Here is Roma's dressing down of Williamson.
And just a little later, Williamson turning Levene in:
And finally, something funny: Kevin Spacey as Williamson telling Aaronow to "go to lunch." How many different ways can this be said?
Cat said at the end of class on Tuesday, having finished the play, that she didn't quite know how to feel about the ending. A mystery is solved—Levene and Moss stole the leads—but at the same time did we ever care about who did the crime? It's just one criminal act among others; and if the others aren't exactly criminal, they are massive ethical breaches. These men have the ethical sense of piranhas. Yet do we end up caring, or at least being interested, in them? Weren't Roma and Levene brilliant in their almost successful scam of Lingk? They were making it up on the spot! And isn't there a part of you that thought Lingk deserved on some level the flogging he was taking—such a pantywaist! Should any of them be ethical in a system and world that has the same ethics as they? Mitch and Murry? Williamson? The contest board? As we said in class, to win in this world, you have to be a winner; and winning is the only thing that matters; and if you are a loser, the system is designed to keep you a loser so the winner can get all the good leads and continue winning...which is a win, above all, for Mitch and Murry. Yes, Roma "wins", but exactly did he really win? The opportunity to scam another sucker?
1. So...what did the end of the play mean for you? Think of the downfall of Levene and specifically the last moment when Roma rushes out of the office back to do "business" at the restaurant. And the final words of Aaronow—the survivor. What do you see Mamet saying with this conclusion? Agree and disagree with each other, of course, but don't simply repeat what others have said.
2. These men are admittedly awful. Yet is Mamet, to you, making them the villains? Is this a play that wants us to think of these men as despicable creatures? Is Mamet indicting them? Yes? No? Why?
3. The line in last night's reading that really stuck with you. And why?
4. Reaction to the play? Like? Dislike? Why?
We'll talk for just a few minutes tomorrow about the program today. Then we'll jump into Mamet.
My favorite line of the reading? The one I used for the heading. It says it all.
1. The ending was pretty depressing. Even though Levene worked so hard and did “win”, in the end, he’s still a loser. Levene fought so hard to be a “winner” and be number 1, and he thought he did “win”. But he will never be a “winner”. This reminds me of the American Dream. For some people, even though they work so hard to achieve the American Dream, they will never fully achieve their dream. To some people, the dream is unreachable. But I agree, in the end, Mitch and Murray are the true winners.
ReplyDeleteAaronow’s last words were, “Oh, God, I hate this job.” I agree with Aaronow. This job seems like it would suck, especially for Aaronow. He is hanging on by a thread. This job is stressful, competitive, and a constant fight. Aaronow may be a “survivor”, but he still has to fight to “win”. I think with this conclusion, Marmet truly is saying, “business is business.” I think Marmet believes the American Dream is unreachable, because in this play, the dream does seem unattainable.
2. No I don't think this play wants us to think of these men as despicable creatures. I agree these men are awful, but I think Marmet is trying to show the reality and hidden truth. I think he's trying to show the desperation of these men to win. Marmet is also showing what they will become to succeed and how far they will go. It shows the desperation and desire to win.
3. The line that really stuck out to me was when Roma was talking to Williamson and said, "What you're hired for is to help us--does that seem clear to you? To help us. Not to fuck us up... to help men who are going out there to try to earn a living. You fairy. You company man..." (96) Roma snaps. He can't stand this "business is business" world anymore. This world is harsh and does not pity anyone. But this world seems too harsh. It's a cruel world. This business is also about pushing the other man down to get to the top. There's no support.
4. I didn't dislike this play, but I didn't love it. I like Marmet's depiction of this harsh "business is business" world. I think Marmet showed a very real perspective of this business world and the unattainable dream. I disagree. I don't think the American Dream is unattainable, but I do see why Marmet may think the American Dream is unattainable.
1. I think the last moment of the play highlights the fragility of the core of America. These men are working harder and harder to do better and better and uphold a sense of pride and a certain stereotype of salesmen and eventually it all just falls apart. Roma, one of the hardest working salesmen if not the hardest worker, has his entire deal go to hell when Williamson sabotages it. He gets angry, and then he continues on, waiting for the new leads and waiting to make another successful sale. Aaronow saying “Oh God I hate this job” and yet he is still settling into his desk and waiting for the new leads. So while Aaronow survived, he still is in the clenches of the business world. I think what Mamet is saying is that business never stops, every thing you say to someone can be taken as a business transaction and that that’s how America runs. America creates business deals that are dangerous and difficult to break and have numerous rules and restrictions (like when Roma was trying to get Lingk to wait until Monday when he knew the time to change his mind would be up) and that’s how business works.
ReplyDelete2. These men aren’t my favorite group of. I think they have a crafty trade that requires them to be sly and sneaky but they still are regular guys trying to make a living and I don’t think there is anything despicable about that. I think how they close those deals is a little shady and the fact that they don’t seem to have any shame in closing the way they close is a little despicable but I think that’s what Mamet wants us to see. I think he wants us to see that that kind of thinking where there is no shame in doing whatever it takes to get to the top, comes from within. It comes from the infrastructure and the system that supposedly supports society.
3. I agree, the line that really stood out to me was the “I wasn’t cut out to be a thief. I was cut out to be a salesman” (101). Also what Levene says right after that “Whatever it takes to make it right, we’ll make it right. We’re going to make it right” (102). This whole moment really stood out for me because Levene is still trying to right his wrong and he is trying to justify his wrongdoings when its too late. He doesn’t have a second chance and he is still trying to suck up to Williamson and keep his job.
4. I thought the play was alright. It wasn’t my favorite thing that we have read so far but I thought it was interesting. I think it showed the more businessy side of America, a side that we only saw a little glimpse of in Death Of A Salesman. I think the characters are really realistic and they all have their own personalities that all contribute to this massive disaster of an office.
1) The ending seemed a bit abrupt to me, but then again the entire play seemed a bit abrupt in it's fast paced dialogue and sudden explosions of emotion. I really liked how Williamson finally spoke up and stopped saying "mm". Williamson is the only character I respect in this play, and in my opinion justice was served. Roma doesn't pull off his scam, Levene and Moss are caught, and Aaaronow, the only seemingly innocent one doesn't get fired. It was a bit anti-climactic, and I'm not sure I completely understand the message Mamet is trying to get across at the end but I enjoyed the ending.
ReplyDelete2) Mamet is not at all making them villains. The only character who is constantly getting yelled at is Williamson and he is the one scolding others for being unethical. Roma, who scams a nice old man without hesitation, calls Williamson a "company man" for intervening on the scamming. Mamet's style involves letting the actions speak for themelves, unlike Miller's where he rights paragraphs about the actions of each character. The dialogue in this play is straight to the point. These men are con men, and because they call it business, it's perfectly acceptable to them.
