PROTECT, PRESERVE, AND REFORM: AN ANALYSIS OF THREE PLAYS BY DAVID MAMET THROUGH THE LENS OF KIRKIAN CONSERVATISM Jennifer Shadle A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS August 2018 Committee: Angela Ahlgren, Advisor Jonathan Chambers © 2018 Jennifer Shadle All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Angela Ahlgren, Advisor American playwright David Mamet announced his conservatism in 2004 through an article in The Village Voice. While many of his plays have inspired scholarship, especially regarding the use of unethical business practices in his work, analyses of the influence of his conservatism are rare. With a mixed methodology of character and literary analysis, through a lens of Kirkian conservatism, I examine the implications of conservative themes in character interactions in three of David Mamet’s plays. Specifically, I explore the mentor/student relationship in American Buffalo (1975), the spirit or potential of the individual in Glengarry Glen Ross (1984), and natural law and justice in The Anarchist (2012). I found that a question at the heart of conservatism, what must be preserved, protected, and reformed so that society may progress, was also a vital component to Mamet’s work. It is my hope that my study will expand existing scholarship about the philosophies of playwrights, and that I might provide a voice to a previously unexplored group in theatre. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, to my advisor, Angela Ahlgren, I would like to convey my gratitude. Her wisdom and thoughtful questions were invaluable in crafting this study, and I can’t properly express my appreciation for all the ways she pushed me to think more intently about Mamet and Kirk. I’m also grateful for her willingness to act as my advisor, despite the hundreds of miles between Ohio and Arizona. I know the distance wasn’t easy to overcome, and I’ll likely never find the words to convey my gratitude for her efforts. I’m also indebted to the other member of my committee, Jonathan Chambers, and the rest of the faculty at Bowling Green State University. Through classes, office hours, and even chance meetings in the break room, I was pushed to think critically and I feel that I am a better student for it. I have been blessed by all their intelligence, kindness, and wisdom. I’d also like to thank my family and friends who supported me through this process. My parents’ patience and support was and is invaluable to me. I’m so blessed to be their daughter. I’m also grateful to my brother and sister-in-law whose humor and wit never failed to make me smile during trying days. I must also thank Aaron, Jarod, Lydia, my dear friends in Ohio, and my peers at Bowling Green, with special thanks to Sejohn and Tessa. Their advice and friendship means more to me than they’ll ever know, and I’m so grateful for their presence in my life. Finally, I’d like to thank my husband. His willingness to be my sounding board and research partner was irreplaceable. When I couldn’t just walk into a professor’s office and panic about my arguments, I had him. I’m so grateful for his support, and for letting me force him to watch and read a lot of David Mamet. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………………………. 1 CHAPTER I: MENTORS AND STUDENTS IN AMERICAN BUFFALO (1975) ………. 12 A Few Principles of Russell Kirk’s Conservatism…………………………………. 14 The Devil’s Manipulation of the Mentor…………………………………………… 18 The Student’s Loyalty to His Mentor………………………………………………. 26 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………….. 33 CHAPTER II: THE SPIRIT OF INDIVIDUALS IN GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS (1984) .. 35 Russell Kirk and Glengarry Glen Ross…………………………………………….. 37 The Implications of Mitch and Murray’s Contest………………………………….. 40 The Manipulation of James Lingk…………………………………………………. 42 Moss and Leven’s Sacrifice of Their Morality with the Robbery…………………. 46 George Aaronow’s Inner Debate…………………………………………………… 50 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………. 56 CHAPTER III: NATURAL LAW AND JUSTICE IN THE ANARCHIST (2012) ……….. 59 Natural Law and Justice……………………………………………………………. 62 Cathy and State of Nature vs. Natural Law………………………………………… 67 Ann and Justice…………………………………………………………………….. 74 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………. 83 CONCLUSIONS …………………………………...……………………………………..... 