Wrongfully Accused In the play Oleanna, David Mamet reveals a relationship between a professor, a student, and their battle for power and dominance, which ultimately has destructive consequences. The play introduces two characters with opposite personalities that conflict and ironically their status exchanges. Although the dialogue is frustrating by executing many interruptions and incomplete sentences, it reveals Mamet’s traits of being realistic and portrays lots of conflict. Mamet illustrates effective usage of symbolism and …showed first 75 words of 614 total…

…showed last 75 words of 614 total…helplessness by cowering from the professor. Although the professor gains power in that moment, he still does not regain complete control due to his loss of the tenure and his book. Throughout the play the professor and student “have done nothing more than switch places”(kerknoff 30). Oleanna can be perceived as an annoying play with its pinball diction, but with deeper thought of the symbolism portrayed in the characters by Mamet, it achieves great effectiveness.