THE lMP'ACT OF Tf:I!E CONCEPT Of ( ' "STR.IVE AND SUCCE£D" ON THE CONTEMPORARY AM£RJCAN SOCIETY AS REELECTED IN DAVID MAMETS MAJOR PLAYS

Abstract

The transient touch of humanity is much clearer in American Buffalo than in Glengarry Glen Ross and Speed-The-Plow. At the end of American Buffalo, Don appologizes to Bob by saying: "I'm sony" (p. 106) for his cruelty. At the end of Glengarry Glen Ross, Aaron ow expresses his hatred for the job of a salesman by saying: "Oh, God I hate this job". (p. 108) Yet, this glimpse Of hope which is manifested in these people's condemnation of their former practice is immediately suppressed by Roma's words: "I'll be at the restaurant," (p. 1 08) which means that he and his colleagues are to continue their conspiracies and their dubious business deals. At the end of Speed-The-Plow, Karen's words: "/ don't belong here," (p. 72) expresses her hatred for her job and also expresses her refusal of her society as corrupt. But Gould's words: "We're here to make a movie" (p.73) suppresses the glimpse of optimism Mamet tries to evoke in his plays. This might impart Mamet's optimism about the future of his country if it continues in this manner. Still, at the end of these three plays Mamet the artist retained a glimpse of hope in a possible and inherent humanity that could be searched for even among these beast­ like humans: