The American ethics of business and capitalism in arthur miller’s play death of a salesman and david mamet’s plays glengarry glen ross and American buffalo

Abstract EN

This paper discusses selected plays by Arthur Miller and David Mamet.

The focus is on the American business ethics and capitalism and its relation to the American Dream.

The article does not aim to draw any comparison among the plays.

The paper shows various representatives of business men or the capital system.

Miller’s Death of a Salesman (1949) portrays an individual salesman.

Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross (1983) deals with a group of salesmen, and his play American Buffalo (1977) employs three simple drummers.

This paper illumines the life and behavior of these salesmen and their relationship with each other, family, and society or the world around them.

The article criticizes the capital system and the business ethics that those salesmen follow in dealing with agents and customers.

The paper shows also how those salesmen are victims of this system.