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Lee, Jeonghee. “The Attempt to Positive Human Relationships in The Duck Variations.” Studies in English Language & Literature. 41.2 (2015): 99-117. Most of Mamet’s plays present broken relations, the failure to form relations, the impossibility to form relations. Almost all the characters in his plays deceive, betray, manipulate, and control each other in one way or another. Those characters place personal relationships ahead of personal advantage. But Mamet tries to show a positive human relationship in The Duck Variations. This play is organized around fourteen ‘variations’ and deals with two old men in their sixties. They often come together during lunch time, and talk about life and death, watching the lake. The importance of their conversation lies not in occasional insights but in the fact that they are conversing. In this play, the old men link a series of cliched stories and commentaries about ducks that become allegories for nature, mankind and society. Although there is often disagreement between the two old men, ultimately they have achieved a stable relationship, one that is vital to their mental well-being. The purpose of this study is to explore the possibility of positive contact and communion. Throughout this play, Mamet shows that he is eager to bond with others in friendship. (Jeonju University)