Studies in Literature and Language
Illusion and Reality in Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story
Abstract
Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story is about the interaction between its two main characters Peter and Jerry dramatizing the former’s disillusionment in the hands of the latter; Jerry’s speech and action aim at shattering Peter’s obsession with material things, his easy justification for stability, and his reluctance to understand the alienation at the core of his life. Jerry’s success in changing Peter comes at the cost of his life; however, there are interesting techniques deployed by him in order to convert Peter from an incommunicative person to someone who finally understands the value of human connection. Concentration on the conflicts between the two characters, detecting the causes of their alienation, and finally analyzing the techniques that Jerry employs to convert Peter, are the main issues discussed in this study with the hope to enlighten the hidden corners and revealing the implied meanings of a play which is quite rich in its symbolic suggestiveness.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/n
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