Negating the Human: Political Correctness in David Mamet’s Play Oleanna
Negating the Human: Political Correctness in David Mamet’s Play Oleanna

Summary/Abstract: This paper explores the dehumanizing consequences that the ultimately restrictive, ‘politically correct’ mechanism of social interaction can yield, as exemplified in David Mamet’s play Oleanna (1992). In the course of a detailed analysis of themes, motifs, and overall cultural background of Oleanna, the aim was to contradict the misdirected criticism which focused on sexual harassment as the core issue of the play and to demonstrate how intricate, mostly subconscious social norms imposed by the establishment of political correctness are, in fact, those corrupting sources which prevent the two protagonists, John and Carol, from achieving meaningful communication. The sole concept of political correctness and its underlying mythically utopian propositions prove to be the main alienating forces further expanding the gap between individuals, who are too vulnerable to expose themselves to a chaotic world in order to rebuild the one which has failed them. Finally, it is by making necessary connections between the social, political, and personal aspects of Oleanna that this paper ventures to propose what Mamet has refrained from doing – a solution to what has been perceived as devastating repercussions that the passive acceptance of superficial reality eventually leads to, in the form of critical revaluation of that same reality in order for it to become ‘real’ once again.

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