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MASARYK UNIVERSITY Teacher-Student Relationship in David Mamet´S Plays

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MASARYK UNIVERSITY Teacher-Student Relationship in David Mamet´S Plays MASARYK UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF EDUCATION Department of English Language and Literature Teacher-Student Relationship in David Mamet´s Plays Master´s thesis Brno 2020 Supervisor: Author: Mgr. Jiří Šalamoun, Ph.D. Mgr. Jiří Erml Bibliography Erml, Jiří. Teacher-student relationship in David Mamet´s plays. Brno: Masaryk Univerzity, Faculty of Education, Department of English Language and Literature, 2020. The supervisor of the presented Master´s thesis is Mgr. Jiří Šalamoun, Ph.D. Abstract This Master's thesis deals with the topic of teacher-student relationship in selected plays of the American playwright David Mamet. The teacher-student relationship in Mamet’s plays is very frequent and in most cases does not result in a positive influence on the characters who are in the position of students. Finding the reason why this happens is the main target of this thesis. This topic is examined from both literary and psychological points of view by an analytical method and shows four major paths of development in this relationship: the tragic path, the path of conformity, the path of struggle, and finally the path of emancipation. The main factor that negatively influences this relationship is the personality of the teacher and their utilitarian goals. Abstrakt Tato diplomová práce se věnuje tématu vztahu učitel-student ve vybraných hrách amerického dramatika Davida Mameta. Tento jev je v Mametových hrách velmi častý a ve většině případů má negativní vliv na postavy v rolích studentů. Hlavní otázkou této práce je, proč k tento negativní dopad vzniká. Toto téma je zpracováno z literárního i psychologického hlediska analytickou metodou zkoumání, přičemž dochází k rozlišení čtyř vývojových cest mezi učiteli a studenty. Jsou to: cesta tragická, cesta konformní, cesta zápasu a cesta emancipace. Hlavním faktorem, který negativně ovlivňuje vztah mezi učitelem a studentem je se ukazuje být především osobnost učitele a jeho utilitární cíle. Keywords David Mamet, learning, teacher-student relationship, Oleanna, traumatic experience, progressive education 2 Declaration I proclaim that this bachelor´s thesis was done by my own and I used only the materials that are stated in the literature sources. I agree with the placing of this bachelor´s thesis in the Masaryk University Brno in the library of the Department of English Language and Literature and with the access for studying purposes. In Brno 16th July 2020 Mgr. Jiří Erml 3 Acknowledgement I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mgr.Jiří Šalamoun, Ph.D for his professional supervision over this Master´s thesis, for his valuable advice, and very patient attitude. 4 Content 1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………….. 6 2. Thematic Areas in Mamet’s Plays — Learning ………………………………………….. 7 3. Mamet’s Childhood ……………………………………………………………………… 9 4. Mamet’s School Experience ………………………………………………………………... 11 5. Traditional versus Progressive Education and Experience………………………….. 13 6. Lakeboat as a Gate to Mamet´s Dramatic Works…………………………………… 16 7. Traumatic Experience as a Start to Life…………………………………………… 21 7.1 Family Breakdown…………………………………………………………….. 21 7.2. Sexual Traumas………………………………………………………………... 23 7.3. Alcoholism……………………………………………………………………. 26 7.4. Psychological Pressure in the Early Years…………………………………….. 27 8. Teacher–Student Relationship……………………………………………………… 28 8.1. A Tragic Way — The Cryptogram and Faustus…………………………….. 29 8.1.1 Faustus…………………………………………………………………... 36 8.2. The Path of Conformity — The Gopher Bob and Danny ……………………. 39 8.2.1 Danny the Sexist………………………………………………………… 45 8.3. The Path of Struggle: Karen and Carol ……………………………………... 50 8.3.1 Carol´s Fight and Indictment ……………………………………………. 55 8.4 The Path of Emancipation …………………………………………………… 63 9. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………….. 69 Works cited………………………………………………………………………… 75 5 1. Introduction It is a well-known truth that theory and practice are two competing concepts that often stand against each other. One of the most famous quotes on this topic comes from Goethe’s Faust: “All theory is grey, my friend. But green is life’s glad golden tree” (98). It is fitting that these words are said by Mephisto, demonic power, to the student who hesitates what subject to study at the university. It is also typical that this profound truth comes from the area of art, especially drama. And it is drama which is considered from the time of Aristotle’s Poetics as the act of mimesis (imitation of life) and is based on human action. So that is why drama may be related to real life more than other types of art. David Mamet is one of the best-known American playwrights and has written a wide range of art pieces including essays, prose and film scripts. He is also a person who “likes to shock and unsettle” (McKie 1). This master thesis is primarily based on a selection of Mamet’s plays which strongly concern or provoke educational questions: Lakeboat, The