Whether Oleanna is a misogynistic play, can be argued either way. It depends on which point of view one sees it from. The play portrays Carol, a woman, as a manipulative character lacking any positive qualities. She is portrayed as a feminist that is out to get her "sexist" teacher, John. However, John is no angel. He misuses his power as a teacher and under minds her. Although it seems that Carol is solely responsible for John's demise, he too played a part in it. Carol sets him up by putting him in an awkward situation where he is most certain to fail. She succeeds by manipulating the facts and eventually driving him to madness. .
It is clear that Carol is failing the course because she is incapable. However, Carol feels that it is not because she is a bad student, but because John is a bad teacher. She goes to his office to tell him that she couldn't afford to fail and that she has tried everything to try to understand but she still can't. John understands her problem and offers to give her an "A" for the term if she stops by his office more often and talk about what she doesn't understand. Carol asks "why would you do this for me" and he replies "because I like you". Carol doesn't understand why he likes her and John tells her that he believes that "perhaps we"re similar". This is where John's demise starts unraveling. .
Although Carol is mostly responsible for what happens to John, he too made certain mistakes. John abused his power as a teacher. He was even going to break the rules for Carol by giving her A when she didn't deserve one. He under minded her by using his large vocabulary that he knew that she wouldn't understand. He made Carol feel dumb. John would talk of schooling as hazing and this somewhat angered Carol because she worked hard to get into the University. He would also cut Carol off whenever she tried to speak. This angered Carol and caused her to want revenge.
Oleanna Oleanna is a movie about a young college girl named Carol confronting her older male professor named John about understanding his class and his book that he wrote. Carol is failing the class, she goes to his office to try and get her grade improved but while they talk they are continually ...
"Oleanna" I agree with David Mamet's statement that Carol and John are "both altogether right and altogether wrong". I can see how he can relate to John from a teachers perspective as well as from the standpoint as a man communicating to a woman. John is in a position of an authoritative figure a...
In Glengarry Glen Ross, Speed-the-Plow, and Oleanna, Mamet retains a central theme: if men did not have to deal with women, business could operate unhindered. ... Mamet's theme of women being the monkey wrench in the works of American business appears in Glengarry Glen Ross, though in a more subdued form than in either Speed-the-Plow or Oleanna. ... However, the male protagonist in Oleanna would not be so lucky. ... John then tries to relate to Carol as equals, to "take of the Artificial Stricture, of Teacher, and Student' [ ]- (Oleanna 21). ... Indeed, at Oleanna's premi...
Oleanna, a two-hander play, is set in a college professor's office. The professor, John, is only partly interested in his students. He has tenure and a new house on his mind. The student, Carol is not that bright and can"t understand his course. John tries to help her. But Carol takes the expression...
The main introduction in this essay is to point out the different character's personality, the internal and external issues and what causes the conflicts between them. Bringing out the violence that occur in the characters environment. Both the external and internal conflicts are going to be analyze...
Literature can create a large impact by expressing ideas and truths into society. Because of the fast-paced world we live in today, many people don't have time to sit and read for large amounts of time, so that's where the media fits in. There are always books and plays being made into movies, and...
Cate Blanchett has whirl-winded into Hollywood, stealing the hearts of most of us and leaving us struck with awe. Since her multi award-winning role in Elizabeth, (directed by Shekhar Kapur) in 1998, she has become a household name,and the roles just keep on coming. Blanchett's newest film, The Ship...
What is a play? Is it simply a novel acted out on stage? Is it a movie performed live? Many people would think so but that is because true theater is sometimes lost due to the extravagance of the Broadway musical. A play is much more of its own art and can not be so closely compared to film or other forms of literature. ...
