Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross Clip 1

Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross Clip 2

Throughout the play, different characters use the word "talk" to imply idle chatter that is not supported by action. Levene tells Williamson that what he learned in business school is "talk"; Aaronow tries to figure out if Moss is serious about robbing the office or if he is just "talking"; Roma tells Lingk that Mrs. Lingk's insistence on canceling their deal is just something that she "said," not actually something that they have to actually do. In every case, characters use this terminology in an attempt to undermine the "talk" in question. Whenever someone does not want to accept the reality of what it is being said, they make an accusation of "talk." Moss cleverly suggests that he himself is just "talking" about the break-in until he feels that his verbal trap—to force Aaronow to commit the robbery—is set. At that point, Moss reveals that he has actually been "talking" about the break-in. The word is the same but his tone switches the word "talk" itself from meaningless to meaningful. The salesmen in the play constantly find it to their advantage to suggest that some words are meaningful and others are meaningless. Often, even mid- conversation, they find it to their advantage to suggest that something has switched from meaningful to meaningless or vice versa. A corollary to this strange meaningful-meaningless property of "talk" is the similar case of the word "listen." After Moss tries to convince Aaronow to rob the office, he informs him that he is already an accomplice to the crime; Aaronow asks why and Moss explains, "Because you listened." Listening can go from harmless to criminal in an instant. (Source)