Cryptogram, Faustus, American Buffalo, Sexual Perversity in Chicago, Speed-the-Plow, Oleanna, A Life in the Theatre, and The Shawl. This paper focuses on the characters who act as teachers and students and takes into consideration another group of characters — people who lack pedagogical ambitions. The teacher-student relationship in Mamet’s plays is very frequent and in most cases does not result in a positive influence on characters in the position of students. Finding the reason why this happens is the main target of this thesis. The aim of this work is also to detect problems the characters of Mamet’s plays face and see them in the context of Mamet’s childhood, educational and life experience which are influenced by educational ideas of progressive education. The interpretations of this study are based on primary resources including Mamet’s plays and 6 psychological studies, and secondary resources e.g. critical and analytical studies on Mamet’s plays and polemics on his thoughts. This paper contributes to the issue of educational theory and practice from the point of view of art — particularly drama, which is not primarily involved in educational problems and development. This view symbolically stays between the theories and practice, between the ideas and the real world and uses different means of expression in order to mediate to the perceivers the opinions of the characters, their life situations and emotions. Drama as a medium gives the characters, or more precisely the author, full freedom to express, name, describe or interpret the reality in their own interpretation, without any limitations by rules or social norms and taboos. In many cases art — drama — proves its ability to express the knowledge of human life very precisely and in the long term. Insight into the educational process through the prism of artistic creativity might be refreshing and provoke questions and answers outside the main range of interests of theoretical and practical pedagogy. 2. Thematic Areas in Mamet’s Plays — Learning Mamet’s biographer and analyst of his works Dennis Carroll finds these main thematic areas in his plays: ethics, business, sex, learning, communion, and theatre (v). These areas blend, and it is not possible to analyse them separately. The questions of ethics and business have been emphasized (Kane, 1999; Boon, 2011). Attention has been paid to political incorrectness (Badenhausen, 1998), the relationship between language and power (Ryan, 2003; Showalter, 2005; Piette, 2005; Chiaramonte, 2014; Jeongho, 2018), the topic of gender and masculinity (Murphy, 2011; Goggans, 1997; Basourakos, 2018). Religious aspects of Mamet’s plays have been taken into consideration (Safaei, 2017) and the topic of communication and 7 Mamet’s special writing style called Mametspeak has been stressed (Whatley, 2011; Skřivanová, 2015). Carroll has also noticed how important a role in Mamet’s works is played by the theme of learning and from this point of view he thought about the group of plays, containing this theme remarkably. Carroll finds in Mamet’s plays primarily an educational relation between two men “often taking the form of mentor-protégé” (70). And the subject-matter he names this way: “What is taught has authenticity — based on genuine experience or skill” (71).Hubert- Leibler contributed to the topic of learning in Mamet’s plays and pointed out the frequently used vocabulary related to this topic, e.g. “learn, show, teach, lesson, know” or “school” (557). This list can be extended by objects which are often mentioned or displayed in Mamet’s plays and symbolically relate to education or the knowledge theme. The most frequent object of this type is a book which is a very frequently used symbol in Mamet’s dramatic works. A book, read or written or just mentioned by the characters is often the object of crucial importance for the plots of plays e.g. Oleanna, Speed-the-Plow, Faustus, Squirrels, and has a minor importance in almost every Mamet’s play e.g. Lakeboat, American Buffalo, The Cryptogram, and others. Book — as will be showed later — is a symbol opposed to the symbol of money representing material needs.Carroll’s book was published in 1987, and Hubert-Leibler’s study in 1988, that is before Speed-the-Plow (1988), Oleanna (1992), The Cryptogram (1994) were written and extended the teacher-student relation between men, as Carroll stresses, to women characters, although women primarily do not act in the role of teachers but students. However, it becomes evident that Carroll and Hubert-Leibler saw an appropriate function of the theme of learning within Mamet’s drama of the time, which is confirmed and further emphasized by Mamet’s later works. 8 3. Mamet’s Childhood To understand Mamet’s works and story motifs it is essential to look into the author’s biography. In Mamet´s childhood and school experience appear crucial motifs of his drama, such as contradictory family relationship, attitude to school system and authorities. David Allen Mamet was born on 30 November 1947 in Floosmoor, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. His father was a labour lawyer and his mother a special education teacher.
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