Blog Post #5

Oleanna was a very interesting play.  I was not sure what to think of it at first; actually I wasn't sure what to think about it at all.  It confused me at first because I really thought she was a student who just didn't understand.  It made me not like the professor as much because he seemed harsh and unjust.  I really believed that Carol was a struggling student and just needed help.  Until the tables turned...that caught me really off guard.  Once Carol starting making accusations that weren't all necessarily true I was more confused than ever.  


I did not like the language used by the characters until I read scholarly article about Acts of Violence.  It explained that both characters were speaking different languages.  "Moreover, his usual stylistic tricks--rhetorical questions, unfinished sentences, italics, pauses--fall flat because these characters do not speak the same language."  Mamet made the character Carol seem dishonest and manipulative, while John seemed like all he wanted to do was be a family man and a helpful teacher.  That is not how it seemed at first, but it turned out to be that way in the end.  


All the talk about sexual harassment really didn't seem to be the issue.  In my opinion it was about being driven until the last string broke.  John finally had it with Carol and all her accusations.  Carol was even making me frustrated.  The issue about Act of Violence should have been more important than the issue of sexual harassment.  The thing that I still can grasp is that who was in the wrong.  The article suggest that nothing can be resolved through "irrational violence".  That is vey true and I agree violence should never be the answer.  In my opinion, both were at wrong for different things but both characters seemed to be the blame of each others wrong actions.