Glengarry Glen Ross Act Two, from Lingk's exit to the finish Summary & Analysis

Summary

Roma is furious that his sale has just been ruined. He lets loose a stream of invective directed at Williamson. Roma tells Williamson that he plans to go directly to Mitch and Murray to get him fired. He tells Williamson never to say anything to a customer before knowing what approach the situation requires. Roma finishes his tirade and goes into the inner office with Baylen.

Levene reiterates Roma's assertion that one should never speak without knowing the situation. He alters the assertion slightly, saying that if Williamson is going to "make something up" he needs to be sure it will actually help. Williamson asks Levene how he knows that he made anything up; he had in fact been lying to Lingk, as he had not taken his contract to the bank yet, but Levene could not have known that unless he had committed the break-in and seen the contract on Williamson's desk.

Williamson tells Levene that if he does not confess what he has done with the leads, then he is going to turn Levene in. Levene tries to deny the crime, but as Williamson heads to the inner office to talk to Baylen, Levene breaks down and admits that he and Moss sold the leads to Jerry Graff.

Levene tries to salvage the situation. He tells Williamson that committing the robbery restored his confidence, and now he will be an excellent salesman again, as proven by his sale to the Nyborgs. He suggests to Williamson that the two of them can work out some kind of deal. Levene offers him the $2,500 cash he made from the robbery. Levene further offers him twenty percent of his commissions for as long as he remains with the company. After a moment's nervous hesitation, he ups the offer to fifty percent.

Williamson tells Levene that his sales are worthless: Bruce and Harriett Nyborg are notorious deadbeats. Their check will not clear. They just like talking to salesmen. Williamson tells Levene that he should have known from seeing the way the Nyborgs lived that they could not afford $82,000 of property, and that Levene must have been deluding himself to think otherwise.

Levene has nothing left to bargain with. Williamson goes into his office to talk to the detective. Roma comes out of the inner office. Not knowing what has just transpired, he starts flattering Levene. Roma tells Levene that they are the last of a dying breed of real men. Roma begins to suggest that the two of them should work together.