What is this play about? Is it staggeringly inarticulate?
The American Dream is the idea that anyone working hard enough can achieve success and wealth. In this case, the success of their sales determines their wealth and their progress towards this dream. They perceive the leads that they are receiving as ‘unfair’ as it makes it that much more difficult to achieve this ideal style of living. As middle class working men, the company they are working for are blocking them from achieving the American Dream, whilst also hurting their manhood. The younger man comes into the office and insults their male identity, making them feel even more insecure about their success in society. In doing so, Mamet is critiquing the model of the typical American business model, portraying it as unequal and competitive. Furthermore, Mamet use of staggering language in which the actors repeat themselves to illustrate them as being unable to articulate themselves. In doing so, Mamet is making an allusion to these men being unable to express themselves in a society where the work ethic is always competitive and they are forced to work towards this imaginary ‘dream’.
