Conversational Dominance In Glengarry Glen Ross

How can two people watch or read the same story and yet, interpret it completely differently? Does it have to do with the author’s intentions, or maybe it has to do with the viewers’ own backgrounds and ideologies? Whatever the case may be, viewing one piece of work can lead to a wide array of opinions and critiques. It is through the diversity of such lenses that Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller has become one of the most well-known plays in modern history. There are many different ways in which a play can be criticized, however, criticisms from the approaches of a Marxist and reader-response will be utilized to further dissect Death of a Salesman. Marxist criticism sees pieces of works as a struggle between different socioeconomic classes; what better way to see Miller’s play than for what it is at face value, the struggle of a middle-class man trying to achieve the American dream (1750). On the other hand, a reader-response criticism comes from either an objective or subjective view; in this case Death of a Salesman will be viewed with a subjective lens based on Willy’s deteriorating mental health (1746).

In an article by Kristina Groover entitled “Reconstructing the Sacred: Latina Feminist Theology in Sandra Cisneros’s Woman Hollering Creek” the author alludes to that notion when she writes, “Cleofilas is endangered by her culture’s relegation of women to a passive, subservient role and its tolerance of male privilege and aggression” (qtd. in Groover). This quote represents the idea that even though there are goals that individuals wish to achieve whether in business or in relationships, that sometimes the motivations can have negative outcomes such as being in a bad marriage or in Mamet’s play stealing, etc. Men in Mamet’s play are ready to do whatever it takes to succeed that they compromise everything from dignity to relationships. In Greenbaum’s article, she writes, “This disregard for maintaining authentic relationships with male peers is also manifested by the way the salesmen manipulate those around them through the use of language as a source of seduction” (Greenbaum). This quotation is important to the discussion of language and the strength that it has in human connections. In Mamet’s play, outwardly vulgar language is used to demonstrate the masculine energy of the business world and how it is not for the faint of heart. While the language is outwardly harsh, Mamet’s use of it provides the reader with a glimpse into something that sets the tone for the

The use of dialogue shows the othering of Cobby-Eckermann in Table Manners. In a like manner, Joel is seen as the other in Redfern Now: Stand up by Perkins through the scene in which Joel is taunted.

The play, Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, takes issue with those in America who place too much stress upon material gain, at the expense of other, more admirable human values. Miller uses flashbacks to provide exposition, to foreshadow the upcoming tragedy, and most importantly to reveal character traits. An analysis of the main character, Willy Loman, illustrates the underlying theme that the concern over material success breaks down the bonds between men that form the basis of a smooth-functioning society.

Altman also uses dialogue in a similar manor. The nature of dialogue itself is solely for creating and upholding the self image of the “Nashville Star” weather you are one or not. The conversations never get passed the surface issues, and no one ever speaks their mind unless it’s safe. But, the reality of each character is very real and deep due to the way the dialogue was set up. Most of the people were frivolous so in order to add some depth and reveal their true character Altman had to make the dialogue as realistic as possible. The dialogue seemed almost unrehearsed or not planned at all which gives it its reality. The most odious example of this is when the Hal Walker representative is arguing about the political sign with Barbra Gene’s husband at Centennial Park. He slips on his line in the heat of the argument. I don’t know if this was intentional or not, but I think they chose to keep it in the movie because it seemed to be more true to reality than just a smooth flowing argument that would normally be in a movie. The little slip gave way, for the first time, a vulnerable side to the Hal Walker rep or even politics for that matter.

The dialogue of the townsfolk convey them and their town as backwards and judgmental. The dashes places between the questions about Janie make the audience feel like everyone is talking quickly and at once. Since

Advertising is all around us. Companies of all sorts rely heavily on internet, television, print, and various other types of media outlets as means to reach their audience. Advertising aims to bring in more customers and thereby, more profit. All of this is complicated by the fact that, out of the vast number of products and services available, companies want to prove that theirs are the best. From this is born the tricky and unique language of advertising. In their respective articles, With These Words, I Can Sell You Anything and The Language of Advertising, both William Lutz and Charles A. O’Neill discuss popular ploys used by marketing advertisers to rope in the most customers. Lutz takes a

