Oleanna traces the events over a couple of months in the lives of two characters - a male professor and a female student who fail to understand each other. The student has worked hard to get to college in the first place. She has read the professor's book in order to write her essay. True, she does not understand it, but she expects to be taught and given the rewards of a university education. What she sees is a professor who seems at least as interested in buying a new house and securing his tenure as teaching his subject. Moreover, he has troubles with his wife and his telephone scarcely stops ringing. The lack of communication between the professor and the student is, at first, a cause of irritation to John; once he realises the potential danger in the situation, it is too late to prevent the devastating consequences.
