This play is about abandonment, and how two kids must claim any place in the world without the guidance of their parents. They are left to navigate money, relationships, life without anyone pointing them in a direction. Instead they follow the money which, for Lincoln, led to his best friend being shot and killed because of the hustle they were putting on in the streets. And Lincoln, by being the great 3-card Monte hustler he was, set a standard for his brother: there is money to be made in the hustle. Even after Lincoln has given up 3-card, Booth desires the easy money.
Lincoln, though has moved on, his mind was elevated by the death of Lonny. He'd rather be a fake Abraham Lincoln pretending to die in an arcade all day than get killed in real life. The irony is the hustle still kills him, but its in his own home this time. Booth desires connection and meaning in his life, but doesn't need or want anyone telling him how to go about getting it, he never had parents doing that growing up and it becomes clear that his mind has not grown much beyond the mentality of a young teenager as he acts primarily from emotion. And this emotion leads to killing his brother for hustling him. But, in committing this murder his greatest fear comes true, he's now completely alone in the world. Lincoln is gone and so is Grace, his family and his love are taken from him by his very own hands.
This play deals with the generational issues children inherit when their parents abandon them. Booth and Lincoln had to learn to fight to survive every day, and that's all they know. This leaves their vision for anything beyond what is in the streets impaired, and thus the cycle of poverty continues with them and leads to Booth murdering Grace and Lincoln.
