Question 5:
In the play Oleanna, Carol uses the
expectations of society to her advantage and, may or may not intentionally,
devises a plan to approach John’s breaking point. She goes about this in
various steps so she does not give herself away in the first meeting. Carol disguises herself, portraying a girl
who dresses unprofessionally and has no idea what went on in class. These acts
make John underestimate her, allowing Carol to catch him by surprise when she
suddenly accuses him of sexual harassment and attempted rape. J.K Curry announces
that “If an institution handles accusations without regard to due process or if
an administration attempts to stifle use of controversial material in the
classroom out of fear of harassment charges, the academic freedom of all
instructors at the college could be weakened.” Carol makes her complaints to
the school; the school doesn't need to follow due process and is in complete
control of John’s job. These accusations corner him in a small spot where his field
of options is greatly minimized; John is losing a lot of power of which he had
a firm grasp on before meeting Carol. With
all his freedom being stripped away from him, the final moments he comes to
realize that he has only one more option. By physically hurting her he gets
satisfaction and a sense of power, however, the situation is ironic
because by doing that his is actually giving her abuse statement more power.
The US has built a country in which
the act of violence is seen as unnecessary and is known to be punished through
the state’s judicial system. I am in no
way saying this shouldn't be the way, but mankind needs a way to fight, it is
an instinct no one can ignore. The system has merely shifted the way we fight,
with words, not fists, damaging the inner body, not the skin. The instinct to physically
hurt others who threaten us is still there, one just has to get angry enough to
lose control of their civilized self.
I agree that John gets satisfaction and a sense of control from hurting her. He started out in control but I think by staying and agreeing to help her when he was supposed to go home gave her some of his power. He should of made her come back when he didn't already have other plans, since he did not do this she controlled when and where they met.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteCarson,
Great job here. You make a number of solid points. I DO want to hear a bit more about this: "In the play Oleanna, Carol uses the expectations of society to her advantage and, may or may not intentionally, devises a plan to approach John’s breaking point." What ARE these expectations?
***The word "underestimate" is an apt choice for describing John's initial reaction/attitude toward Carol.
Excellent framing of this point: " These accusations corner him in a small spot where his field of options is greatly minimized." However, I will say that it never becomes clear whether the institution follows due process or not; the meeting with the tenure committee IS the first step of such a process. However, we don't see this meeting and find out only via Carol that the committee has recommended he not be given tenure and that he be disciplined. This decision implies that he hasn't necessarily lost his job (though clearly he's lost not only his job but likely his entire life by the play's conclusion).
While I disagree with this: " the final moments he comes to realize that he has only one more option" -- I find it an interesting reading. I think he just snaps as opposed to deciding anything. Given what's on the line, beating the living hell out of her doesn't seem like much of an "option". Just my take on the moment. It's an interesting one to examine using psychological criticism, but we're not there yet. :)