『올리아나(Oleanna)』에 나타난 디스토피아(Dystopia) 연구

Abstract

David Mamet’s writing style of rejecting any ethical lesson ironically gives a room to his readers and audiences to understand the complicated and sly subtext of his plays. In this study, we tried to investigate the co-relationship between the utopia and dystopia described in the reversed and fragmented educational arena of a university. At first, the professor is almost an omnipotent figure with power to the student who comes to beg for a better grade. However, the table turns and he becomes a prey to an intrigue where the student tries to make the best use of the professor’s misuse of words and the awkward behaviors which can be easily interpreted as an abuse of power to the powerless. In their ferocious struggle to get the power over each other, one can easily catch the horrible dystopian situation where no one wants to give in for the peace and compromise. Therefore, the true meaning of ‘Oleanna’, has disappeared and the ferocious version of dystopia prevails in this play.

David Mamet’s writing style of rejecting any ethical lesson ironically gives a room to his readers and audiences to understand the complicated and sly subtext of his plays. In this study, we tried to investigate the co-relationship between the utopia and dystopia described in the reversed and fragmented educational arena of a university. At first, the professor is almost an omnipotent figure with power to the student who comes to beg for a better grade. However, the table turns and he becomes a prey to an intrigue where the student tries to make the best use of the professor’s misuse of words and the awkward behaviors which can be easily interpreted as an abuse of power to the powerless. In their ferocious struggle to get the power over each other, one can easily catch the horrible dystopian situation where no one wants to give in for the peace and compromise. Therefore, the true meaning of ‘Oleanna’, has disappeared and the ferocious version of dystopia prevails in this play.