Glengary Glen Ross

Woo. I don't know where to start. Well, I can't really think of anybody else playing Roma except Pacino after seeing the movie for one thing. "Hey, I'll buy ya a pack of gum. Let me show ya how to chew it." ...Awesome. Yeah, in fact seeing the movie made such an impression on me that I can't really even think about what I thought when I read it through. Probably because the language just doesn't translate near as well when just reading it.
I really liked where Mamet was going with the characters as well. Not a single one of them had any redeeming qualities, except Aaronow, and yet they were all likable, except Aaronow. I, of course loved Roma the best. It's funny how charisma can transcend integrity, (see politicians for further reference). In a cut-throat sales world, the only way to be successful is to be a scumbag-Alec Baldwin. It seems the less morality you possess the more money you can make, it's freaking silly.
But let's get back to Aaronow. He is boring, indecisive, and doesn't seem all that bright. Although, he is smart enough not to go along with Moss on the robbery. Of course, I think that had less to do with intelligence and more to do with morality. That's the thing though, he's the least entertaining character in the play, but at the same time he is the only one that has any redeeming qualities. I almost can't stand the fact that the one guy who manages to do the right thing gets subtly castigated the whole time as an impotent idiot. What's the point of that exactly? Sales=evil? I don't know about that. occasionally deceptive maybe. In this play however, it is most definitely the malicious manipulation of other individuals. And if you can't do that then you aren't a real man.
So what's underneath the statement? the best I can come up with right now is maybe it's an attack on capitalism. It breeds evil and ill-treatment of your fellow man etc. One possibility, I don't think it's a very good one though, it seems too easy. I guess it could be that Aaronow's attitude toward himself is a result of having the moral fortitude to refuse to emulate the other characters. Thus he thinks he can't close because he won't do the dishonest things the others do. So his strength is a weakness without the confidence to back up the morality. If Aaronow had the confidence that Roma has, he wouldn't need to be dishonest. He'd be able to sell himself, and in turn the real estate as well.