Oleanna
Was writing a paper and this exchange between the two characters jumped out at me...
(Carol is a student seeing her college professor about her grade, John, the prof., decides to tell her his beliefs on the 'college system')
Carol: What do you think?
John: Should all kids go to college? Why...
Carol (pause): To learn.
John: But if he does not learn.
Carol: If the child does not learn?
John: Then why is he in college? Because he was told it was his "right"?
Carol: Some might find college instructive.
John: I would hope so.
Carol: But how do they feel? Being told they are wasting their time?
John: I don't think I'm telling them that.
Carol: You said that education was "prolonged and systematic hazing."
John: Yes. It can be so.
Carol:..if education is so bad, why do you do it?
John: I do it because I love it. (Pause) Let's....I suggest you look at the demographics, wage-earning capacity, college- and noncollege-educated men and women, 1855 to 1980, and let's see if we can wring some worth from the statistics. Eh? And...
Carol: No.
John: What?
Carol: I can't understand them.
John:...you...?
Carol:...the "charts." The Concepts. the...
John: "Charts" are simply...
Carol: When I leave here...
John: Charts, do you see...
Carol: No, I can't...
John: You can, though.
Carol: NO, NO- I DON'T UNDERSTAND. DO YOU SEE??? I DON'T UNDERSTAND...
John: What?
Carol: Any of it. Any of it. I'm smiling in class, I'm smiling, the whole time. What are you talking about? What is everyone talking about? I don't understand. I don't know what it means. I don't know what it means to be here...you tell me I'm intelligent, and then you tell me I should not be here, what do you want with me? What does it mean? Who should I listen to...I...
------- Oleanna by David Mamet.