"Glengarry Glen Ross" by David Mamet critiques the demeaning and draining

atmosphere of sales, highlighting that of the real estate industry. The work expresses attitudes

through characters and suggests themes of greed, toxic masculinity, and desperation. The play

emphasizes the lengths workers are willing to go in order to reach success, and the morals they

violate in order to surpass others. Not only does this expose the character's nature, but rather is

a reflection of modern society and the expectations and behaviors that come with it.

One of the prevalent themes through the play is the stereotypical and aggressive

personalities rooting from toxic masculinity. The protagonists and coworkers are presented as

dominant individuals who uplift themselves by tearing down others, especially through

derogatory and discriminatory language. This mentality only further instills a competitive culture,

where the path to success diminishes vulnerable and secure relationships. A central example of

this is the relationship between Moss and Aaronnow, where Moss’ constant insensitivity

contrasts that of Aaronow’s kinder and softer tone. His sexual comments such as, “Look look

look look, when they build your business, then you can’t fucking turn around, enslave them,

treat them like children, fuck them up the ass, leave them to fend for themselves…” (Mamet 36)

added to his aggressive personality is a reflection of the work environment the playwright is set

in. Due to the male-dominated field and immense pressures all characters experience with,

what they view, as a life or death career, Moss is one who overcompensates for his insecurities

and struggles with achieving success through a manipulative and rude anti-hero persona. His

dialogue and relationship with Aaronow demonstrates he lacks morals and respect for his peers

and himself as he is willing to go to great lengths, even by breaking the law, in order to reach his

aims. However, the message the author is seeking to express through Moss’ character is that

they are all a product of their environment. While Moss lacks nobility and strong

decision-making, he is also a result of high expectations and even higher demands. He is a

reminder that when faced with adversity and struggles, many individuals are willing to take risks

in hopes of a more sufficient reward.

However, Moss is not the only character who exemplifies the toxic masculinity persona

and proves that it is not the fault of a specific character, but the weakness of their community.

Ricky Roma utilizes his sophisticated charm to cover his manipulative and ruthless personality.

Unlike Moss who often presents his true self in confidence behind closed doors, Roma

objectifies and exploits the women he interacts with to further his own personal gain. While both

characters clearly progress the ideals of toxic masculinity, they are still written with slight

contrast to display how their narcissistic and harmful tendencies are harder to identify in a

culture where it is normalized.

The expectations of gender norms and conforming to societal stereotypes not only

impacts the characters' work lives, but also their personal relationships which they struggle to

balance. An example of this would be through the narrative of Shelley Levene, a struggling

salesman who fails to let go of his previous successes as he attempts to regain the status he

lost. His desperation and loss of masculine identity is prevalent in his failing relationship with his

wife, which serves as a reminder for readers that toxic masculinity impacts more than those

conforming to it.

The playwright, Glengarry Glen Ross utilizes gender norms and demeaning stereotypes

to expose the unethical and immoral ways that, specifically, men search for greatness. It is an

eye-opening narrative of how reaching success consumes the role of the average individual,

and the lengths many are willing to go in order to achieve the norms that come with masculinity.