Throughout Our Time there are several examples in which the voices of the different characters change. Widemen frequently interrupts this narrative to talk about the problems he is having as a writer. “The hardest habit to break, since it was the habit of a lifetime, would be listening to myself listen to him. That habit would destroy any chance of seeing my brother on his terms; and seeing him in his terms, learning his terms, seemed the whole point of learning his story. (p. 437)

Communication is undoubtedly an essential component of a healthy relationship. In every good relationship, partners are able to communicate with each other to discuss problems and issues that may be affecting the relationship. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby, many different relationships are examined and the complexities of human connections are observed. The novel is set in the 1920s, a few years after the end of World War 1. It was a time when having fun was most people’s main priority, and partying and drinking was an essential part of everyday life. Because of the devastating effects of the war, many people adopted the ‘live life to the fullest” mentality. Because of this mentality, sexual promiscuity was a very prominent part of everyday life and married people were often unfaithful to their spouse. Communication was not generally prioritized in most relationships and resulted in unhealthy or even abusive relationships. Therefore, each couple’s problems are a result of the lack of communication displayed in each relationship.

Glengarry Glen Ross and Death of a Sales man were two extraordinary plays that were released decades ago and are still the basis of many conversations and debates today. The main protagonists in these plays are Shelley Levene; a middle aged sales man who was once very successful in his line of work, and Willy Lowman; a 62-year-old salesman who has been chasing after the American Dream his whole life. These two shared a lot of similarities, the main one being that they are not tragic heroes. Many writers have debated over the past decades whether or not Shelley and Willy are meant to be tragic heroes. From the views of Aristotle and Miller, they are not tragic heroes.

In the story “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway, the theme explores the realms of talking vs. communicating. Although Jig and the American attempt to communicate, it does not really happen. They are talking to each other without really considering what the other person is saying. Both seem to have dynamic personalities. This can create roadblocks in their ability to hear each other out. The American uses manipulative word tactics to off rail Jig, while she tends to call the shots in what they talk about.

The changeable use of voice by the actor in this production was used to show his volatile character. Critics of this early play comment on the straight-faced that Lear conveys while asking the question “which one of you, shall we say, doth love us most?” The replies from Gonerill and Regan are given an absurdist notion by the bizarre over-reactions. Their realistic language is contrasted to their two-faced body language.

Moss introduces the issue in such a sneaky and clever way that in turn causes Aaronow to become frazzled and partially confused. Moss tells Aaronow that they are “just talking” about stealing the leads, but he slowly edges into thrusting this ordeal onto Aaronow. Little to Aaronow’s knowledge, he is falling into Moss’s trap and soon becomes an accomplice for listening to Moss’s plan (Mamet 39-41). Through this scene, Mamet shows that dialogue is a “claim to power” (Worster, "How to Do Things with Salesmen: David Mamet's Speech-Act Play"). Moss is willing to deceive Aaronow, knowing his job can be jeopardized if he does not successfully deceive Aaronow. The dialogue between Moss and Aaronow merely displays how dialogue is manipulated to gain power and authority over others. The sales men yearn to have this authority. Not only would they be willing to deceive their customers, but also Mamet shows that these men will deceive each other for their own benefit. Both Levene and Moss show how language is used “to survive and to celebrate survival” (Browne, “An overview of Glengarry Glen Ross"). Throughout the play, the words “say, said, tell, told, talking, and speaking” are used “over two hundred times” by the characters (Worster, "How to Do Things with Salesmen: David Mamet's Speech-Act Play"). This word choice in the dialogue emphasizes the importance of speech and shows how verbal communication is a key

The power of language holds great significance not only in Shakespearean study but of our daily lives as well. Every nuance Shakespeare creates leaves a clue to a greater truth or understanding of our humanity. Exploring the works of Shakespeare with this in mind allows for audiences to gain more appreciation and awareness of the depth of language and communication through his dialogue and characters as Shakespeare: “asks us to adorn the actor with our thoughts and ‘carry them here and there, jumping o’er the times’” (Bevington xiii).

Shaw, primarily because the play is a form of propaganda, constructs the dialogue of every character to carry the weight of his thesis of dichotomy. This realization connects the sardonic wit back to the expressionistic characteristics. The characters and the setting are literary marionettes dancing to the music of propaganda, holding no free intelligence unaligned to Shaw’s themes. In a vast sea of consumerism and