Tuesday, August 3, 2010

"Put That Coffee Down" Analysis #4 (Marxism)

In the clip from the movie "Glengarry Glen Ross" the principles of Marxism are illustrated in the real estate office when Alec Baldwin gives his motivational speech. Alec Baldwin is personified as the Bourgeois, and the salesmen are the Proletarians in this company. As Karl Marx states in "The Communist Manifesto", "The Bourgeoisie, whenever it has got the upper hand, has put and end to all feudal, patriarchal, idyllic relations. It has pitilessly torn asunder the motley feudal ties that bound man to his "natural superiors," and has left remaining no other nexus between man and man than naked self interest, than callous "cash payment"(659). It has "resolved personal worth into exchange value"(659). Nowhere is this more evident than in this clip from the movie. In attempting to intimidate the salesmen, Alec Baldwin insults, undermines and demoralizes them. It is apparent to the men that they are nothing to the company unless they are able to produce. He is very clear when he tells them "If You can't close the sale, hit the bricks and beat it. You are going out"(Glengarry Glen Ross). The salesmen are aware that they are close to being unemployed unless they are able to bring in (produce) more income for the company. There is no loyalty, no reward for past performance, no allowance made for difficult times. The patriarchal/feudal relationship between worker and landowner of the Middle Ages is nonexistent.That lifelong relationship no longer exists in today's world. As Karl Marx states, "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles"(657). This class struggle can be seen in this clip in the office as we observe the interaction between the salesmen and Alec Baldwin. He cares about one thing and one thing only; making money. The outward trappings of his success, the Rolex watch and the B.M.W. are the ways he defines himself. The photos on the salesmen's desks and the fact that they have children and families, means nothing to him. The important thing to him is to "ABC", that is Always Be Closing. In this way, he is no different from a boss at a factory who would fire a worker who was injured on the assembly line and could no longer perform their duties. The worker was no longer productive, and therefore no longer useful. As Marx states, "Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other: Bourgeoisie and Proletariat"(658). This clip is a perfect example of this theory. Many of these same issues are being examined today in the light of our changing economy and the way business is being conducted. Many companies are going out of state and out of the country to conduct business in areas that are less costly with an inexpensive labor force. Work Cited. Leitch, Vincent B. Ed. The Norton Anthology Of Theory And Criticism Second Edition. New York:Norton, 2010. Print. "Glengarry Glen Ross" You Tube

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