Previous Next

Moss: In or out. You tell me, you're out you take the consequences.
Aaronow: I do?
Moss: Yes. (Pause.)
Aaronow: And why is that?
Moss: Because you listened.

Just as "talking" can go from harmless to criminal in an instant, "listening," as we see in this exchange from Act One, scene two, can be equally dangerous. Moss explains to Aaronow that if Aaronow does not commit the robbery Moss has planned, Moss will have to commit it himself. Then, when the police catch Moss and ask him who his accomplices were, he will turn in Aaronow. There is a bit of logic to this threat, though it is hardly airtight. Nonetheless, the choice before Aaronow now—either commit a crime tonight, or be accused of a crime later—is a ludicrous one, and Aaronow demands to know why he has been put in this position. Moss tells him, "Because you listened." In doing so, Moss implies that Aaronow, by having listened, is already guilty of a crime. Even if Aaronow does not break into the office, the fact that he is aware Moss intends to do it but does not prevent Moss from doing it makes Aaronow an accomplice in the eyes of the law. Moments ago, Moss was just "talking" and Aaronow was just "listening." However, now that Moss's talking has become criminal, so has Aaronow's listening.

Previous section Important Quotes Explained Page 1 Next section Important Quotes Explained Page 3

Popular pages: Glengarry Glen Ross

Take a Study Break