In Theodor Fontane’s Effi Briest, characters engage in structured, formal interactions, where price discussions are avoided to maintain social decorum and politeness.
literature
Willy Loman
In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, the character Willy Loman exemplifies the American salesman archetype who negotiates constantly, whether it is selling products or negotiating his own worth.
Buddenbrooks
In Thomas Mann’s novel Buddenbrooks, the titular family, representing the German bourgeoisie, conducts business with a strict emphasis on maintaining dignity and decorum. Negotiating prices is depicted as undignified and beneath the family’s status, reflecting a broader cultural aversion to haggling in professional settings.
Jake lends money to Robert
In The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (1926), Jake Barnes lends money to Robert Cohn, a wealthy but insecure man who uses charm and persuasion to get what he wants. Jake negotiates the terms of repayment, maintaining a transactional, businesslike tone despite their friendship.
Jake’s refusal to let the transaction become personal and his insistence on clear repayment terms reflect a pragmatic, results-oriented approach. The emphasis on keeping business and personal matters separate, along with the insistence on specific, enforceable terms, reflects the American approach to negotiation as a clear-cut, business-first interaction.
Tom Buchanan
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Tom Buchanan’s confrontational business dealings reveal a willingness to negotiate aggressively, reflecting a broader American acceptance of price negotiation as a sign of power and influence.
Winner-take-all
In Glengarry Glen Ross (1983), the salesmen at a real estate office are informed of a contest where the top salesman wins a Cadillac, the second-place gets steak knives, and the rest are fired. The announcement is delivered by Blake, a ruthless sales manager. Blake’s pitch is brutal, using fear, financial incentives, and aggressive language to motivate the sales team. The negotiation tactic is clear: produce results or face dire consequences. There is no room for negotiation—only compliance. The focus on competition, high stakes, and a clear winner-take-all mentality encapsulates the American approach to negotiation as a high-pressure, performance-driven endeavor.
dark, ruthless
In The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939), the Joad family arrives in California during the Great Depression, seeking work. They encounter a contractor who offers them substandard wages, knowing they are desperate. The contractor leverages the Joads’ desperation to dictate the terms of employment, setting up a classic power imbalance. Despite the unfair terms, the Joads have no leverage to negotiate, highlighting the stark economic realities of the time. The focus on exploiting power dynamics, leveraging scarcity, and driving a hard bargain without regard for fairness reflects the darker, more ruthless side of American negotiation culture.
Berlin Alexanderplatz
Berlin Alexanderplatz by Alfred Döblin (1929). Franz Biberkopf, an ex-convict, becomes entangled with a criminal gang led by Reinhold, who attempts to manipulate Franz into criminal activities, framing it as a mutually beneficial arrangement. Franz initially tries to assert his autonomy, but Reinhold’s manipulative, transactional approach overwhelms him. The emphasis on reciprocal obligations and maintaining one’s word, even in criminal dealings, underscores the cultural weight given to agreements and commitments in German culture.
analytical observation
Thematic Exploration of Detachment: The tradition of professional detachment is also evident in the thematic exploration of roles and identities. Robert Musil’s Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften (The Man Without Qualities) presents a protagonist who is self-possessed and detached, navigating life with a sense of analytical observation rather than emotional engagement. This reflects the German cultural logic of evaluating situations and people based on objective qualities and performance, not personal sentiment.
migration and survival
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. In this story of migration and survival, the Joad family’s journey is marked by constant communication, checking in with each other, and following up on leads for work and shelter. Their progress depends on regular updates and ongoing discussions, reflecting the American value of staying informed and aligned as circumstances change.