Comparing Mamet's The Screenplay And The State Fair

In his essay The Screenplay and the State Fair, David Mamet criticizes the profit based production, of drama in Hollywood and pop-culture. He describes mainstream movies as systematic, planned, and inauthentic. He even goes so far as to claim, Hollywood movies are no longer drama, but instead are advertisements. Mamet sets out to defy the status quo of Hollywood dramas by creating organic plots that do not follow an obviously scripted, or charted path. Due to Mamet’s organic plots, the resolution of his story’s often feel unsatisfactory, and at times, disappointing because they are not what the reader wants or expects. His creations keep his readers on their toes, and frequently leaves them feeling surprised and confused. His technique however,

The student, Carol goes to Professor John’s office after class to ask for help because she does not understand the material. They talk back and forth, John promises Carol and A in the class if she returns to discuss class material with him and he leaves for home to celebrate a possible promotion. The next day, he learns Carol charged him with sexual harassment and invites her back to his office to try and quietly fix the damage her complaint has wreaked on his career. Their conversation causes him to aggressively grab her shoulders when she tries to leave his office. The next day, John is packing up his office because he is suspended. As he is packing he is having a conversation with his wife over the phone. During the conversation he calls his wife the pet name ‘baby’. Carol overhears and demands that John never call his wife that again. John is pushed over the edge and starts physically and verbally abusing her. He goes so far as to pick up a wooden chair and holds it above his head ready to harm Carol, until he realizes what he has done. The play ends with both of them in his office, frozen in shock, over the violent