David Mamit's "Oleanna" is a two-character drama that explores the miscommunication between social classes in reflection of Karl Marx's theory between the bourgeoisie and the proletarians. It is a play about student/teacher relationships, sexual harassment, and political academics reflecting the very superstructure of the American society. Carol is a female student who meets with the male professor privately in regards to her current struggle in understanding her professor's book. She explains her incompetency to John, the professor, but John lacks sympathy because he is distracting by an issue, purchasing a "big house." John begins to express sympathy for her and soon decides to break the rules, giving her an A for the term if she agrees to meet with him alone to discuss the material. Furthermore, Carol goes from becoming insecure to very well spoken with her words, accuses her professor of sexual harassment, then towards the end, becomes powerful and reveals charges she has filed against John.
In the first act, Carol is introduced as a struggling student who represents the middle/working class or as Marx would call it, "the proletariat." John, "the bourgeoisie," is the professor, representing the capitalist and showing the power he holds over his students. With an analysis of reflection theory and applying it to Oleanna, the relationship between Carol and John reflect the very relationship between the upper and middle class in the American society, struggling in forms of communication toward another. The text individualizes the reality between the classes through the education system between the professor and students. John uses the phrase, "a term of art." Carol asks John to define its meaning but John isn't sure what it really means. The term of art represents the verbal communication between the classes. There is a sense of discrimination that is revealed indicating that the bourgeoisie is of higher class, possibly more educated by a use of higher vocabulary that diversifies them self from the proletarians, the students. In society, the middle class is perceived to be the class of struggle under the capitalist. The capitalist provide the economy with work and order that the proletarians abide to in order to succeed. The proletarians strive to become more power like the bourgeoisie yet the bourgeoisie use their power to keep the proletarians below them. John becomes empathetic towards Carol after he witnesses her determination to succeed and decides to give her an A, not only to attempt to make Carol happy but to keep his position. Later, Carol's rise in power reflects the theory of the rises of the proletarians over the bourgeoisie. Ironically, Carol then becomes the superior one and puts the professor's position in danger.
Oleanna is a play reflecting David Mamith's world view on power between classes, understanding each other, and harassment. His views represent the realistic issues of discrimination against sex and gender on campus grounds. Sexual harassment is mostly directed towards women, hence the use of Carol as a student, that is often intended and results in discouraging them to be involved in the working or school environment. Students who strive for a higher education yearn for intellectual freedom. Students may experience restrictions from intellectual freedom when asked to drop classes or change majors having been influenced.
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