Notion of Fairness in Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross

The real estate business in David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross runs by forcing its salesmen into fierce competition with each other. Access to the best leads is shown to be a vital part of the competition and Shelly Levene's demand that he be given the same access as the current leading salesmen is based on a plea for a just distribution of the chance to succeed. But this notion of fairness is one he never invoked when he was one of the leading salesmen. That is, Levene accepted the system when he was the one to benefit from it, but is unwilling to accept it when he has lost his edge and cannot compete at the top any longer. The premium leads do not, of course, guarantee success. Obviously Levene had access to them until younger, more aggressive salesmen pulled past him in the race. The leads are the most valuable asset the firm has--more valuable than the salesmen themselves. Therefore, Levene's claim that he should have equal access because he once did a good job, and might be able to again, is hard to justify. He asks Wil

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