3) "I'm taking half his commissions- now, you work it out" (107). This sentence sums up the actions of every salesman in this play. They all have absolutely no care about the other and only see them as obstacles in their path to a cadillac. One of his fellow salesman, not to mention the only one he seems to like, has just been arrested and Roma's only care is what he can profit from it. This dog-eat-dog mentality has driven these people into insanity.
4) I really enjoyed this play. It isn't fair to compare it to some of the reading we've done already as it's regarded as some of the best playwriting ever written. Parts of the play seemed rushed, but I got used to the dialogue and began to get to know each character. It's interesting to see an environment that is so hard to relate to. Mamet does an amazing job in creating great characters and an interesting story line. It doesn't stand with Death of A Salesman, but I enjoyed reading it.
4)
1. The sudden downfall of Levene was quite shocking to say the least. After all this time of thinking he had closed a huge sale it disappears in a puff of smoke. This concept of failure is perfect for the ending of this play. The place is falling to ruin, the contracts have been stolen and sold to Jerry Graff, and Levene is about to lose his job and go to prison. Aaronow expresses what everyone in the office is feeling with a simple line: "Oh, God, I hate this job" (108). I see Mamet saying that even the hardest of work and concentration can sometimes end in failure if you are at the bottom of the food chain. Levene did wrong, he robbed the firm, and failure is his consequence.
ReplyDelete2. I don't think so these men are not necessarily evil or villains but in my mind are so overly selfish they could be seen as such. Such as if you gave someone the first clip of Roma tongue whipping the hell out of Williamson Roma would come across as a harsh villainous man. In reality though Williamson has just cheated Roma out of six thousand dollars. Mamet portrays Williamson as a nasty, evil man but also asks the question of what would happen if Williamson didn't run the firm with an iron fist. I don't think any of these men are purely awful but just frustrated when a fellow man gets ahead of him in the race of power.
3. Williamson's line: "Because I don't like you" (104) was very powerful in making the point of this book jump out at me. These men don't care about each other. It's as if they are a pack of wolves waiting for each other to fall so they can strike. Williamson states this harsh truth to Levene here. The simple truth stings the worst sometimes and Levene finally realizes from this line he won't be able to squirm out of this mess he has fallen in. This line stuck with me because it was so powerful.
4. This play was hard to read. With all the breaks in the lines and interrupting characters following who was talking to who was difficult. The story was lacking to me. I didn't bond with anyone character. Maybe because we finished the book so quickly this play had very similar ideas to "The Death of A Salesman". I personally like "Death of A Salesman" more than this play.
1. What I thought was most interesting was how Roma in the end proves to have been scamming Levene to get a cut of his sales. I’m not sure exactly how that works, or why Roma can just state that he’s entitled to half of Levene’s sales now, but it’s clear that his friendliness was just another scam. It seems as if the only time we ever actually saw the true Roma was when he was cursing out Williamson. The rest of the time, he was selling. Aaranow’s final words, “Oh, God, I hate this job”(108), make a lot of sense. I’d hate having that job too. That last scene alone shows how chaotic and unpredictable it can be. You have to constantly be on your guard, and even if you work yourself to death, it could all go out the window in a second.
ReplyDelete2. Mamet’s not painting a flattering picture of them. Roma proves that none of their supposed friendships were actually worth anything. They’re slimy opportunists. But, at the same time, I kind of feel sorry for them. It’s clear how futile it all is. You can never really win in this line of work. Roma will be able to rest when he’s dead. Some people are cut out for that kind of life, Roma obviously excels at it, but it’s inevitable that one day Roma will get screwed over by someone else (perhaps himself), and he’ll end up in the same place as the rest of them. These guys are trying to survive. They do it in a disgusting way, but how much choice do they really have?
3. Levene : Why?
Williamson: Because I don’t like you.
Williamson isn’t even turning him in because of a moral obligation or out his interest in the business. He’s turning him in because he doesn’t like him. That clip with the old Levene just standing there knowing his life is over (“my daughter”), offering the money, finding out that his sale was fake…That was hard to watch. He says that Williamson shouldn’t be in this business; it almost seems like Williamson is best cut out for this business. Williamson is the only one who’s really ok in the end.
4. I like the play a lot. I was surprised about how short it was. It didn’t have a plot like the other things that we’ve talked about. It was more just a snapshot of a crazy moment in this awful business. It’s funny how in the end, after all that’s happened, Roma proves to us that nothing’s really changed. There was no resolution, no lesson learned. Things are going to continue on the same miserable path forever.
1. In my opinion, the end of the play gave a cynical but realistic side of events. Roma walked into the office like number one ready to claim his prize but he was stripped of his reward. His sale was taken away as well as his price, the Cadillac. Levene walked in victorious after believing the he successfully sold properties that seem impossible to sell. He ended up as a thief and a loser. I have trouble thinking of Aaronow as a survivor. To me, he is clearly a victim of this world and its mentality but he does not get out. Unlike Moss who decided to try his luck somewhere else, even if he got out as a criminal, Aaronow went back to work even though he hates this job. In the end, what I though was that even though many say that they hate it and would love to change, it is not easy to do so. After all the events, they go back to work. Some come, some go but at the end it doesn't matter.
ReplyDelete2. I personally did not see them as villains. I saw them as men who were working hard to survive. I agree that they committed many mistakes and even crimes but I don't think Mamet intended to make them villains. In the story the only one who is constantly hated is Williamson and I think that is because he works at the office and does not know what is like to work on the streets. However, Moss appeared as a possible villain as well. The way he treated Aaronow and simply walked out of the office leaving the blame on Levene is despicable. I think that what makes this interesting is the reality of it. People will go to extremes to survive.
3. There are many good line in the last pages but when Williamson tells Levene, "I call them [the bank] when we had the lead... four months ago" (104) made me realize the world in which they live in. I though of how we have been talking in class about the winner staying in top and this is quotation explains it perfectly. Williamson gave Levene the lead which he knew would be impossible to sell for four months. The business in this world means making other people stay down so the people who provide the greatest amount of money stay in the top.
4. I found the play interesting and liked a lot. I have never read any play with a similar dialogue and I found it very captivating. The characters were very realistic which is, in great part, thanks to the dialogue. I found the plot interesting because it relates to other books we read but is very unique. It was short but it delivered its meaning pretty clearly. The fact that the ending is not the happy ending many stories have provides an attractive alternative that is a pleasure to read.
ReplyDelete1. For me, the end of the book reminds me a lot of the rest of the book, very fast-paced and abrupt with even more of an every man for himself mentality than the rest of the book. Aaronow is the first person to make clear that he actually does hate this job, though others have definitely hinted at it with the resent they show towards the effort that they put into their job daily. I think that Mamet is commenting here on the whole idea of being happy at a job versus having a job that will pay the bills and the question of a job that could encompass both of those ideals. Many parents want their children to be successful, and many parents want their children to be happy, but many times those two words are used interchangeably when talking about the future. Successful isn’t always happy and happy is most surely not always successful, especially in terms of money. When you have lot of money, you might not be happy; but to be happy (for some), you might not need a lot of money.
