Themes in Oleanna

I think that one of the themes in Oleanna is the struggle for power. Through out the play, Carol and John battle for the power in their relationship. Their battle ultimately results in the destruction of Johns career and life, while though Carol ends up with the power she is also physically beaten by John. This power struggle also appears to change people throughout the play as in the final lines Carols accusations become true and John turns into the man that Carol accuses him of being. I think that this is one of the strongest images of power as we see Carols ability to manipulate John so much.

The idea of power is also seen through "the groups" manipulation of Carol. The amount of influence over Carol "the group" has is phenomenal. Whenever we see that Carol has become stronger and more confident it is when she references "the group" and what they've told her. I think that "the group" is a very important ghost character because of the effect that they have on Carols character.