What is higher education? It is something-other-than-useful according to John in David Mamet’s play Oleanna. John seemingly has a different perspective of what education is in contrast to a traditional professor. He believes that higher education is just an option and not everyone should be subjected to it, raising the question of whether higher education is an “equity” or a “utility”. Of course, to John, education is more of a utility to move up in the social class ladder, and hopefully never experience indigence, which he does towards the end of the play. So what is indigence? Indigence is a level of poverty in which real hardship and deprivation are suffered and comforts of life are wholly lacking. In Mamet’s play, John’s incompetence in
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the implications and complications of the capitalist system” (“Literary”), correspondingly embodying the Marxist essence of the play. So John’s criticisms of the university have taught his student into thinking that the school faculty are exploiting students by leaving them economically and mentally indigent. John’s telling of his bright future to his student has made her hate her economic condition and envious of John’s future successes: “I come from a different social… a different economic” (Mamet 10); “Because I speak, yes, not for myself. But for the group; for those who suffer what I suffer.” (Mamet 40). Aside his economic superiority, John also intimidates Carol intellectually, but in an indirect way: “You call education “hazing”, and from your so-protected, so-elitist seat you hold our confusion as a joke, and our hopes and efforts with it” (Mamet 33). Additionally, John’s position threatens Carol’s security: “I tell you. That you are vile. And that you are exploitive. And if you possess one ounce of that inner honesty you describe in your book, you can look in yourself and see those things that I see” (Mamet 33). From a Marxist perspective, John’s student can represent his proletariat or his …show more content…
The play’s conflict reveals that in an educational environment there will always be a power struggle between the students, teachers, and institutions. These groups can end up experiencing indigence when circumstances threaten their power and stability. The school Carol attends, or any school for that matter, could be considered a base under these circumstances; the school is the whole structure that fits all the other pieces together and produces the teachers and the students. Hence, the superstructure would include the faculty and those attending the school. For John, his power and stability relies on a “protected hierarchy which rewards...” (Mamet 41), or his occupation in the university. Besides, the superstructure can include outsiders of that base if they are in turn affected by the inner superstructure such as the family members of the faculty and the students, if those decisions made by them have an effect on their way of living: “[The Tenure Committee] will dismiss your complaint; and, in the intervening period… I will lose my deposit, and the home I’d picked out for my wife and son will go by the boards” (Mamet 29). For that reason, John’s tenure proposal affects his family’s economic well-being so they too are connected to the base in that way. The faculty and students accept this structure as part of the norm, otherwise, there would be an imbalance of power. For
the implications and complications of the capitalist system” (“Literary”), correspondingly embodying the Marxist essence of the play. So John’s criticisms of the university have taught his student into thinking that the school faculty are exploiting students by leaving them economically and mentally indigent. John’s telling of his bright future to his student has made her hate her economic condition and envious of John’s future successes: “I come from a different social… a different economic” (Mamet 10); “Because I speak, yes, not for myself. But for the group; for those who suffer what I suffer.” (Mamet 40). Aside his economic superiority, John also intimidates Carol intellectually, but in an indirect way: “You call education “hazing”, and from your so-protected, so-elitist seat you hold our confusion as a joke, and our hopes and efforts with it” (Mamet 33). Additionally, John’s position threatens Carol’s security: “I tell you. That you are vile. And that you are exploitive. And if you possess one ounce of that inner honesty you describe in your book, you can look in yourself and see those things that I see” (Mamet 33). From a Marxist perspective, John’s student can represent his proletariat or his …show more content…
The play’s conflict reveals that in an educational environment there will always be a power struggle between the students, teachers, and institutions. These groups can end up experiencing indigence when circumstances threaten their power and stability. The school Carol attends, or any school for that matter, could be considered a base under these circumstances; the school is the whole structure that fits all the other pieces together and produces the teachers and the students. Hence, the superstructure would include the faculty and those attending the school. For John, his power and stability relies on a “protected hierarchy which rewards...” (Mamet 41), or his occupation in the university. Besides, the superstructure can include outsiders of that base if they are in turn affected by the inner superstructure such as the family members of the faculty and the students, if those decisions made by them have an effect on their way of living: “[The Tenure Committee] will dismiss your complaint; and, in the intervening period… I will lose my deposit, and the home I’d picked out for my wife and son will go by the boards” (Mamet 29). For that reason, John’s tenure proposal affects his family’s economic well-being so they too are connected to the base in that way. The faculty and students accept this structure as part of the norm, otherwise, there would be an imbalance of power. For