"Glengarry Glen Ross" by David Mamet (Pg. 78-108)

In this part of the play, James Lingk arrives at the real estate office to talk to Richard Roma. The office has just been “robbed” by Dave Moss and George Aaronow. Moss had an idea that they would stage a robbery the night before and took all of the Glengarry leads and sold them to another real estate office. Lingk is a timid and frail man that has been forced by his wife to break off the deal with Roma in order to get their money back. In this particular scene, Lingk is trying to tell Roma that the deal is off and at the same time, Shelly Levene remembers that he has a plane to catch at 1 and he needs Roma to take him. The police are also at the office, investigating the “robbery” from the night before. All this is going on and Roma is having trouble concentrating on his client, Lingk. Lingk keeps trying to tell Roma that he needs his money back because his wife changed her mind and if they don’t get their money back he has to call an attorney. Roma is very persistent and won’t let him back out. He keeps telling Lingk that they will meet on Monday when he has more time and can sit down with him to talk more in depth. He also insists that it would be a mistake to make a quick and irrational decision. Lingk keeps insisting that they only have three days to back out before the check is cashed. They continue arguing as John Williamson comes out and tells James Lingk that their check has already been cashed. Lingk is furious, and leaves hurriedly. Levene and Roma then flip out and yell at Williamson for being a “shithead”. Williamson and Levene are talking and Williamson then realizes that Levene is the thief because he is the only one that could have known about the contracts on Williamson’s desk. Williamson threatens to tell the detective who the real thief is but Levene repeatedly begs him not to do so. He promises to make him his partner and give him 50% of all his sales. Eventually, Williamson tells the detective what really happened and Levene is dramatically arrested. I thought that this section of the play was interesting and also very close to the true life of a salesman; especially when Roma is preying on Lingk’s weak personality and is desperate not to lose the sale.