Oleanna by David Mamet documents what occurs between a professor and his student over a period of three meetings in which trivial daily interactions and their meanings are interpreted the wrong way. The critics who call Oleanna "a parable about the tragedy of failing to listen" are absolutely correct. If John and Carol had actually listened to each other‚ they may have been able to communicate effectively and nothing bad would have come from their meetings. Instead‚ due to the nature of their characters
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Oleanna’s Phone Calls David Mamet’s play Oleanna is a two character power struggle between a young college student and her Professor. By the second act of the play the struggling student‚ Carol‚ has filed a formal complaint of sexual harassment‚ based not on what actually happened‚ but on the written definition of said conduct in the universities nomenclature. By act three‚ unbeknownst to the professor‚ Carol has filed attempted rape charges against the professor. Again the charges do not
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Oleanna Response Paper Drama is a very popular branch of theatre that has roots as deep as the ancestry of theatre itself and has produced many great authors such as Sophocles‚ William Shakespeare‚ and David Mamet who have contributed generously to the growing popularity of drama. Mamet‚ the winner of two Pulitzer Awards and writer of many successful plays wrote Oleanna‚ an extremely controversial play for its exploitation of sexual harassment and abuse. Instead of writing any old romantic turn
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Aimee O’Connell ENWR 106-40 Oleanna Reflection When beginning to read the play “Oleanna” by David Mamet‚ I expected a more classic and shakespearean feel given the title- one might think of Othello or Ophelia but instead as I continued I found the play to be more modern‚ it could even be occurring in the present. The first act started off with John as the protagonist and the main character. Though‚ there is not much to like about either of the characters‚ in my opinion‚ and the likes and dislikes
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Political Correctness in Oleanna After reading or watching David Mamet’s Oleanna‚ the reader or viewer more than likely asks him or herself about the genuineness of Carol’s actions; is she genuinely confused and frustrated‚ and actually seeks help from her professor‚ or is it that she wants to manipulate John and be the cause of his demise. The fashion in which the play was written typically makes viewers ally with John‚ and despise Carol‚ because this is the way Mamet wants his audience to feel
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Joseph Koltes M. Guista English 101 14 Oct. 2010 Oleanna is a two character play about a power struggle between a University Professor‚ John‚ and a student‚ Carol‚ who accuses John of sexual harassment. The play begins when John‚ a condescending University Professor who holds power with his status‚ expresses his frustration at Carol’s class performance as she deduces that he is buying a house. He feels she is‚ in reality‚ bright but troubled‚ and she agrees‚ citing her social and economic background
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And you might speak to the committee?) to page 78 (Carol: Yes. Perhaps you should) Discuss how ideas about power are presented in this extract and at least one other point in the play. Power is a very strong theme in Oleanna‚ it’s one that runs through out the play. Mamet was aware about the power struggles in America at the same time he wrote the play. The play was written in the 1990’s‚ at this time in America there was a very hot topic about ‘Gender Struggles’. It was the point where men
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What we see and hear first of all‚ when we enter Olena Newkryta’s installation folding unfolding refolding are sewing machines‚ sewing fabrics. On the three large format screens that surround us‚ waves of folds of a white fabric are flowing towards a buzzing needle‚ resistant at times‚ yet only to be drawn back where they belong – between the shuttle and the feed-dog – by a hand that appears briefly within the frame. What we do not instantly recognize: the hand is the artist’s hand and the fabric
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The reading assignment “Mamet on Directing Film” focused on the idea that juxtaposition is the heart of creating a great film. It was explained how the juxtaposition between images is what drives the movie forward in the mind of the audience. It is important not to tell the audience what to think through narration‚ but rather show it on screen through series of cutting. One quote which I found particularly interesting was‚ “If you find that a point cannot be made without narration‚ it is virtually
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at least 83 women and 7 men. This links with ‘Oleanna’ due to the fact that John touches Carol ’s shoulders on several occasions asking her to sit down or to stay on in the office. * Later‚ Carol writes a letter of complaint against her professor alleging that John is lewd and sexist. She claims that his intention was not good when he touched her shoulder. She believed it was a case of sexual harassment. * Particularly in the first act of ‘Oleanna’‚ there are many occasions where John tries to
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