2. I agree with Tanja here that these guys definitely aren’t the best human beings out there, but there’s a sort of disparity and just sort of fighting to pay the bills. They aren’t doing everything in a perfectly moral way, because they’re human. I’ve said this before, but I think these men showcase the less moral choices of America, yet they’re pegged as the villians or the bad guys when they’re just trying to make a living. I wouldn’t necessarily call it an “honest living”, but it’s a living nonetheless. Levene keeps bringing up his daughter whenever he’s in a moment of uncertainty of his job, because he’s desperate and is trying to appeal to the empathetic side of people, just like many humans do in a desperate moment.
3. “Forget the deal, Jimmy. Forget the deal.., you know me. The deal’s dead. Am I talking about the deal? That’s over. Let’s talk about you. Come on. Come on. Come on, Jim.” (93). This quote stands out to me because it so perfectly shows Roma’s ethic when it comes to his job. We know that in saying “forget the deal”, it’s just so that he can get his customer out of a moment of uncertainty and make sure the deal closes quickly. This, to me, shows the irony and also the hypocrisy that might come with being a salesman, or being as good a salesman as Roma.
4. I really liked this play. I thought that the dialogue was very different than many other books and it stood out in my mind from other plays I had read. The characters reminded me of Gatsby with regard to not really liking many of the characters yet still being able to relate to them in a way that makes reading the book all the more fun.
1. Even though these men are awful, I still relate to them in the way they struggle to succeed like every other soul in america. Levene may have stolen the leads, and he may just be using the last trick up his sleeve when he mentions his daughter, but I relate to his disparity, the knowledge that your life is over, and that he has failed. Much like Biff in Death of A Salesman, Levene has failed, but unlike Biff, he does not accept it at all. He fights the policeman into the office, and in the clip above, is deteriorated into sobbing over what he thought was his big break. Some may say pathetic, but I felt all of his efforts going down the proverbial drain as Baylen shoves him into the office.
ReplyDelete2. No. These characters represent a microcosm of what america is like, and how all the struggles each person faces each day affects their lives. They are admittedly cutthroat and bitter with each other, but Mamet tries to create a success story by depicting a great failure, through Levene, with a Darwinian twist where Roma is seen ignorantly going out to lunch, living to scam another day. I believe Mamet creates these characters with all their flaws to represent what the harsh reality of the american dream really represents, and how people truly fight like animals to reach the top.
3. The line that really hit me was when Williamson starts to open the door to the office, and Levene says, "My daughter..." to which Williamson responds, "Fuck you." Maybe it is just Spacey and his even headed voice, or the sheer fear of Levene but I could really picture what Levene was going through at that moment. Once Williamson walks through the door, his life is over and it is because of what he did. He had just realized moments before that his big fucking score on the leads were worth nothing, and now he was going to jail. He may have stolen the leads, but it was really the system pushing him, making him desperate enough to steal them. HE was going to get fired if he didn't do something, and he was to proud to admit that he could not sell anymore. He had to steal them.
4. The play seemed to be written as if the story had already began and I had been in the bathroom for the first scenes, and it continued after the final page had been read. Mamet beautifully rounds off the edges to the play in my opinion, even if it was short. At times it was difficult to read but the continuity of the play really impressed me.
1. The most shocking part of the end for me was when Roma revealed that he was just trying to scam Levene, not actually help him. I think Levene got what he deserved when he was fired, but I felt bad for him when he found out that the Nyborgs weren't a legitimate sale. The one thing he has taken pride in in a while turns out to be false, and he finds it out on the day he gets fired. I thought Mamet did something very interesting on the last page of the play. He displayed the two sides of this business. Roma is ready to go back to the restaurant and start working again. He loves his work, and he thrives off of it, not just fiscally, but mentally too. However Aaronow says that he hates the job. I think Mamet is saying that both views are present in the business. It's like the love hate relationship Hart has with law school in the Paper Chase.
ReplyDelete2. I don't see the characters as villans. I don't think the reader is meant to see them as inspirational role models, but I don't think they are written to be hated. Even though they do many immoral things, these men are human. Some are more relatable than others, but I think the reader is meant to consider why they act like this, not to judge them as terrible people.
3. Levene: "I'm going to close for you, I'm going to... Here, here, I'm going to make this office... I'm going to be back there Number One" (103). I think this quote perfectly depicts how conceded these men are. When Levene says this, it is clear that it is over, but he still saying that he is the best. He is still trying to sell himself to Williamson, which is something that I think these men will never stop doing. They each do it in a different way, but Levene's method seems the most desperate.
4. At first I really didn't like the play. It didn't pull me in, and I thought it was confusing. But after Roma's monologue, I started to really like it. The play had very complex characters, and their complexity developed throughout the play. I also liked that the play was essentially just a quick little story, but it made a much larger point.
1. From the ending, I got the idea that things will continue going on this way forever. With Roma rushing to the restaurant at the end and the opening of the play taking place in the restaurant, it seems like their business is a vicious cycle and not even a robbery can disrupt the cycle from repeating. They only seem to observe the robbery for a moment, because time is money and by concerning themselves with the robbery and the motive behind it, they’re loosing money. I think nothing will change in this office. Everyone is looking out for themselves and their own success. Levene stole the leads to profit himself, and Roma capitalize on and steal part of Levene’s success. Everyone has a fault, however only some (Levene) get reprimanded for it. Nothing is fair or honest about this office or this world of selling.
ReplyDelete2. I don’t think Mamet is making them out to be villains. I get the sense that these men, in a different profession, would be genuinely good people. I think it is their profession, selling, that drives them to do appalling things. Because their employer seems to promote this type of behavior by having the sales contest where unless you make a lot of money, you are fired. So these men will to whatever it takes to not be at the bottom, and in this office it seem the only way to reach the top of the board is by lying or scheming.
3. The line that really stood out to me was when Roma says to Levene “it’s not a world of men, Machine..... what it is, it’s a fucked-up world..... we are the members of a dying breed” (105) I found this line funny and depressing at the same time because Roma and Levene are probably the biggest crooks of the novel; Levene with his stealing of leads and Roma trying to take some of Levene’s future profits. But they are also the two most likeable characters in the play. So yes, they are a part of a “dying breed,” but that breed has long been contaminated by the desperation and competitiveness of the business world.
4. I wish we had more time to spend with the characters because then I think the ending might have been more impactful, at least to me. I really did like the emphasis on dialogue in this play because that’s really all we had to go on and I felt like as the reader, I was eavesdropping on all these conversations rather than watching them all unfold on stage or on screen.
