GlenGarry Glen Ross

Response to question 1:


No. Simply because the women play a small role in the story does not make the work anti-feminist. GlenGarry Glen Ross is a story about men—and the constant duress their identities face in a shifting and colliding world—a world where political correctness is neither wanted nor praised. The men of these stories are conditioned, out of a necessity for survival, to be cut-throat in their lives and the places they work. They live on the edge, constantly on the defense—with fears of losing their jobs or self-worth always lingering. Daily interactions are simply different when it comes to men, adding female characters in the office would have added an element completely counter-productive to what Mamet was trying to portray. The traits of these men were not positive—they had a blind lust for making sales that was so intense….I almost felt sorry for them. Shelly made the statement: “You are your job.” This is a falsehood pushed strongly by our society. The most idolized men are the ones with the highest paying jobs and material wealth. A man must work, it is not optional, in many cases this job will indicate his place on the ladder of man-hood. The problem? At the end of the day a job is just a job. You should work to live, and these men live to work—as they were conditioned to do so. When a job is so connected with self-hood….what happens when you lose it…or there is a threat that your job could be in danger? You resort to extreme measures, you belittle people jockeying for your position, you become self-preserving and selfish. This social construct is not the same for a woman, although there is pressure, women in this society do not face the overwhelming pressure to work long hours and make the big bucks men face. Although social roles are being blurred today, the pressure to make money and provide for the family has not alleviated in the least from the man’s shoulder. Trust me…I know…for I am an English major and I deal with this every day. This story is not anti-feminist—it simply isn’t meant for women. Furthermore, the women in the story are all at a position of power in the family. They had the final say-so on whether the deals would go through. Despite all the bravado, mud-slinging, cursing, bribing, and stealing…the women in this play were in a position to simply float into the isolated worlds of these men and dash everything with an impromptu No. This was a tale about the emasculating tendencies of our society, and how it almost corrupts the soul. These men are frustrated because they have no control over their lives, and Mamet tells us why.