Analysis Of David Mamet s Glengerry Glen Ross

In a country that started with men doing physical labor in factories and fields, gender stereotypes still exist today with people believing men should work and women should stay at home. Although many women are breaking this barrier in their given profession, a countless number of women still do not receive the respect and honor they deserve. In David Mamet’s play Glengerry Glen Ross, the four salesmen regard the business world as a â€Å"man’s place† and, therefore, believe they must prove their masculinity by winning the company’s competition. The company’s bosses, Mitch and Murray, decide this month that the salesman who sells the most will win a Cadillac, the second best salesman will win a pair of steak knives, and the bottom two men will be fired. In an attempt to win this competition, the men resort to manipulation and deceit due to the stress and high pressure placed on them. From this we see that these men, Aaranow, Moss, Roma, and Levene, are willing to gain success at the expense of someone else. Mamet’s lack of feminine characters and his use of dramatic, exaggerated language are used as tools to support the idea that these men believe the word â€Å"man† signifies more than just gender. Rather to them, this three letter word means having control over one’s own fate and fortune. They, therefore, believe to have a successful life, one must work hard even if it is unscrupulous and in this case illegal. As a reader, we do not see any onstage female characters throughoutShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of David Mamet s Glengerry Glen Ross 1344 Words   |  6 Pages The business world is known for being stressful and the epitome of masculine characteristics and behavior. In David Mamet’s play Glengerry Glen Ross, relative absence of feminine characters highlights the idea that women are unwelcome in the workplace because they are seen as inferior. Therefore, men in the company fight to prove themse lves because effeminate men are immensely looked down upon. The four salesmen in the play regard the business world as a â€Å"man’s place† and, therefore, believe they