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A GENDER STUDY OR SHIFT OF BALANCE IN DAVID MAMET’S OLEANNA

Year 2018, Volume: 22 Issue: 1, 293 - 305, 10.04.2018

Abstract

One
of the distinctive people in American literature and cinema, David Mamet writes
a great number of plays and scripts and many of which are produced or directed
by Mamet himself. Consisting of three acts and having minimalist
characterization, Oleanna concerns
about John, a faculty member in a university, and his female student Carol.
Mamet primarily questions about capitalism, American education system and also
tends to the subjects of sexual harassment. Even though Mamet arguing about the
relationship between man and woman is criticized by many feminists, he seems to
be very accomplished to indicate the deep psychology in both sexes. John who
lectures in a university looks superior to his student Carol in terms of his
masculinity and linguistic ability. However, this superiority relays to Carol
charging him with sexual harassment. The play ends with his endeavor to
manhandle her. In this study, one of Mamet’s most important works, Oleanna will be argued in terms of
feminism, linguistics and American education system.

References

  • Badenhausen, R. (1998). “The Modern Academy Raging in the Dark: Misreading Mamet's Political Incorrectness in Oleanna” College Literature, 25/3, 1-19 Bean, K. (2001). “A Few Good Men: Collusion and Violence in Oleanna”. Christopher C. Hudgins & Leslie Kane (Eds.) Gender and Genre: Essays on David Mamet. (pp. 109-123). New York: Palgrave
  • Bigsby, C. W. E. (2004a). “David Mamet.” Christopher Bigsby (Ed.) The Cambridge Companion to David Mamet. (pp. 1-40). New York: Cambridge University Press
  • Bigsby, C. W. E. (2004b). “David Mamet: All True Stories.” Harold Bloom (Ed.) Bloom’s Modern Critical Views: David Mamet. (pp. 163-201). Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers
  • Boon, K. A. & Mamet, D. (2011). “Ethics and Capitalism in the Screenplays of David Mamet” Literature/Film Quarterly, 39/3, 174-189
  • Braun, H. (2004). “The 1990s.” Christopher Bigsby (Ed). The Cambridge Companion to David Mamet. (pp. 103-123). New York: Cambridge University Press
  • Bruster, D. (2004). “David Mamet and Ben Jonson: city Comedy Past and Present.” Harold Bloom (Ed.) Bloom’s Modern Critical Views: David Mamet. (pp. 41-56). Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publisher
  • Dayani, R. & Amjad, F. A. (2016). “Shift of Power in David Mamet’s Oleanna: A Study within Grice’s Cooperative Principles”. International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences, 72, 76-82
  • Graham, L. V. (2003). “Reading the Unspeakable: Rape in J. M. Coetzee's Disgrace” Journal of Southern African Studies, 29/2, 433-444
  • Habib, Imtiaz (2001). “Demotic Male Desire and Female Subjectivity in David Mamet The Split Space of the Women of Edmond”. Christopher C. Hudgins & Leslie Kane (Eds.) Gender and Genre: Essays on David Mamet. (pp. 77-94). New York: Palgrave
  • Headicke, J. V. (2001). “Plowing The Buffalo, Fucking The Fruits: (M)others in American Buffalo and Speed-the-Plow.” Christopher C. Hudgins & Leslie Kane (Eds.) Gender and Genre: Essays on David Mamet. (pp. 27-40). New York: Palgrave
  • Jacobsen, K. (2004). “Whatever Happened to Political Correctness?” Economic and Political Weekly, 39/24, 2440-2441
  • James, G. (2006). “Thoughts on Graduate Studio Education” Art Journal, 65/4, 113-116
  • Piette, A. (2004). “The 1980s.” Christopher Bigsby (Ed). The Cambridge Companion to David Mamet. (pp. 74-88). New York: Cambridge University Press
  • MacLeod, C. (1995). “The Politics of Gender, Language and Hierarchy in Mamet's Oleanna”. Journal of American Studies, 29/2, 199-213
  • Mamet, D. (1987). The Woods; Lakeboat; Edmund: Three Plays. New York: Groove Press
  • …………. (1993). Oleanna. New York: Vintage Books
  • Morgenstern, N. (2012). “The University in Crisis: Teaching, Tenure, and Transference in David Mamet's Oleanna”. Cultural Critique, 82/Fall, 1-33
  • Murphy, B. (2004). “Oleanna: language and power.” Christopher Bigsby (Ed.) The Cambridge Companion to David Mamet. (pp. 124-137). New York: Cambridge University Press
  • Price, S. (2004). “On Directing Mamet.” Christopher Bigsby (Ed.) The Cambridge Companion to David Mamet (pp. 154-17). New York: Cambridge University Press
  • Profile: Playwright of oaths and testosterone: David Mamet, on trial at the court of feminism (1993, 2 July) The Independent
  • Quinn, M. L. (2004). “Anti-Theatricality and American Ideology: Mamet’s Performative Realism”. Harold Bloom (Ed.) Bloom’s Modern Critical Views: David Mamet (pp. 93-110). Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers
  • Sanger, C. (1998). “The Erotics of Torts: Feminist Accused of Sexual Harassment by Jane Gallop”. Michigan Law Review 96/6, 1852-1883
  • Sauer, D. K. (2004). “Misreading Sexuality on the Post/Modern Realistic Stage.” Harold Bloom (Ed.) Bloom’s Modern Critical Views: David Mamet. (pp. 203-225). Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers
  • Sauer, D. & Sauer, J. A. (2004). “Misreading Mamet: scholarship and reviews.” Christopher Bigsby (Ed.) The Cambridge Companion to David Mamet. (pp. 220-242). New York: Cambridge University Press
  • Scanlan, R. (1993). “A Wake in the Fourth Row: Incurable Realism”. Harvard Review, 3, 98-100
  • Silverstein, M. (1995). “"We're Just Human": "Oleanna" and Cultural Crisis” South Atlantic Review, 60/2, 103-120
  • Skerrett, Kathleen Roberts (2011). “Beyond “Consent”: David Mamet's Oleanna and a Hostile Environment for Souls” Studies in Gender and Sexuality, 12/4, 235-244
  • Skloot, R. (2001). “Oleanna , or, The Play of Pedagogy” Christopher C. Hudgins & Leslie Kane (Eds.) Gender and Genre: Essays on David Mamet (pp. 95-107) New York: Palgrave
  • Şeker, E. (2016). “Terör Eylemleriİ Sonrasında Türk Basını ve Yabancı Basında Yer Alan Manipülatif Söylem ve Algı Yanılsaması”. TURAN-SAM: TURAN Stratejik Araştırmalar Merkezi, (8/32), 507-513.

