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Death Of A Salesman Comparative Essay

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Arthur Miller and David Mamet both rely on many of the same topic elements. They both explore capitalism’s effect on communication. From this similarity, we see that Miller’s "Death of a Salesman" and Mamet’s "Glengarry Glen Ross" argue the same message: capitalism can destroy our ability to function naturally as humans. Instead, we become part of a system in which we must learn to operate under.
Death of a Salesman was published in 1949. At this time capitalism was prospering. World War II had just ended, ushering in the United States as a world power. The war brought an economic expansion and we were manufacturing products in masses. Likewise, when Glengarry Glen Ross was published in 1984, America was experiencing the time of Reaganomics. …show more content…

This characteristic about Levene becomes more evident in the second act when he sells to the Nyborgs.
After selling to the Nyborgs, Levene comes back to the office and he is bragging. His behavior is off. Business is supposed to be about persuading people through verbal communication. Levene is so desperate to sell, his tactic makes the Nyborg’s feel uncomfortable until they realize the only way to get him out of their home is to sign the contract. When he comes back to the office Levene says, “ I sat there. Five minutes. Then I sat there, Ricky, twenty-two minutes… Not a word, not a motion.”
Levene doesn’t practice true capitalism because he basically took the Nyborg’s money from them and didn’t actually earn it the way a businessman should : with persuasion. He says, “It was fucking great. It was like they wilted all at once. No gesture… nothing. Like together. They, I swear to God, they both kind of imperceptibly slumped.” What’s more unbelievable is how aware he is of his own actions. With this quote Mamet paints a picture of how this system can drive businessmen to desperate actions. Capitalism becomes almost the complete opposite of what it is supposed to be. Levene becomes a symbol for a system that is self-destructing and one that destroys people’s lives, dignity, and

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