An Innocent Man Wronged in Oleanna Essay -- David Mamet

Sometimes there argon even offts in our lives that we raisenot control. These events occur, to a greater extent or less, due to our own actions. Sometimes, however, we must come to terms with our in world power to handle certain situations and also to reach our goals. These events are facts of life everyone around plurality cant run as fast, or lift as much, or write as well. It is during these times that we must focus on what we can do well, and try to direct our goals around those features that make us easily at something. In David Mamets Oleanna, John loses his job and his ho occasion due to Carols ignorance, need of self-confidence, and overall inability to come to terms with her own short-comings as a student. This play epitomizes an act of complete degradation based solely on one individuals failure to accept that she just might not be good at school--or at least Johns class.In an attempt to benefactor a young student named Carol, a professor named John loses his hous e and his job. all told of the blame rests on Carols shoulders, for it was she that allowed her delusions of grandeur and success (being without the necessary skills to profit them) to ruin the life of man who has dedicated his life to helping students do just that. Carols ignorance plays a big role in this tragedy. From the very showtime of this play, it is apparent that Carol does not understand the in micturateation given in class, but it is her unwillingness to even try that makes her at fault. People who came here. To get something they didnt knowTo be helpedSo somebody would help them (12). Carol is beg John to understand that she is stupid. She doesnt want help in the sense that someone might want help writing a paper. She wants it hand provide to her, and education is a process that involves the teacher pointing the commission, not carrying someone to the end. Carols misconceptions of how college is supposed(a) to work can only be result of not having been exposed t o the realities of higher education, but I believe that she just doesnt have the skills she take to succeed. Nobody tells me anything. And I sit therein the corner. In the bum (14). This is an example of the total lack of motivation that Carol has to learn. Her ignorance leads her to believe that a college education is supposed to hand fed. She just sits there, in the back, without an attempt to even try to learn on her own. We all need help form time to tim... ...hool. They have lived their lives fearing that the system of education has decided that they are failures. This grouping has only one goal, and that is to succeed. Their success, however, has a price. Those people who stand in the way re their enemies. Johns fate was a result of Carol finding this group, and allowing them to use her as a pawn in their own sick, twisted agenda. All the members of this group suffer from the same illness that ails Carol ignorance, lack of self-confidence, and an ability to cope with their own shortcomings as students.Carol represents a group of people that are the destruction of the higher education system. Their complete disregard for social structure cost a good teacher his job and his home. It seems that today, when we are unable to get what we want by earning it, we have to destroy and draw down the barriers in our way. This is exactly what Carol does, and the manner in which she executes her formulate would leave most students to wonder why even try? plant life CitedMamet, David. Oleanna A Play in Two Acts. The Best Plays of 1992-1993. Eds. Otis L. Guernsey, younger and Jeffrey Sweet. New York Limelight, 1993. 150-164