ReplyDelete1. I think Mamet implies basically that if you’re a cheater you get caught and if you stay clean then you stay clean. But ultimately, I got the sense that working in business is not even worth is because once again like in Death of a Salesmen, no one is happy with their job/life. They say this is what they do to get a living but the compensation for working is work, not pleasure after work. I think I agree with Ben a lot on how there really wasn’t a climax to the play. Other than the sense that the typical “American life” is not worth the work, I don’t see much else what Mamet is trying to say. But in the end, everyone got was they deserved.
2. I know that these men all seem pretty awful, but for some reason I don’t feel much of an accusation like I did when we read Death of a Salesman. Perhaps it’s because most of the awful things they did was through words. They used fowl language the whole time and they were angry, but I just didn’t relate enough to or with them to care or feel anything for these characters. Not even with Aaronow because he was so bland. It may actually have been that Roma’s seduction got to me in the sense that I am just thinking, “they did what they did because that’s how [business] life is.” I just kinda accepted them that way, but I’m not sure why.
3.I think probably the machista attitude that I saw from Roma when he scolded Williamson with, “Who told you you could work with men?” Roma was just such an intense bully and then the way that Williamson didn’t even defend himself kinda struck me. And then he called him a “fucking child” that’s just pure destruction of a person’s dignity. It’s such a huge burn but at the same time, why didn’t Williamson defend himself? There is so much background I’m missing to make sense out of this play. I think what I’m getting at is that sometimes bullie are so ironic. They try to get at the top and push everyone down and they feel like they deserve everything because they are “the shit”, but they’re literally shitty people. It’s ironic that Roma can feel so high and mighty when he has such a low way of being.
4. I didn’t like the play because there were too many characters for me to follow. They talk in such a way that so much is missing. I really had to pay attention to every line I read as opposed to books where I can skim a paragraph or page and everything will be fine. I didn’t find anyone to relate to strongly or even remotely close to. And the topic of sales and business did not interest me.
1. I was surprised when I read that Levene was the person to take Moss up on his deal. I was positive that Aaronow had joined Moss to commit the crime. While reading, I did not even consider that another deal was made. After thinking about the situation, it makes sense that Levene would help Moss with his scheme to rob the company of its leads. He was desperate, sad, and at that point he thought he had nothing to lose. He did not realize exactly what he had to lose until his arrest became imminent and he realized that his big sale was a sham. Roma never cared about Levene, he just wanted to squeeze the last few dollars out of the machine. Aaronow might have survived this storm, but by the looks of the company and its salesmen there are many more to come.
ReplyDelete2. The actions of the salesmen do not show abundant morality or compassion, but I would not call them villains. They are just men who are trying to get by. In this company getting by means doing everything possible to get ahead of the next person. Every inch of the company screams competition. People are affected a lot by the environment they are put in and the environment of Mitch and Murray is hostile and somewhat corrupt. I think that many of the men are misguided, but they are not all terrible people. When I think of Levene I see his daughter. All of these men have families that need them and many have everything on the line. According to the character Alec Baldwin played in the movie being a good father doesn't matter in the world of being a salesman. All that matters is that the salesmen close. Nobody cares about anything else.
3. The line that stuck with me was from the conversation with Roma and Lingk, "You needn't feel ashamed, you needn't feel that you're being untrue...or that she would abandon you if she knew. This is your life. (Pause.) Yes. Now I want to talk to you because you're obviously upset and that concerns me. Now lets go. Right now" (93). Roma's attitude with Lingk really stands out to me. We know that he does not care at all for Lingk, he just wants his money and the Cadillac. He continues his monologue from the earlier scene by saying the Lingk should take control of his life. Roma is making another sales pitch to pull Lingk back in. It his the last chance to full close the deal and Roma probably could have done it if Williamson had not ruined it all. Roma pulls everyone into his deception. He acts like he cares and that he wants to know people but he does not. Everything that comes out of Roma's mouth is another sales pitch.
4. I liked the pay overall. I really felt sorry for Levene in the end. He is the character that reminds me the most of Willy. The only difference is that Levene lost the talent for sales that Willy never had. The dialogue always kept me on my toes because it would be pretty easy to miss something and become completely confused. It is definitely written to be acted. Even thought I did not like all of the characters I thought that they were put together very well. I feel like I a definitely left with a lot of questions but that is probably what Mamet wants.
1. Levene’s fall was pitiful. Ten minutes before Williamson catches him, he was on top of the world, cussing out and insulting Williamson at every chance. But when he realizes that he has lost, he reverts back to his weak, begging state, trying to curry favor through phrases like “my daughter…” (104) just as he did when he was begging for the premium leads. I felt a little betrayed by Levene, since I was happy that the old, hard working play-it-by-the-rules man had finally struck gold, but I was deceived just like Lingsk. The false front that these men (Levene, Moss, and Roma) put up is despicable, but I understand that they do what they do because they believe that the path they take will lead them to happiness. I agree with everybody else that Mamet is saying these are desperate men, and desperate men will use any means to survive.
ReplyDelete2. As much as I don’t like these characters, they are only human. These men do what they must to survive, whether it be cheating, lying, or stealing, for their own gain, but that is inherently human. Yes, they are awful, but they just want to survive. They are not villains, but just desperate humans.
3. “I GET HIS ACTION” (107). Roma, who we saw tag teaming with Levene just a few pages before this, quickly turns around and sabotages Levene, not even waiting to hear that Levene is getting arrested. At the first instance he jumps on his competition, and this embodies the spirit every salesman holds (with the exception of Aaronow). They are all waiting to cannibalize their “friends” (Levene), their family (“my daughter”), and even their clients (Lingsk) to get to the top of the ladder.
4. The play was short. I didn’t connect with any of the characters (I probably wasn’t supposed to), and I did not like it as much as Death of a Salesman. I did like the clips though (particularly the ones with Alec Baldwin in them), as the acting really defines this play, and reading it doesn’t nearly give the same effect as the acting. I also liked the human dialogue, as opposed to the robotic line by line that occurs in most other plays, and the dialogue of this play really helps display the human side of these despicable men, since they are stumbling through their words just as they stumble through life.
1. The end really ties up a lot of the ideas that had been proposed throughout the play. Throughout the entire play, we've seen what cold and ruthless business men the main characters can be. They have had little to no regard or empathy for others and only thought for themselves. I think that the end of the play is making a statement about this kind of a life, a life that is shallow and driven mostly by personal gains. A lot of the things that these men did ended up coming back to bite them in the ass. Levene ends up going to jail because he robbed the office, Roma's deal breaks through (despite his horrifyingly selfish attempt to con Lingk into sticking to the deal), and Aaranow is left just sitting there, contemplating how much he hates his job. The play definitely makes a negative statement about business men. It sort of goes to show that what goes around comes around, and that you really shouldn't be an asshole.
