At first glance the prologue quotations in David Mamet’s
play Oleanna seem to offer no
parallels or significance to the play or direct comparisons, and that is what
makes it such an interesting choice for Mamet, in that it allows the reader
food for thought and musings. There is ambiguity and interpretation and
provocation and his prologue choice in fact reflects his character development
and his style of writing. There is realism in his work as in real life real
people do not always expose their true emotions or intent and we are left
wondering. The same can be said of his play that relies on acting and reading
between the lines and not just the dialogue which has pause, false starts,
unfinished sentences and down right rude interruptions.
However, on ponderings I have come up with the following
interpretations on the allusions used :
The first prologue, The
way of All Flesh, by Samuel Butler,
“ The want of fresh air does not seem much to affect the
happiness of children in a London alley: The
greater part of them sing and play as though they were on a moor in Scotland
The extract could almost be a patriarchal monologue straight
from the superior position of professorial power of John to his ‘ child’ or
student, Carol. The passage reflects his general feelings towards not just
Carol on a personal level but on a broader level to the student body in the
first act. John preaches to Carol that
she is overwrought of her lack of understanding in his classes and her low
grades as she has been sucked in by the common school of thought and society dictates
that she must do well in this environment or fail at large. Society tells us
that the annals and corridors of the
prestigious school of learning are for the privileged few and they grasp at
this idea as if the gates to University are the pearly gates of heaven.
However, they are stupid mindless children who know no better just like the
waifs who play in London
“Look the tests, you see, which you encounter, in school,
in college, in life were designed in the most part for idiots. By idiots There
is no need to fail them. They are not a test of your worth. They are a test of
your ability to retain and spout back information. Of course you fail them.
They’re nonsense “ (Mamet 18).
However, instead of making Carol feel better John makes
Carol feel more desperate and confused. Similarly the prologue quotation says
that children will survive and adapt and attribute any happiness to their own
failure and self worth and ability rather than the environment or system. They
blame themselves in the alley as does Carol in these corridors. She is trapped
in a windowless professors office unable to appreciate the beautiful day as she
is wrapped up her grades which do not define her but is a burden and pressure
which she happily accepts. She is angry with John that he insults her entering
the college and has destroyed her hopes and aspirations by mocking what she has
worked to achieve and overcome in terms of her social and financial background.
Again reinforcement of these ideas is brought out in the first act by John who
dominates and controls the conversation with describing college as “ hazing “
which is explained as “ Does it educate? In no sense. Well then, what is higher
education? It is something-other—than-useful” (Mamet 21). “ This
leads us to why does Carol have this pressure and burden and I feel this can be
summed in one word ‘Society’ which leads us to the second quotation.
“ Oh to be in Oleanna,
That’s where I would rather be.
Than be bound in Norway
And drag the chains of slavery”.
The above quote is an extract ( first verse ) from a
satirical folk song originally in Norwegian. This obscure allusion refers
mockingly to a perfect Utopian community ( Oleanna) in New Norway in
Pensylvannia, America as created by its
founder Ole Bull in the nineteenth century .The community though at first
flooded with settlers due to opportunity and free land eventually failed as the
land acquired with immense forests in narrow valleys were not conducive to farming and
cultivation. Mamet alludes that the valleys of Oleanna are like the corridors
of the university who lure with scholarships and great promises but ironically does not deliver or cultivate minds and students do not
reap what they sow in a farming metaphor. You could say funnily enough that
their minds cannot see the woods for the trees !!! Ironically again students think their minds
are free in college where in reality they are slaves shackled to the system
that bounds them stripping them of power or rights or free will.
Society sets rules and expectations ( college, married, good job, 2.5 children ),
and if we deviate from this we cannot achieve acceptance. Carol by getting a
possible bad grade feels she has failed in society and cannot come to terms
with this failure and with self loathing she blames herself as she quotes her
paper and exclaims in self disgust;
“ That’s right. That’s right. I know I’m stupid. I know what
I am. I know what I am Professor. You don’t have to tell me. Its pathetic.
Isn’t it ? “ ( Mamet 14). ( note: ironically she ends the play with “ that’s
right “ with far more confidence than her non confident whimpering here ).
Carol is carrying a bag full of the burden of expectation on
her tender young shoulders and she is drowning under those expectations. ( though we will find out as alluded in the
first quote she will not die but adapt). She has been conditioned and has conformed.
She carries further a chip on her shoulder that she does not belong in an
elitist establishment due to her social and financial impediments and hence
sits at the back of the class she feels unnoticed and unwanted. She is a victim
of her own illusions and dreams that she has readily bought into. If she fails
she will not be able to live her dream life in a perfect society. Ironically
even John who pretends to be above the rules and despises rules and authority
is also bound to it. His dream home, child’s future and marriage depends on the
Tenure committee decision for his promotion ( and at the end on Carol’s forgiveness and
retractment ) as does Carol’s on her grades. Further, Carol does not have the
ability to act or think like an individual as she hides behind society, tenure
committee, her group ( possibly a feminist movement ) and even claims she has
to tell the truth of her perceived sexual harassment not for her gain but for
her responsibility to the other students and college. She also believes it must
be true if they have accepted it as such. Strangely Carol wants to fit in as a “
paradigm “ of society ( though she does not know what that means) and through
conflict there is a power shift where the teacher becomes the student divided
by a desk that represents the power struggle.
In fact there can never be a perfect society like Oleanna
and it exists only as an illusion or unattainable dream. We are all just trying
to fit in and chase rainbows. Who is the victim in this play is opinion based
but clearly empathy lies with the hapless professor who paid for his help and
advice. In actual fact, John and Carol are alike and are both victims of that
dream and their own insecurity which drives them. Mamet in a clever choice of
allusions defines this theme.
Dexter, Gary
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