Morality In Aaronow's 'Glengarry Glen Ross'

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In ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ Mamet illustrates the salesmens ' perceptions that immorality is the pathway to success. However, Aaronow does not believe this. Mamet does this in order to demonstrate the capitalist system is heartless to make them despite it and feel despise towards or sympathy for the characters.
Individuals are immoral as an attempt to gain success as they believe it is the only way in a capitalist system. In Act One, scene two Roma manipulates his potential client, Lingk through stating the complex sentence “what is life: (Pause) it’s looking forward or it’s looking back”. The interrogative about “life” is rhetorical since Roma does not provide Lingk with a chance to respond. Roma associates the noun “life” which has connotations …show more content…

Roma also mentions that “There is no absolute morality”. This declarative suggests that Roma disregards the idea that a morally correct action can be taken in a moral dilemma and that everything cannot be morally correct. Roma believes that the only way to be a successful salesman is to be immoral. This causes a distortion of morality for him as substantiated by the declarative “I do those things which seem correct to me today”. Mamet utilises Roma to condemn individuals who become manipulative to gain success. Therefore, he purposely constructed Roma 's character to be immoral so that the audience will dislike him because of his dishonest behaviour. However, others may feel sympathetic for Roma since he can be viewed as the product of the capitalist system. The capitalist system is to blame because it is heartless through not helping failing salesmen like Levene and Aaronow, reinforcing hierarchy whilst also suggesting to Roma that being moral will lead to his failure. Mamet also illustrates that being immoral through using philosophical topics such as life and morality to distract Lingk from noticing he is being manipulated. This suggests that an individual being subjected to immoral …show more content…

No one being successful undermines the American Dream concept that anyone who is diligent will gain success which maybe one of Mamet 's intention. Therefore, both the American Dream and capitalist system are imperfect. The capitalist system is heartless through trapping the characters and ignoring the moral character, Aaronow who feels humiliated and feels unsatisfied. Mamet 's intention may also be to encourage people to speak out about the capitalist system and to alter

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