Oleanna-Essay-S《奥利安娜》.doc

Oleanna —— Essay
Drama is perhaps one of the most significant forms of human entertainment preserved throughout the centuries by scribes. Since approximately 500 B.C. drama produced such renowned authors as Euripides, William Shakespeare, and today’s David Mamet. Mamet, winner of two Pulitzer Prizes for Glengarry Glen Ross and Speed-the-Plow, wrote Oleanna, an extremely controversial play, involving sexual harassment and power. Instead of using conventional sexual harassment scenarios which continually made front page news during the early 90’s (Clarence Thomas vs. Anita Hill), Mamet elects to centralize the subject of sexual harassment within the relationship of a college professor (John) and his student (Carol). Even though it is apparent to the audience that John is a genuinely nice and honest man who enjoys power and authority he possesses as a college professor, his ability to be extremely naпve in such a delicate situation (private one on one meeting with a student of the opposite sex) is his ultimate downfall.
John demonstrates his kindness and sincerity when he tries to comfort Carol by revealing secrets from his past, during their first initial conversation. By sympathizing with his student, John tries to build a foundation for communication: I’ll tell you a story about myself. (Pause) Do you mind? (Pause) I was raised to think myself stupid I was brought up and my earliest and persistent memories are of being told I was stupid (15-16).
John’s consideration towards others inevitably leads to his demise. The communication barrier which is initially broken when John become extremely open, revealing a story from his past, leaves him vulnerable to manipulation from outside influences. Throughout the play, power becomes a significant characteristic in John’s personality. During John and Carol’s first private meeting in John’s office, he demonstrates both his power and superior knowledge, using words unclear and foreign sounding to Carol. John repeatedly employs an artificially-heightened vocabulary that draws attention to his academic status, favoring words like “obeisance” (5) or “paradigm” (45), instead of their simpler synonyms. Although a majority of individuals would perhaps tailor their selection of words to fit their intended audience, John uses his vocabulary purposely to help reassure himself of his advanced academic position. John’s confidence in his ability to make others feel intellectually inferior stems from the overwhelming satisfaction he retains from maintaining and demonstrating his superiority.
One might recognize John’s disparagement of a traditional student-teacher relationship in which the teacher operates as a flawless prophet. However, this does not transpire here, for we discover in John’s actions a professor who extremely enjoys his power. From the very start of Oleanna, John decides in Carol’s presence whether to answer his phone, symbolically controlling the conversation by alternating between live student audience and other unseen voices. He even makes a show of not answering the phone at one point, “(The telephone starts to ring)” Let it ring. I’ll make you a deal” (The phone stops ringing)” (25) another gesture that reinforces his role as determinant of the action. This seemingly casual overture deprecates the student’s college experience and demeans any real future achievement that might occur, for it suggests that teachers do not evaluate a student’s work objectively, but instead assign random grades on a notion. Although he protests early on in the play that he is not Carol’s father (9), John later falls quite comfortably into this paternalistic, authoritarian role when he tries to comfort Carol with the admission that “I’m talking to you as I’d talk to my son” (19). When John decides he has had enough of the conference, he again asserts his power by telling Carol, “though I sympathize with your concerns, and though I wish I had the time, this was not a previously scheduled meeting” (13). Although John attempts to sound sincere by sympathizing with Carol’s concerns, he has demonstrated his ability to end their conference at his will.
In addition to John’s selective vocabulary, imaginary father role, and complete control of the conversations, he establishes his authority (within what he assumed is a generous alternative to failing his class) by making a risky proposal: I’ll make you a deal. You stay here. We’ll start the whole course over. Your grade is an A.” Your final grade is an A. “Your grade for the whole term is an A.” If you will come back and meet with me. A few more times. Forget about the paper. You didn’t like it, you didn’t like writing it (25).
What seems like a harmless and charitable offer between a professor and student actually proves exactly how naive John is when dealing with an extremely touchy situation. Power John enthusiastically exhibits with his gracious offer and his total lack of academic policies paves the way for his significant role in the play. John reveals his fatal mistake by suggesting, “I’ll make you a deal. We’ll start the whole course over. If you will come back and meet with me. A few more times” (25). With his simple proposal, John is subconsciously stripped of power, which he holds so valuable, and assumes the role of a naive and reckless man oblivious of irreparable damages his arrogance has caused.