ReplyDelete2. Well, not exactly. I think that the play makes the characters seem more desperate than evil. That being said, I do think that they are all horrible people. Even if someone does have to "eat", that doesn't mean that they should be able to be complete assholes and con other people out of all of their money. These men have no morals whatsoever, and seem to be solely driven by money. Honestly, I don't see how you could be any more evil than those men, other than being mentally ill or sadistic and killing people.
3. The second to last line, when Aaranow says "I hate my job". I really love this moment because this is one of the rare times in this book when I actually agree with one of the salesman. Their jobs are absolutely terrible. I think that Aaranow was the only one of those men who had the moral judgement to realize that they were doing something wrong and actually feel bad about it.
4.Overall, I really liked this book. I think that plays usually have a very hard time grabbing my interest, but this one was more interesting than even some of the novels that we've read. The dialogue is just so real and evokes the emotions of the characters so well (even though my interpretation is often different from the clips).
1. I really disliked the ending. The book just stopped. Then again, it started as abruptly as it ended. It's really depressing to see how detached Levene has become from the job that he once ruled. He's not even aware of the people "that like to just talk to salesmen." He's been pushed over the edge into robbing his own office. He's trying so hard to still be the young man who closes one deal after another and can con anyone into buying the property, but he just isn't that guy anymore. He's ready to leave this work behind, but I think he's afraid to no longer want it. He says, "I'm halfway hoping to get caught." I guess Mamet us just stressing the point of how relentlessly hard we are pushing ourselves.
ReplyDelete2.I don't think they are villains possibly because they all act the same way. Sure, they are people who use dishonesty and trickery to get what they want, but that doesn't make them any worse than anybody else. I think Mamet wants us to see how backwards their tactics are, but he also wants us to realize that it's not just one person acting this way. It's the whole company. And probably others, too.
3. Williamson says, "I'm sorry." Levene asks why and Williamson says, "Because I don't like you." This goes back to "business is business." You don't have to like the people you work with because being a salesmen is about being an individual man and being able to support yourself. It doesn't matter that they all detest each other. They can come right out and say it because their level of friendship has zero affect on the end results.
4. I don't think I really had much time to process the book to decide if I liked it or didn't like it. I don't feel any understanding for these characters because I feel like it just went by so fast. It was hard to follow and the clips helped a lot. I think the discussions are interesting about the salesman and what business means to America and the American dream, but I'm ready for a new topic.
1. Before this section of reading, Adan and I predicted that Levene's deal was either untrue or was going to fall through. We were right! To me, Leven was such a desperate character, and he made so many irrational decisions it's impossible to say that he didn't get what he deserved. I agree that the ending was abrupt, but I think it suited the pace and storyline of the play. I was completely satisfied with the ending. The characters rounded out, the plot climaxed and concluded. Mamet is showing us the lengths people go through to "win", and as John said, what does that even mean? The fact that each and every one of these men are good at their job because they're sleazy. What it comes down to is whether or not people kick you when you're down.
ReplyDelete2. I completely agree with Cam. The office is a microcosom of modern American (as we've touched on in class). What Mamet is doing is dipicting these characters in an everyday, casual light and letting the audience figure out who they relate to and how the world is shaped around that particual character. For example, one person may relate to Levene, the tragic failure, while someone else may relate to Aaranow-- the one who barely scrapes by. So no, these men are not depicted as villians; they're dipicted as human beings.
3. The line that really stuck out to me, was when Roma calls Williamson out: "...you're hired...to help us. Not to fuck us up...to help men who are going out there to try to earn a living. You fairy"(96). This really illustrates the undercurrent of masculinity running throughout the play. A man has to prove himslef. A man has to go out and seduce. A man should buy property, no matter what the wife says, no matter where they are financially. This line caught my attention because it was so untrue: Williamson is holding this place together. Williamson in the hero of this play, yet Roma calls him a "fairy".
4. I really enjoyed the play! It was a fast read for me. I love this type of unexplained dialogue and then watching the clips. Unlike Elizabeth, I don't find myself with many questions. I feel like Mamet has illustrated these character so masterfully through their interactions with their colleagues that we as an audience can see why a character acted and will act in the future. Overall, Glenngary Glenn Ross is second only to The Great Gatsby.
1. I found the ending of this play shocking. It had never occurred to me that Moss would have gone to other people because I had assumed that Aaronow had taken Moss up on his deal after being cornered like that. To me, it said that those who cheat will lose and that those who continue to work hard and stay clean will stay clean. Levene, the man who was bribing people and was eventually driven to steal lost his job and part of his life seeing as he will be going to jail. I almost feel bad for Levene because he is getting old in his age and losing his touch. He is being driven to the point of stealing and right when he was a big break, finds out that the check and everything is a scam, right as he is being taken away. I find it interesting that these people, Roma in particular, are just going to continue their cycle. He was going to go back to the restaurant to do business, and was even planning on scamming Levene behind his back. I was starting to wonder why he was being so nice to him, because he had seemed so independent and hostile to other people. In this conclusion, I feel like this clearly illustrates that not everyone wins in the quest for the American Dream.
ReplyDelete2. I think Mamet is definitely showing us that these men are awful. They rant, they yell, and they go behind other people’s backs to try to ruin them or gain from their loss (Roma at the end). But, I do not think that Mamet is trying to get us to think of them as villains. Or, if he is, that is not the point he wants to get across. In the end, these are all just men trying to do their job and make a living. They are trying to live the American Dream of working hard and making your life better. I don’t think Mamet is indicting them because, they are just humans.
3. The two lines that really stuck to me were the last two. Aaronow says, “Oh, God, I hate this job.” While Roma says, “I’ll be at the restaurant.” Aaronow is just sick of the job, the one person who really and truly cares for the customer. As we see, everyone else, even Levene, who didn’t seem that bad in the beginning. I feel like a lot of people could empathize with him in the beginning, or at least sympathize with him. But while Aaronow is hating this job, Roma just goes back to working.
4. All in all, I didn’t like or dislike the play. Maybe it was partially because we had just done a play on salesman, and I’ve always liked novels and book more than plays. I also didn’t like how this read. That being said, the movie clips were very helpful. However, it was very interesting and I liked the characters. Not personally, because they all seem ethically shallow, but as characters, they were interesting.
1. This play pretty much ended in the way that I expected it to. It was made quite obvious from the beginning that Roma would always be on top, and that the others would get pushed under the bus. It doesn't really seem like anyone has actually changed throughout this book. The ending was also very abrupt, with Levene getting reprimanded and everyone else going on with their lives. Mamet is really showing how competitive people have to be in business to achieve the American Dream. He shows how unfair this system is and how the guy on top will always stay the guy on top. He doesn't emphasize that anyone is actually good at their jobs, he just shows the measures that these characters are willing to take to get to the top, which is downright sleazy.
