Edward Albee's unique view on the "American Dream"

Essay by pikelet89High School, 12th grade December 2006

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"The Zoo Story" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" are two of Edward Albee's best known plays. While telling two unique stories, Albee presents a unique yet similar view on the "American Dream". Through The Zoo Story and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Edward Albee presents the ideas that the "American Dream" is plagued by failure, the "American Dream" is flawed due to the absurdities within the nature of man, and finally that the "American Dream" is obscured because of instances of truth versus illusion. Through The Zoo Story and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Edward Albee presents a uniquely negative view on the imperfect "American Dream".

By presenting characters who are weighed down by failure in both The Zoo Story and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Edward Albee presents his pessimistic view of the "American Dream". In Virginia Woolf, Martha and George, who are central characters, are trapped in a failed marriage.

At the beginning of the play, Martha tells George, "I swear...if you existed I'd divorce you" (Virginia Woolf 18). As Richard Amacher states, "with these words the quarrel begins, and it speedily rises to a fairly intense pitch to tell the audience that all is not well with this marriage" (Amacher 68). Furthermore, George's failure to take over the History Department and eventually the whole University is a source of conflict between Martha and George. In a conversation with Nick and Honey, Martha explains, "first, he'd take over the History Department, and then, whenever Daddy retired, he'd take over the college" (Virginia Woolf 92). However, Martha believes that George, "can't make anything out of himself, somebody without the guts to make anybody proud of him" (94). This exchange is an exposition of George's "failure to rise in the ranks of...