Glengarry Glen Ross

A detailed Summary of Glengarry Glen Ross

Desecration of the American Dream in Glengarry Glen Ross

Glengarry Glen Ross portrays a harsh view of American business that not only contradicts, but also befouls the values of the "American Dream." The idealistic importance of fairness, equality, and the idea that hard work brings success included in this "dream" of American society is clearly not reality in this play. The values of work ethic, and equal opportunity are betrayed, and there is a notable presence of racism, sexism, and an savage system of "dog-eat-dog" competition.

A main focus of the play is the never-ending hunt for leads. "Leads" are cards containing information on prospective customers with interest in buying land. Many of these leads are said to be worthless, because of people sending them in without genuine interest in purchasing land. Others, namely the Glengarry Highlands leads, are highly sought-after "premium" leads, and are primarily given to top salesmen, or those who are most likely to close the deal. There is a perception of privilege and a cycle of success in acquiring leads in that only those who close the most

The presence of sexism is more subtle, but nonetheless notable. There seems to be an assumed connection between masculinity and selling ability. Shelly Levine attributes manager John Williamson's inability to run an office and poor business ability to his lack of masculinity, saying, "you don't have the balls" (p. 76). Richard Roma also attacks Williamson, calling him a "cunt," and asking, "Whoever told you you could work with men?" (p. 96). Levine also insults Williamson for his incompetence, saying that he "isn't man enough" to know what to do, after informing a client that his check had been cashed when Roma was trying to convince him of the opposite. These statements show that these salesmen are not only sexist and racist, but they also subscribe to white-male domination, a notion that was fought against in the Civil War, and also

Mamet, David. Glengarry Glen Ross. New York: Grove Press, 1982

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deals get the leads that are likely to be closed. As If the high commissions for closing deals is not enough motivation for

Some common words found in the essay are:
American Dream, Fuckin' Shiva, Richard Roma, Glengarry Highlands, Glen Ross, Real Estate, United America, Shelly Levine, John Williamson's, Dave Moss, glengarry glen, glengarry glen ross, american dream, glen ross, shelly levine, racism sexism, american business, american society, fierce competition, salesman refers, presence racism,

Approximate Word count = 749
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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Glengarry Glen Ross

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