“Always be finishing”- David Mamet. Death of a Salesman and Glengarry Glenn Ross are stories about two family men and salesmen, trying to live the “American Dream”. However, as time, methods, and clientele change, Willy Loman from Death of a Salesman and Shelly Levene from Glengarry Glen Ross, are having a hard time adjusting and it greatly affects their self-image, family, and jobs. Now, both Mr. Loman and Mr. Levene were at one point in time at the top of their game in the sales world. However, they are not only losing their zest and energy, but they are losing the charm that comes with youth and departs with age. Mr. Levene especially seems to feel that he still has that old youthful charm, but it looks a little phony on him now. Mr.…show more content… Loman’s home life begins to take some unexpected turns. His relationship with his children and wife take some very hard hits that resonate throughout the whole story. Mr. Loman’s relationship with his son Biff is an estranged one from the beginning. Biff has a real grasp on reality and knows that he and his family are failures and takes on the responsibility of confronting it. Although, Biff seems to be the level headed one of Mr. Loman and his other son Happy, Mr. Loman believes that Biff is an underachiever, while Biff believes that he is stuck in an ambitious fantasy set forth by his father. Mr. Loman’s other son, Happy, is the stunted incarnation of Mr. Loman’s worst traits and the embodiment of the lie of the happy “American Dream”. Happy and Mr. Loman have a better relationship than Biff and his father. In comparison, Mr. Levene has a daughter and at the start of the play he begins to tell a sob story about how he needs his boss, Mr. Williamson, to give him the new leads for real estate so that he can afford to support his daughter, but Mr. Williamson cuts him off. Now, whether or not Mr. Levene’s story about his daughter would have been a true one, it shows his dedication and where his priorities lye in that his main concern was not to be the best salesman or not to be the worst salesman so he could keep his job, but it was that his daughter would be taken care of. This is one great distinction between Willy Loman and