ReplyDelete2. I don't think that Mamet is trying to make these characters villains. If anything, he is trying to make them relatable to us. As high school students, we spend our every waking hours trying to please teachers, colleges, parents, and peers in order to get ahead. And on occasion even cheat to do so. Mamet is providing a realistic view of business and the road to the American Dream. Every person has their faults. Levene is just extremely desperate for money and did what he felt was just while Roma always stayed on top because he was a sleazy, creepy guy who hung around restaurants waiting to find people that he can get drunk and then sell shit to.
3. The last few lines really struck me.
Aaronow: Oh God, I hate this job.
Roma: I'll be at the restaurant. (108).
The stage directions for these two lines include Aaronow settling into his office chair as Roma gets up to go to a restaurant. Roma also interrupts Aaronow before he can finish in order to say that he will be at the restaurant. I feel like in a way Roma is really trying to convince himself that he loves his job and cannot bear to hear Aaronow's full sentence.
4. I really liked this play! I think this had a way more interesting plot than Death of a Salesman. I also liked how a lot of the novel was open to interpretation because they left so much unexplained. The mystery of "who stole the leads?" also made this a lot more exciting and fun to read because there was something to look forward to. I really enjoyed Ricky Roma's character as well!
1. I agree with Amanda about the ending, it just stopped. But I think this was essential to the nature of the play. Levene's story stops, he's going to jail, but the rest of them have to keep on keeping on. They can't throw away their livelihoods. They can't throw away the fact that they have been total jerks the whole play. I think the end was so telling. How Roma was so kind to Levene's face yet the moment the doors shut behind Levene, Roma was telling Williamson to give him Levene's money! This, to me, exemplifies business is business. These men cannot afford to care for each other, they cannot afford to take a moment, reflect, they have to do their work, no matter what the cost is, it must get done.
ReplyDelete2. I do not think Mamet is vilifying them, I think he is showing us how things are. He shows us parts of ourself we do not want to admit are in each and every one of us. We talked the there day about how we are reflected in these salesmen. I think Mamet wants us to see these bad characteristics, the pragmatism, the sole focus on money, and he wants us to connect them to our own lives. Each of them have their moments where they are sympathetic. Mamet humanizes them to show that they are not remote villains, they are all of us.
3. The line that stood out to me was when Lingk said to Roma "I don't have the power". This to me, was very striking. These salesmen have created these false personas of themselves as powerful men. They can negotiate and manipulate because of this power. Yet in reality, there is no power at all, only the perception of it. Roma, Levene, Moss and Arranow are no different from the rest of us, they only know how to manipulate us to think that they are.
4. I don't honestly know I felt about this play. I enjoyed certain aspects of it. Some of the characters were interesting, I sort of enjoyed Roma as a character. Overall, I would have to say I wasn't a juge fan. I understand what Mamet is doing with this play, however it is very difficult for me to connect with it. I do see aspects of the salesmen in myself, however I have a hard time connecting when it is older men yelling "fuck you" at each other every other word. It was a fascinating play and I like finding the meaning behind it, however, at face value, it is not my favorite.
Mamet is emphasizing that nothing has really changed for the men remaining at the end of the play, although they are clearly satisfied with where they are. Roma goes back to the Chinese restaurant, and Aaronow remains at his desk. The revelation that Levene stole the leads suprised me at first, but then I thought back to the first scene of the play, where he is begging Williamson for the leads. Mamet makes us forget this when Levene comes in with his story of closing the "magazine" leads, makes us think that Levene has it again. Add to this the fact that we have Aaronow as another possible conspirator, and it makes the culprit even more elusive. But Levene, who I suspect was the main suspect for coming in third and getting fired anyway, loses in the play: when we last see him he is being literally dragged into the room by Baylen, still scratching for an excuse. Of all the characters in the play, Levene had seemed to me the least likely to do this. Mamet is showing us that deep down, we are all scratching out an existence that makes us happy.
ReplyDeleteI think all of the heroes of this book are still asses, but are assertive about it, knowing fully what they are doing it and enjoying it (i.e. Roma). On the other hand, we have characters like Lingk, who ends up being a total pushover and not assertive at all. I think that is the heroic quality that Mamet is trying to display, whichever use this tenaciousness is put to. All of these men are fairly resilient, attempting to adapt to the situations they're placed in the best they can. They're not very nice, but then again, who said they had to be? They are working exclusively for their own benefit, they don't have to help each other. Real altruism has no place in the occupation of a salesman.
Aaronow's last line of the play: "Oh, God, I hate this job" (108). Nothing in the play has really changed. No one has stood up and made a stand for what is "right," even though I would hesitate to name an example of what that has been defined as in the book. Everyone has remained at their posts, spitting back and forth at each other, and sometimes showing sympathy, but on an exceptional basis. Everyone is just as exasperated as when we started the book. We are left in the dark as to who really wins the contest.
I liked reading through the play, although the language caught me up at times; watching the clips from the movie definitely helped with that. Upon first consideration, the plot line of the play is static: we enter in the middle of the action and leave before the climax, as Cam was saying. What makes the play interesting is the characterizations and the extrapolations that Mamet leaves to the reader to find out.
I think, as John brings up above, that the end of the play has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that the ones who robbed the office were caught. The only reason that is in there in the first place is to show how desperate one can get, the measures one will take in this world to succeed and surpass his peers in this never ending struggle. No, what the end of the play is I think is Mamet's final attempt to say how truly fucked this world and this life really is. It is Mamet's concluding statement, him saying that one can never and probably will never win in this life. It is him hammering home how this "business" world is a dog eat dog world without winners, a world that breeds terrible people in their attempt to achieve the impossible and claw their way above their colleagues. If it were just maybe Levene getting caught for robbing the office, my opinion might be different. But it's the whole chain of events, which I found just overwhelming. It is Williamson turning Levene in, "Because I don't like you", and Roma telling Levene how great he is and how much he admires him and wants to take advice from him before going behind his back and demanding Levene's good leads and half of his commissions. It's at the end of the book when Aaronow says he hates this job. All of these things that happen at the end of the play are what shape my conclusion as to what the end of the play really is, a blatant summary.
ReplyDeleteAs I said on an earlier blog, I don't see any of these men as villains despite their awfulness, I see them as struggling human beings. I think that this world they live in and this life they lead forces them in a way to be nasty and cruel and backstabbing in the way that they are. So I think the play does want us to see them as despicable creatures, but to mainly look at what has caused them to be this way. I would argue that all of the characters are victims, and I think that we are supposed to sympathize with victims. It's like when you see a spoiled child. The child is nasty and selfish and greedy and most of the time rude, but the child doesn't get blamed, the child gets sympathy. Who gets blamed? The parents. I think Mamet is saying through the characters that there is a price to the way they live their lives, but the price is inevitable as they are forced to live this way and carry out their work and lives this way. And I think that's what Mamet is saying is so incredibly messed up about this life and this attempt at the American Dream. So, yes, Mamet is indicting them as they are ALL guilty, but he's saying there is a much bigger underlying problem.
