Feminism v. Fraternity

While reading through the play, I did sometimes get the feeling that the characters were a little sexist, but that is not to say the author is. The first time this thought occurred to me was in scene two of the first act when Moss is telling Aaronow about Jerry Graff's business. When I read that he said Graff bought a list of nurses, I wondered whether the fact that it is nurses is significant. Is he saying women are easier to work?

I was also thinking it might be interesting for Mamet to write a follow-up play to this one. The play could take on the perspectives of people higher up on the ladder in the company, perhaps even Mitch and Murray themselves. Maybe Murray is really the last name of the female founder of the company? Just a thought. The play could possibly be relevant to our contry's current economy. It is evident in "Glengarry" that the business world can be very cutthroat, and this can be especially true for business owners. Perhaps Mitch and Murray did not really want to fire several employees but were for financial reasons forced? It was hard for me to fully sympathize with any one character in "Glengarry." Maybe a follow-up play would further prove that grey areas for morality and justification do exist in life.

I also fabricated this story in my head about Lingk and his wife. There are so many gaps the author leaves in their story. In the second Act Lingk says "She wants her money back." It appears that Lingk's wife is the breadwinner in the family. Maybe she's a nurse or businessperson herself? Regardless, it seems clear he does not have the authority in the relationship. When Lingk says that she has threatened to call the attorney, maybe she is subtly implying divorce. Even though Lingk is unhappy, maybe he does not have the money to hire a divorce attorney or live on his own. When he tells Roma he does not have "the power to negotiate," he might have a double meaning in his words. I think he is not only referring to his negotiations with Roma but his negotiations with his wife; in general, this translates to a weakness at doing business, and maybe this is exactly why his wife is the breadwinner: she's aggressive.

Roma sort of plays the part of a fraternity president, calling men to group together. He manipulatively says, "We'll speak to her, Jim..." He goes on to say "Sometimes we need someone from outside." It is almost as if he is trying to engage a fraternal bond which (in his morality) overrides the bond of marriage. Lingk, in desperate vulnerability, says, "you met my wife..." I think he is trying to engage a little male sympathy from Roma, which in turns makes marriage in this play seem like another struggle for power, a business deal.

Later in the second act, Roma says "It's not a world of men...Dying breed...we have to stick together." Once again his manipulation tactic is fraternal bond as he attempts to persuade Levene to be his partner.