"Glenngary, Glen Ross" pp. 9-78

Reading "Glengary Glen Ross" by David Mamet I was relieved. This play was so much more appealing to me compared to the readings of the last couple of weeks. There was not a ton of sexual references. Also it seemed to be more real life to me.

The play starts out with Shelley "The Machine" Levene, a slumping salesman who doesn't seem to be able to close a real estate deal, and his boss Williamson talking about Shelley's recent performance. Most of their converstation consists of Shelley attempting to convince his boss that he can still sell real estate like in the old days all he needs is a chance. But Williamson is not intersted in this propposition. Levene tries everything he can to obtain some new leads to work on. On page 16 Levene is pleading with Williamson "...and what is that, John? What? Bad luck. That's all it is. I pray that in your life you will never find it runs in streaks. That's what it does, that's all it's doing. Streaks. I pray it misses you. That's all I want to say." Here Levene is trying to play on the sensitive side of his boss. Next he tries to even make his boss feel sorry for him because his daughter has bad health in an attempt to gain some type of sypathy from his manager. At the end he attempts to bribe his boss by claiming that if he is given some hot leads then he will certainly close the deals and that he will give some of his cut to his boss under the table. On page 23 we note the converstation between them about this bribe.
Levene: I can't close these leads, John. No one can. It's a joke. John, look, just give me a hot lead. Just give me two of the premium leads. As a "test," alright? As a "test" and I promise you...

Williamson: I can't do it shel.

Levene: I'll give you ten percent.

Williamson: Of what?

Levene: Of my end what I close.

Williamson: And what if you don't close.

Levene: I will close.

Williamson: What if you don't? Then I'm fucked. You see...? Then it's my job. That's what I'm telling you.

After reading this conversation I saw a lot of familiar things. For one everybody is only concerned with their own well being. Also I tried to put myself in Williamson's shoes. What would I do. Would I try to help a struggling older man and put my job at risk? At the end of their conversation Williamson actually agrees to turn over some leads if Levene can pay him some cash. He doesn't have this cash and so they leave.
The next scene is of two disgruteled salesmen who are sceming of ways to get back at the company. Escpecially Mitch and Murray the two ceo's I guess. Dave Moss is talking to George Aaronow. Moss is much more agressive than George and begins to lay out his plan of stealing all the big leads in the office and selling them to a competitor that he seems to know well. He tries to convice George that the acutall stealing of the leads is his part. This is becuase Moss will do the negociating with the competitor.

One part of the story that I didn't think was very important was when Ricky Roma the best salesman was having a converstation where he smooth talked a timid man into a realestate deal.

After this converstion we are in the office where there has been a bugglary. I attomatically asumed that this was done by the sceming Moss and Aaronow, but I'm not sure if Aaronow attually went through with the plan or not. A police officer is interigoating all the employees one at a time and George seems to be reall nervous. He asks for advice on page 61

Aaronow: "But what should I tell them (police)?"

Roma: "The truth, George. Always tell the truth. It's the easiest thing to remember."
This is great! The one man who just made a questionable sale based of of potential lies is telling his fellow worker to always tell the truth. We do this so much. We can always give advice but cant live it out. So sad!

Next Levene comes into the office to share that he finally has made a sale which his boss seems to think is not going to go through. Then the man who Roma had just made a sale to walked into the office.