85 REFERENCES ……………………………………………………………………………… 90 1 INTRODUCTION In 2008, after writing November, David Mamet boldly announced his departure from the Left via a piece published in the Village Voice, titled: “Why I’m No Longer a Brain-Dead Liberal” (“Why I’m No Longer”). Mamet’s choice to publicize his change in political philosophy in such a manner is not out of character for him as he has never shied away from controversy and tends to embrace the unexpected. He continues to adamantly embrace Aristotelian theatrical standards (even as they have fallen out of favor), while also never missing an opportunity to use foul language on stage. His rhythmic, aggressive dialogue paired with his seemingly absent plots have firmly cemented his position as an important playwright and contributor to the American theatre. Mamet’s writing style has prompted many scholarly articles and books over the years, but his conversion to conservatism is the primary inspiration for this study. While Thomas Sowell, John Locke, Friedrich Hayek, and Milton Friedman have been cited as contributors to Mamet’s change of political mind, I chose a different conservative theorist to provide the lens for this study: Russell Kirk. Several external and internal factors informed this choice, the first of which is Kirk’s importance to conservatism in general. Such as it was understood in the middle part of the 20th century, Kirk’s books, articles, and lectures serve as a guidebook of sorts for understanding and practicing the philosophy, particularly his seminal work, The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot (1953). Kirk inspired William Buckley, Jr. to create The National Review, and many conservative theorists today still directly acknowledge and interpret Kirk in their work. Even though he passed away in 1994, Kirk’s influence has not wavered, as evidenced by the frequent republishing of his work. Additionally, unlike most conservative thinkers and writers today, such as Ben Shapiro or Jonah Goldberg, Kirk’s work focuses on the interconnectedness of ideas to culture. He did not 2 exclusively write about one field; instead, Kirk tried to relate conservative politics to artistic pursuits, theology, and science, to name a few. Thus, as important as Shapiro’s political podcasts and university lectures or Goldberg’s work with The National Review, are to young conservatives today, their work is not easily applied to the arts. Kirk, on the other hand, was deeply invested in cultural conservatism. Perhaps more important than Kirk’s position as a key thinker in conservatism and his interest in culture, I contend that a central theme in Kirk’s work also appears in Mamet’s: the spirit of the individual. Repeatedly, Kirk emphasizes the potential of the individual to cause momentous change in the commonwealth. As Bradley J. Birzer notes in his examination of Russell Kirk, the spirit of the individual both concerned and motivated Kirk. Under the implications of Judeo-Christian traditions, if an individual found order in their soul and understood the fundamental principles of natural law, their reform or reorientation in society would likely be beneficial. However, Kirk also acknowledges that many of his fellow citizens were uninterested in such matters, and their ideas could prompt change that, in Kirk’s mind, had the potential of harming society (Birzer 108-109). Likewise, an individual’s power to reform and reorient society is a theme that appears frequently in Mamet’s work. As such, it is a theme I explore further through the lens of Kirkian conservatism. Generally, Mamet is not known for writing plays with happy endings or featuring heroic characters. Rather, he often writes static characters— such as Richard Roma in Glengarry Glen Ross (1984) or Teach in American Buffalo (1975)— who seem to learn nothing and demonstrate every intention of continuing as they are. Not surprising given Mamet’s admiration for writers like Pinter and Beckett, the playwright’s endings tend to feature a bittersweet, empty, or sorrowful tone which prompt the audience to look inward to find a resolution to what they just 3 witnessed. With this study, I demonstrate that the resolution Mamet may be prompting his audience to find aligns with Russell Kirk’s brand of conservatism. Mamet’s characters in American Buffalo, Glengarry Glen Ross, and The Anarchist (2012) are all given an opportunity to consider whether to protect, preserve, or reform to better their situations. Even if Mamet did not construct his characters to make ethical decisions, I argue that the opportunity exists for the audience so that they may consider what the best course of action may be for them. When analyzing the three plays selected for this thesis, I primarily focus my efforts on the characters. Since Mamet avoids stage directions and predominantly advances his plots through dialogue, placing his characters at the center of this study was the most prudent choice. Thus, I examine their dialogue, actions, and how their respective arcs interacted with other characters as well as with the text itself. This resulted in an analysis of Mamet’s characters, as they appear on the pages of the plays, informed by Kirk’s conservative philosophy. The critical and scholarly response to the plays selected for this study is varied, though there are a few common threads. American Buffalo and Glengarry Glen Ross were well-received by critics and audiences when they premiered, while The Anarchist closed quickly in comparison. Regardless of reception, all three plays prompted discussions about Mamet’s idiosyncratic style of dialogue and the success, or lack thereof, of the actors in conveying the cadence.