In Oleanna, we see a couple of prevalent themes. These themes are all shown directly through the conversation, and carry a lot of weight, especially in today's society. These themes are as follows:
Communication:
The majority of this play is about the use of communication, and how it changes our perception of somebody, and our actions towards them. In Oleanna, communication plays a massive role in the pacing and setting of the scene. It doesn't work as well in the textual version of the play, as you don't have the same effect while reading it, but the use of interruption is one major role in this. Whenever John speaks to Carol, and as he is about to drive down a point, he is interrupted. Other examples of communication also include the teacher/student dynamic, the use of power in communication, which is shown through John abusing his power at the beginning, the use of ghost characters, and Carol's reliance on "the group" to put words in her mouth. Body language and intention also play a heavy role in the play, as they shape Carol's actions towards John in the second and third act.
Political Correctness:
Oleanna is very critical of the air of political correctness that was around in the 1990's. In this play, we see Carol feeling threatened by John, and she turns to her group, who I believe are a feminist activist group, for advice. They advise her that he is raping and assaulting her, even though he hasn't done anything that's anything like that. This makes the political correctness movement absurd, and points out the ability to misuse it for revenge or nefarious ends.
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