A Gender Study or Shift Of Balance in David Mamet’s Oleanna

Year 2018, Volume: 22 Issue: 1, 293 - 305, 10.04.2018

Abstract

One of the distinctive persons in
American literature and cinema, David Mamet writes a great number of plays and
scripts and many of which are produced or directed by Mamet himself. Consisting
of three acts and having minimalist characterization, Oleanna concerns about
John, a faculty member in a university, and his female student Carol. Mamet primarily
questions about capitalism, American education system and also tends to the
subjects of sexual harassment. Even though Mamet arguing about the relationship
between man and woman is criticized by many feminists, he seems to be very
accomplished to indicate the deep psychology in both sexes. John who lectures
in a university looks superior to his student Carol in terms of his masculinity
and linguistic ability. However, this superiority relays to Carol charging him
with sexual harassment. The play ends with his endeavor to manhandle her. In
this study, one of Mamet’s most important works, Oleanna will be argued in
terms of feminism, linguistics and American education system.

References

  • Badenhausen, R. (1998). “The Modern Academy Raging in the Dark: Misreading Mamet's Political Incorrectness in Oleanna” College Literature, 25/3, 1-19 Bean, K. (2001). “A Few Good Men: Collusion and Violence in Oleanna”. Christopher C. Hudgins & Leslie Kane (Eds.) Gender and Genre: Essays on David Mamet. (pp. 109-123). New York: Palgrave
  • Bigsby, C. W. E. (2004a). “David Mamet.” Christopher Bigsby (Ed.) The Cambridge Companion to David Mamet. (pp. 1-40). New York: Cambridge University Press
  • Bigsby, C. W. E. (2004b). “David Mamet: All True Stories.” Harold Bloom (Ed.) Bloom’s Modern Critical Views: David Mamet. (pp. 163-201). Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers
  • Boon, K. A. & Mamet, D. (2011). “Ethics and Capitalism in the Screenplays of David Mamet” Literature/Film Quarterly, 39/3, 174-189
  • Braun, H. (2004). “The 1990s.” Christopher Bigsby (Ed). The Cambridge Companion to David Mamet. (pp. 103-123). New York: Cambridge University Press
  • Bruster, D. (2004). “David Mamet and Ben Jonson: city Comedy Past and Present.” Harold Bloom (Ed.) Bloom’s Modern Critical Views: David Mamet. (pp. 41-56). Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publisher
  • Dayani, R. & Amjad, F. A. (2016). “Shift of Power in David Mamet’s Oleanna: A Study within Grice’s Cooperative Principles”. International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences, 72, 76-82
  • Graham, L. V. (2003). “Reading the Unspeakable: Rape in J. M. Coetzee's Disgrace” Journal of Southern African Studies, 29/2, 433-444
  • Habib, Imtiaz (2001). “Demotic Male Desire and Female Subjectivity in David Mamet The Split Space of the Women of Edmond”. Christopher C. Hudgins & Leslie Kane (Eds.) Gender and Genre: Essays on David Mamet. (pp. 77-94). New York: Palgrave
  • Headicke, J. V. (2001). “Plowing The Buffalo, Fucking The Fruits: (M)others in American Buffalo and Speed-the-Plow.” Christopher C. Hudgins & Leslie Kane (Eds.) Gender and Genre: Essays on David Mamet. (pp. 27-40). New York: Palgrave
