with Oscar, he understands that his controlling habits made him difficult to live with. He ends the play with a fresh perspective.

“And tell her if I sound different to her, it’s because I’m not the same man she kicked out three weeks ago.”

Though Felix’s time living with Oscar was ultimately unsuccessful, it gave him the inspiration to change. This quote suggests that Felix is finally ready to compromise for the sake of his ex-wife and family.

“Listen, Blanche, you don’t have to thank me. I’m just doing what’s right…”

This is a stark contrast from Oscar’s conversation with Blanche in Act 1. He is now readily providing child support out of a genuine desire to care for his family as opposed to only doing so when faced with the prospect of arrest. By providing an opportunity to juxtapose the two phone calls, Simon gives the audience concrete markers for Oscar’s development.