The main character of the 1977 film *Saturday Night Fever* is **Anthony "Tony" Manero**, portrayed by **John Travolta** in his breakout, Academy Award-nominated role.
Tony is a 19-year-old Italian-American from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, who works a dead-end job at a local hardware store. He is defined by the sharp contrast between his mundane, often oppressive home and work life and his status as the undisputed "king" of the local disco, **2001 Odyssey**, where his dancing talent earns him the respect he lacks elsewhere.
### Most Memorable Lines and Their Context
Tony’s dialogue often reflects his vanity, his struggle for identity, and his eventual disillusionment with his environment. Below are his most iconic lines:
#### 1. "Would ya just watch the hair? Ya know, I work on my hair a long time and you hit it. He hits my hair."
* **Context:** This is perhaps the most famous line from the film. It occurs during a tense family dinner where Tony’s father, frustrated and unemployed, strikes Tony on the head. Tony’s reaction—prioritizing the state of his blow-dried hair over the physical blow or the family conflict—perfectly illustrates his vanity and the fact that his physical appearance is his only source of pride and control.
#### 2. "Look, tonight is the future, and I am planning for it. There's this shirt I gotta buy, a beautiful shirt."
* **Context:** Tony says this to his boss, Mr. Fusco, at the hardware store. Fusco is trying to give him advice about saving money for a long-term future, but Tony is entirely focused on the immediate gratification of Saturday night. It highlights his "live for the moment" mentality and the lack of real hope he has for a life outside of Brooklyn.
#### 3. "Al Pacino! Attica! Attica! Attica!"
* **Context:** While getting ready for a night out, Tony looks at himself in the mirror and then later shouts this while walking with his friends. It is a reference to Al Pacino’s character in *Dog Day Afternoon* (1975). It signifies Tony’s desire to be seen as a "big shot" and his identification with rebellious, larger-than-life New York icons.
#### 4. "You know how many times someone told me I was good in my life? Two! Twice! Two fuckin' times! This raise today, and dancing... dancin' at the disco!"
* **Context:** In a raw emotional outburst, Tony confronts his father. This line exposes the deep-seated insecurity and lack of validation that drives his obsession with the disco scene. For Tony, the dance floor isn't just a hobby; it’s the only place in the world where he is told he has value.
#### 5. "There's ways of killing yourself without killing yourself."
* **Context:** Spoken near the end of the film after a series of tragedies, including the death of his friend Bobby C. and the realization that his neighborhood is a "dead end." This line marks Tony’s transition from a cocky youth to a disillusioned adult, recognizing that staying in his current cycle of behavior is a form of spiritual or metaphorical suicide.
#### 6. "Well, all ya need is a salad bowl, and a potato masher... and you got your shit together!"
* **Context:** Tony says this to his dance partner and love interest, Stephanie Mangano, after she repeatedly critiques him for not having his "shit together" (meaning he lacks class and a career in Manhattan). It’s a rare moment of wit where he mocks the pretension of "moving up" in the world.
### Character Significance
Tony Manero remains a legendary character because he represents the "Bridge and Tunnel" frustration of the late 1970s—a young person trapped by class and geography who uses pop culture and performance to escape his reality, even if only for one night a week.