Glengarry Glen Ross, Essay Example

Describe Dave Moss.

Dave Moss is an over-confident but morally ambiguous character. The main characteristics that are exhibited by Dave Moss are desperation and vulgarity. He is also conniving and backstabbing due to the fact that he resents both the office manager and the owners of the Real estate agency. Moss is both calculating and small-minded. His anger and resentment ultimately drive him to steal the Glengary leads. One of the key factors in Moss’s role in the movie is the way that his combination of bravado and immorality infects the other salesmen most notably Shelly Levene. Moss is cynical and competitive with the other salesmen in the office though he often pairs up with George Aaronow, who is past his prime and pretty much goes along with anything that Moss says. This is an indication that Moss views himself as a leader, even though he is always falling just short of competence. Moss is also a “user” in that he tries to shield himself from responsibility by involving Levene and Aaronow in his plan to steal the Glengarry leads.

Discuss any outstanding right or wrong choices that were made in the film.

The idea of making right and wrong choices is amain theme in Glengarry Glen Ross. The desperation that is exhibited by the characters is a powerful thematic device that makes it difficult to interpret any of the characters’ actions from a position of moral absolutism. One clearly wrong choice that is made in the narrative is when Moss and Levene steal the leads. Another unambiguously wrong choice is made by Roma when he opportunistically uses Levene’s fall from grace to his advantage and secures the best leads for himself. The characters in the story make very few choices that can be considered good; however, the fact that each of the salesmen is trying to save themselves and their families from unemployment and poverty  allows the audience to have sympathy for them despite their obviously immoral actions. At one point  Aaronow tells Moss that he does not want to participate in the break-in to steal the leads. This is clearly a good choice. The fact that Moss is able to subsequently intimidate him shows that even when making the right choices, the characters in Glengarry Glen Ross are trapped in a situation where making good decision becomes very difficult if not totally impossible.