I think that there were definitely a lot of lines that stuck out to me in tonight's reading, but of all of them the one that I found the most important was at the end of the play when Roma says, "When the leads come I want my top two off the list. My stuff is mine, whatever he gets for himself, I'm taking half." Throughout reading this whole play, I found myself liking Roma more and more with every page. I thought that maybe of all of the characters that are so corrupt in this play, maybe Mamet makes Roma the one that is different, the one that represents the man that people in America should shoot for when pursuing the American Dream. And then, at the very end of the play, Roma reminds us that he is no different from the rest of them. He shows us that he is just as scummy, and that he has not escaped the clutches of this life and what it turns a man into in their attempt to reach success. Mamet reminds us that everyone is this way in this life and it is hopeless to attempt to get out. I think with this line and this scene, Mamet also tells us that there is no happy ending to the play, he is simply showing the way it is and how corrupt it is.
ReplyDeleteI did really like this play, despite how depressing it really is. I think it's one thing to look at a salesman like Willy Loman, a man that is a little more outdated and hard to relate to, and a totally different thing to look at the salespeople portrayed in this play that are a little more modern. I found it very interesting to look at the characters in this play and assess them, because my dad is a business man as well. He's not in real estate and his job is very different, but a salesman is a salesman, and I wonder how much of this life, this world, applies now, and how much applies to my dad's life. So basically, I wonder how much did Mamet get right about things that are in my life today, things that directly affect me? In general, I find it much easier and much more enjoyable to read more modern books because, whether fiction or non fiction, they contain subjects and themes that are actually a part of my life, unlike say, Gone With The Wind. They cause me to think more
*more.
DeleteLike Anna mentioned we had already commented on our feelings over Levine's surprise deal closure. I was a bit curious and thoughtful and was doubting Levine's skill and commented to Anna that I felt there was something sketchy or odd about his deal. Turns out he was part of Moss' plot to steal the leads. Levine's actions reminded me a lot of Willy Loman and his desperation to do anything to make money and become that successful businessman when he was young. It was said to see Levine's dreams be crushed I'm front of him so easily and fast. I feel Levine was tring to avoid the fact that he is old and he does not have that same vibe he had when he was young. He wants to have that power in the office that he once had and does not want to accept the fact that Roma is on top. He decides to do whatever not caring about others and the effects his decision would have. He only cares about himself and coming out on top. It may be a job you hate but it's your o Lu option if you want to make a living. And we see the nature of the businessman in this reading. Ambitious and ready to work wih any opportunity that comes up. We also see their tactics and how they are self centered to survive.
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily see these men as villains even if they may have some bad morals. They just do what they have to do in order to make a living. Mamet is showing us what happens to people due to teir actions, and the affects it has on others. He also shows us how our human nature is to sometimes take other's misfortunes and use them for our good. (As an example Roma taking Levine's leads) I think one of Mamet's ultimate question is does ones malicious actions make them a bad person. Also it makes is think of what people go through to be on top and have power in what they do.
The line that stood out the most was during Roma's speech to Levine when he states :
"I swear...it's not a world of men...it's not a world men, Machine...it's world clock watchers, bureaucrats, officeholders...what it is, it's a fucked-up world...there's no adventure to it. Dying breed. Yes it is. We are the members of a dying breed" (105) I think Mamot is commenting on human nature and commenting on the way society has become. There is a dying breed of nice and helpful people who now are against each other ad everyone is our rival and you are on your own. You have to do what is be wary even if you have to step on others to achieve it.
I enjoyed this play and found it fun. I enjoyed reading each character and watching the clips. Each character had their own unique charecteristic or thing that made them them. Each character had their own feelings and role and I enjoyed the mysterious twist of the robbery. The dialogue was very well written and Roma's character was the best in my opinion.
I agree with Jenny in that I do not think that what has happened in the play will provoke much change in the way that the business is run; if someone tries to mess up the system, he is found, and kicked out so that the office can continue to run as it has been. I also think that in the business world there is some kind of unsaid ideal that to be fair one should leave feelings out of business. However, when business is not fair and feelings are being ignored, that results in desperate victims like Levene.
ReplyDeleteMamet is trying to show us that when people get so wrapped up in society and macho like “business only” kinds of mindsets this is what can happen. Like we said on our quizzes these men have human qualities which we can relate to and they are being used to portray the product of a society run like a salesmen business office.
“Roma:…Yes. Now I want to talk to you because you’re obviously upset and that concerns me. Now let’s go. Right now.” I find it amazing how hard these business men try to survive and at whatever cost. Clearly for some financial reason Lingk has to cancel the deal, but Roma is so fucking intent on doing his job to be at the top and to be successful, to feel good about his achievements that I don’t think he ever really stops to think about what he is doing to some of these people’s lives. These guys are great actors, they shouldn’t be salesmen.
I actually liked the play. I found it hard to follow at times just reading the book, but the clips helped a lot. I liked the issue it concerned, the business side of it, but also the analysis we do of these people as we discuss. Human behaviors and flaws…and the level of anger and force with which the lines were delivered is what made the play for me.
1. I have very little from the norm to say regarding Levene's actions. He seemed to be such an uplifting and fortunate character but he turns out just the opposite. The part of the ending that I found so interesting was Roma's reaction to the realization that Levene was the criminal. He had just spent half of the book supporting "the machine" only to immediately jump in and claim that Levene's leads should go to him. Rather than being surprised, sympathetic, or even apathetic, he focuses on what will put him in the best position and completely disregards any defense of Levene. I think his final line, "I'll be at the restaurant," is used to show that despite all of the events of this play nothing has changed. Everything is exactly as it was at the beginning, it's just another day at work.
ReplyDelete2. No, Mamet is not making them into villains. Why would Mamet give such three dimensionality and allow us to feel sympathy for his characters if he wanted us to view them as villains. Throughout the book we've seen multiple characters mention that their actions are based on personal need rather than desire (Levene's daughter). Clearly these men are lacking morally, considering each one is corrupt in his own way, but Mamet seems to be providing us with to much reason to sympathize with them for them to be villains.
3. As I have already mentioned the most memorable quote to me was Roma's, "I'll be at the restaurant." It seems so strange that absolutely nothing changes from the beginning to the end. Roma still spends his time in the restaurant doing his work. Nothing has changed. Despite Levene's arrest and all the conflict that has occurred, Roma still just goes on with his usual routine as if nothing had ever happened.
4. I think the premise of the play is interesting. I can honestly say I was not expecting the play to end the way it did and that certainly lends itself to my interest in the play. I love that rather than going with the route that people would most expect he decided to go with the ending that was the most interesting. All in all the play went very well, although I maintain my opinion that very few of these characters are appealing whatsoever.