John’s power hungry ways and, more significantly, his ability to unconsciously be tremendously naive, are stereotypical characteristics, which cause sexual harassment. By the end of the play, it becomes obvious to the audience that John is no longer portrayed as a superior individual in the ranks of the educational field. Mamet uses John to subconsciously educate people in the necessity to avoid being naive in troublesome situations, which may include sexual harassment. Since John lacks experience in dealing with potential situations which may or may not escalate into sexual harassment charges, his inexperience causes three notable physical incidents which never would have happened if he wasn’t tremendously naive. Two of the three incidents involving physical contact between John and Carol can be interpreted as innocent contact. Although the two incidents in which John physically touches Carol seem innocent, “he goes over to her and puts his arm around her shoulder” (36) and, during a desperate plea to resolve their misunderstanding “he restrains her from leaving” (57).
While neither of John’s two events of physical contact posses any sexual intent, he still is responsible for educating himself about which boundaries should never be crossed in a teacher-student relationship. John’s physical acts are those of a normal person, one who is not terribly self-conscious of contact, and therefore he discovers first hand that being naive no matter how nice and generous you may appear can ultimately cause your downfall in life.

当今美国头号编剧大卫•马麦特最具争议作品
　　 一出探讨教育、话语权力及两性冲突的戏剧
　　 奥里安娜
　　一个骗局
　　一场猫鼠游戏
　　他说这是一堂课
　　她说这是一次性骚扰
　　John，一个即将评上“终生教授”(提名已通过只等表决)，买的新房子即将到手(只待付清最后一笔房款)的大学教师；他有着稳固的教席，优裕的生活，执掌着学生分数成绩生杀予夺的大权。来自乡村城镇的Carol，一个缺乏自信、看起来可怜巴巴、成绩差劲、拼命记笔记，却在内心有着强烈欲望的女大学生。故事起缘于Carol担心成绩不好影响前途，来到John的办公室寻求帮助，谁知一次教学指导导致了一场性骚扰的控告……本剧的编剧大卫•马麦特(David Mamet)1947年出生于美国的芝加哥，他是美国当代著名的剧作家、散文家、小说家和诗人，他甚至还写过儿童文学。他的舞台及电影剧本都得到评论界的推崇，鲜明的语言风格被称为“马麦特语”(Mametspeak)；其作品曾屡获普利策奖及奥比奖等殊荣，也曾获奥斯卡最佳剧本提名。《纽约邮报》说：大卫•马麦特对美国俚语有极强的理解与把握能力，并能将其运用在诗歌之中。《星期日报》称：他是他同时代的美国剧作家中最优秀的一位，他的作品语言时而惜墨如金，时而泼墨如水，犹如刀般犀利。
　　《奥里安娜》(Oleanna)短小精悍地刻画了一对大学师生的恩怨，是被公认的大卫•马麦特写作生涯中至今最具争论性的作品。它以人与人之间的沟通和权力关系作为戏的主题，借剧中两位主角极端的立场所引爆的语言(包括身体语言)冲突和戏剧张力，与观众一起发掘、反思许多人文和社会的课题。这些课题包括生活困局、女性主义、价值观、道德观、权力、欲望、建制、哲学、理想……
　　敏锐热点的话题，有软有硬的锋利敏锐的语言，张弛有度的节奏，意味深长的结局……《奥里安娜》(Oleanna)传递出的深层命题，将引起观众心灵强烈的共鸣。而剧中两位演员妙趣横生中又带有爆裂性对白，令人啼笑皆非，也反映出相当真实的代沟之战。该剧自1992年问世以来迅即为欧美剧坛所瞩目，演出不辍，争论不休……《独立报》曾写到：这是一场男人和女人之间冲突的爆发，它一语中的地证明了当自由的思想和表达受到威胁时，不会有胜利者。
　　编剧大卫•马麦特曾在一篇文章中这样描述他这个戏在剧场演出后所看到的情景：观众冲着演员尖叫，在演出结束甚至演出进行中互相打闹；一些夫妻因为对于剧本的不同理解而发生争执，在谢幕许久之后依旧大呼小叫，甚至手舞足蹈；观众责骂，甚至袭击一名男演员。是戏剧让观众忘记了他们自己。
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