Friday, April 5, 2013

Sanchez, Jennifer Oleanna Blog #4 (Extra Credit)


Question 5:
   In Oleanna, Carol is a student that goes in professor's John office to get help because she is failing the class. J.K. Curry says that is it a plot from feminist to destroy white men, middle-class, academic career. I agree with him because when John says something Carol immediately writes down, and then she intentionally and/or unintentionally misinterprets what he says. John in the first scene wanted to explain something to Carol, and she would not listen to him so he grabbed her by her harms. Carol screamed, "Let me go. Let me go. Would somebody help me? Would somebody help me please...?” heading toward the hallway. By her doing this it shows the audience that is on purpose is saying that John is trying to rape her who in reality he wanted to calm her down and to explain something she did not understand.
   So compared from the first scene she had changed in her appearance and her vocabulary enhanced. The thing John had said such as him liking her, giving her an A if she came to his office to start the class over, and by him having troubles with his wife have been turned around by one simple student that is in a "group" that is not mentioned throughout the play.
   She must have been known that by screaming those words her professor could be fired because of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 stating that sexual discrimination is illegal; the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 1980 stating that verbal and psychical abuse toward students can determine an employment decisions toward a professor. As Carol perception was different than John's she destroyed his life.
   Slowly Carol starts to "button in" into John's conversations then trying to talk to him about buying a house and his wife. As the play started to end his wife called him and then John called her "babe", right before that he had kicked Carol out of his office. Carol then stands by the door waiting for something to happen. Soon that happens and she tells John not to call his wife babe basically trying to interfere, manipulate him by telling him what not to do. Even though she is trying to manipulate him she meets her goal and is beaten by John. John beating her was one of the things she needed in order to have proven so she can sew him. In a sense she wants to feel power as men have, but she takes it on to a different level such as accusing a professor that was trying to help a student without harming her.
   In the end, Carol wanted to feel power and destroy a man’s life. She purposely made false allegations about her professor and would be "nosey" in everything her professor would do during office hours. Her false allegations were John trying to commit sexual harassment, saying he liked Carol, and inviting her into his office in a more than a student relationship level according to her. Her actions make her feel more in power than a white "successful" man and her demand for fair treatment.

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