1. I think the ending is, like Andrew sai, a great representation of the idea we have been discussing, not only through Glengary Glen Ross, but also through Death of a salesman as well which is Business is Business. I was very surprised to find out that Levene had committed the crime, the way he is portrayed throughout the story, with this innocent, almost naive personality, separates him from the crime. However, I think the way Ricky Roma reacts to the news or really how he does not react to the news, says a lot about the play. His first thought is Give me his leads. I deserve them, those are mine. He shows no real emotion, but because he shows no emotion I think we see one of the main ideas of the play, which is "business is business". Roma immediately goes back to the restaurant and starts trying to sell. This reaction was not surprising to me, even when the office is robbed, and we do not know who it is, Roma is still itching to get out, and sell. He is a salesman, and we see that all the way thought the book, he is a salesman through and through.
ReplyDelete2.I do not think Mamet was trying to make any of the characters, except Williamson, into villains. On the contrary all the way through the play I feel empathetic and sympathetic towards these men who are having such a hard time, except for Roma. But, I even feel for Roma, I like him a lot, I like the way he defends the little guys and stands up for the whole office when he is reaming Williamson. He is sort of like the big brother figure in the office, he cares about how the others do, partly because he knows that no one will be able to catch him. The only person I think Mamet is trying to villainize is Williamson. I have hated hom for the beginning. When he was taking bribes from poor levene, and at the end when we find out that he gave Levene the leads, knowing that they were crazy, and did it just because he did not like Levene. I hate him and I have hated him till the end. I do not think Mamet villainized the bosses Mitch and Murray either. We do not see them, do not hear about them that much, they are kind of non-factors for me.
3.I really think the entire story of these man is told when Roma, Like andrew says above, says "I'll be at the restaurant" I think this shows the idea that "business is Business" and that all of these men are salesmen through and through. Even though Roma just found out that someone he stood up for and someone he trusted robbed something that he loved, it is no different a day than yesterday. They need to keep selling and Roma needs to keep selling because this is his life. He knows nothing else, and I got the feeling he was good an nothing else, so he has to continue on like there is nothing going on. Business is Business in his world and every day is a chance to make money and that is what he is in the business to do.
4. At the beginning of the book I did not think I was going to like it. I was confused and it was difficult to read in my head, and I did not have high hope for the plot. However, I have changed my mind. I really liked this book. I thought it was really well written, I thought there was a lot of suspense when reading it, and I liked the way the characters were portrayed. Overall I really enjoyed the play, and I really liked the videos on the blog, those turned out to be really helpful.
1. I thought that the ending wa really sad, but I also didn't really get some of it. I thought Moss and Aronow were the ones who robbed the office, yet Levene is the one who broke in and stole the leads? I was so confused, and I still am. But this also makes me twice as sorry for Levene, because his whole world comes crashing down around him within the space of 30 minutes. First he finds out that his 80 thousand dollar deal was just a farce, then he realizes that nobody likes him, then he hass to go to jail. Its really sad. In the end, Roma is still in the lead and Levene is still the biggest loser. I did think it was interesting though that Roma and Aronow are the ones in the end continuing their employment.
ReplyDelete2. I don't think Marnet is trying to make them out to be villains. Everyone in the play is incredibly human, and none of them truly have what it takes to be evil. Even Levene, the guy who became a criminal, isn't evil just desperate. Marnet is just trying to express the human emotions that people go through when cornered.
3. The line that really stood out to me, was the line where Levene says, "but... my daughter..." This really stood out to me because I'm not sure whether its an actual plea for help to support his family, or if he is just saying it as an attempt to gain mercy. The reason I see that, is because he says it two times throughout the play but both times he only said it as a last resort, and only if he was in real trouble. It really stuck to me because if it was truly a plea for help, I would feel more sympathy for Levene but if it was fake it would make me feel less sympathy for Levene. I tend to think that it isn't a plea for help because of the way Williamson reacts, but Williamson is a dick and an asshole, so it could just be that.
4. I liked the play, because it was really straight forward and it actually showed the true nature of people. Like when people are desperate, they will offer anything to save themselves .(Levene offering the 2500 to Williamson) Another example would be the true face of Roma, who after Lingk leaves gives Williamson the toungue lashing he deserves. Overall, the play was very straight forward and simple and I liked that. The only thing I absolutely hated about the play, was that nobody could finish a sentance. Literally nobody. They always interrupt themselves and I can't explain how annoying that is. The writing style is so unique, but that is also what makes it so hard to read.
1.
ReplyDeleteThis play embodies the desperate determination that we see across America today, salesmen working night and day for minuscule wages and earnings, it s no wonder that they do anything they can to get ahead, from bribing to theft.
2.
I do not perceive these men as despicable, due to the society that shaped them. They are products of the world around them, which demands results from work, and success, and such an expectation brings desperation, a desperation to accomplish success by any means necessary.
3.
I think the story is really wrapped up with Roma's, "I'll be at the restaurant." This embodies the idea of business is business and that business never stops, no matter what. It's a life of work that these men are enslaved to, in a backwater, shady real estate joint.
4.
I enjoyed the play, much as I enjoyed The Death of Salesman. It is nearly identical to the message presented in that of our previous play, that of expectations and desperate work to reach those expectations, which meet an end in a way that one would never expect: in death or prison.
1) I think that the end of the play is so significant because not much changes. It shows a correlation between what Levene does to the company and what the workers do to their customers every day.
ReplyDelete2) I honestly don't know. I think that we are possibly supposed to feel some pity because they are only doing what they are because of the cutthroat people around them. That being said I am not sure if that makes it okay. I think that he is just showing how things are, not necessarily blaming or defending anyone
3) one of my favorite lines was "don't look at the board, look at me" because it really shows how these salesmen take a situation and bend it to their advantage by making it personal.
4) I really liked the play. I really ended up liking the way the dialogue flowed although it bothered me in the beginning.
The conclusion of this play leads me to believe that Mamet wanted to show that money does matter, and that success is money in the business world. In that same sense, everyone should try to be successful, but it is only possible to build wealth by exploiting people who will work for you. To a certain extent, I interpret Mamet's conclusion to say that there is a social hierarchy that exists in the business world, and it cannot simply be earned, as we wish to believe.
ReplyDeleteSalesmen are generally portrayed through the eyes of the consumer as a lying, deceitful, sonofagun who calls to get you to buy things you don't need. These are the people that make you believe you are unhappy without their product. Mamet is simply placing the spotlight on the life of a salesman and forcing us to see the humanity in their business driven world.
Williamson says "I wouldn't worry about it" to Roma, when they're taking Levene away. This one line especially emphasizes that life goes on and that salesmen are just pawns, they have no individual value in the business world. Unfortunately we live in a world where business has power, and it affects negatively or positively the lives of people, and it's unfair.
Plays are generally harder to read as scripts, especially without the visuals, although the dialogue was rich enough to convey all of the emotion necessary. What I really took from it is that it almost seems as if the lack of morality is passed down from these unknown powers. In order to keep up with the demand, to the greed rather, drastic inhumane measures are needed.