THE IMAGE OF THE PROFESSOR IN DRAMA

The character of the professor has been a recurring image in literature. Literary traditions are rich with examples that show professors as active characters in different literary genres. Developing a theory that governs the appearance of this character in literature, this book explains how the image of the professor character in recent American drama is an extension of its appearance in the previous literary continuum. The appearance of the professor in literature and the way it is reproduced is not limited to a specific time period. Rather, it has been portrayed on some standard models throughout literary history. Models of the professor character can be classified under four main categories. This book examines these categories in four recent American plays: David Mamet's Oleanna (1992), Peter Sagal's Denial (1995), R.A. Gurney's Human Events (2001), and Jamie Pachino's The Return to Morality (2004). This character is examined in selected pieces of literature from different time periods, including Middle English, the Renaissance and 20th century literature.