  • Jacobsen, K. (2004). “Whatever Happened to Political Correctness?” Economic and Political Weekly, 39/24, 2440-2441
  • James, G. (2006). “Thoughts on Graduate Studio Education” Art Journal, 65/4, 113-116
  • Piette, A. (2004). “The 1980s.” Christopher Bigsby (Ed). The Cambridge Companion to David Mamet. (pp. 74-88). New York: Cambridge University Press
  • MacLeod, C. (1995). “The Politics of Gender, Language and Hierarchy in Mamet's Oleanna”. Journal of American Studies, 29/2, 199-213
  • Mamet, D. (1987). The Woods; Lakeboat; Edmund: Three Plays. New York: Groove Press
  • …………. (1993). Oleanna. New York: Vintage Books
  • Morgenstern, N. (2012). “The University in Crisis: Teaching, Tenure, and Transference in David Mamet's Oleanna”. Cultural Critique, 82/Fall, 1-33
  • Murphy, B. (2004). “Oleanna: language and power.” Christopher Bigsby (Ed.) The Cambridge Companion to David Mamet. (pp. 124-137). New York: Cambridge University Press
  • Price, S. (2004). “On Directing Mamet.” Christopher Bigsby (Ed.) The Cambridge Companion to David Mamet (pp. 154-17). New York: Cambridge University Press
  • Profile: Playwright of oaths and testosterone: David Mamet, on trial at the court of feminism (1993, 2 July) The Independent
  • Quinn, M. L. (2004). “Anti-Theatricality and American Ideology: Mamet’s Performative Realism”. Harold Bloom (Ed.) Bloom’s Modern Critical Views: David Mamet (pp. 93-110). Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers
  • Sanger, C. (1998). “The Erotics of Torts: Feminist Accused of Sexual Harassment by Jane Gallop”. Michigan Law Review 96/6, 1852-1883
  • Sauer, D. K. (2004). “Misreading Sexuality on the Post/Modern Realistic Stage.” Harold Bloom (Ed.) Bloom’s Modern Critical Views: David Mamet. (pp. 203-225). Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers
  • Sauer, D. & Sauer, J. A. (2004). “Misreading Mamet: scholarship and reviews.” Christopher Bigsby (Ed.) The Cambridge Companion to David Mamet. (pp. 220-242). New York: Cambridge University Press
  • Scanlan, R. (1993). “A Wake in the Fourth Row: Incurable Realism”. Harvard Review, 3, 98-100
  • Silverstein, M. (1995). “"We're Just Human": "Oleanna" and Cultural Crisis” South Atlantic Review, 60/2, 103-120
  • Skerrett, Kathleen Roberts (2011). “Beyond “Consent”: David Mamet's Oleanna and a Hostile Environment for Souls” Studies in Gender and Sexuality, 12/4, 235-244
  • Skloot, R. (2001). “Oleanna , or, The Play of Pedagogy” Christopher C. Hudgins & Leslie Kane (Eds.) Gender and Genre: Essays on David Mamet (pp. 95-107) New York: Palgrave
  • Şeker, E. (2016). “Terör Eylemleriİ Sonrasında Türk Basını ve Yabancı Basında Yer Alan Manipülatif Söylem ve Algı Yanılsaması”. TURAN-SAM: TURAN Stratejik Araştırmalar Merkezi, (8/32), 507-513.
There are 29 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Makaleler
Authors

Faruk Kalay 0000-0001-7917-7930

Publication Date April 10, 2018
Published in Issue Year 2018 Volume: 22 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Kalay, F. (2018). A GENDER STUDY OR SHIFT OF BALANCE IN DAVID MAMET’S OLEANNA. Atatürk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 22(1), 293-305.

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