Edward Albee: A Dramatist in Protest

Abstract

This study is an attempt to explore the major social and moral
concerns of Edward Albee (1928- ) in two of his famous plays:
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf ? and The Death of Bessie Smith . In
these plays Albee reveals his protest against corrupt cultural values and
the false concept of manhood and womanhood .
He also exposes the perverted husband-wife relationships which
lead to frustrations and nightmares . Themes of social inequality , racial
distinction , loss and death are never absent of Albee‟s mind. In his
representations of the American social life , Albee focuses on the artificial
nature of many human relationships in his society .
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf ? is a realistic portrayal of the
dominance ofthe illusive dreams of the American elite . The play is set in
an American college.
It presents the events of one night spent by two couples who stay up
drinking after a party given by the President of the college. The four
characters of the play reveal the history of their marriages.George is a
middle-aged professor of History.Martha, his wife , is the daughter of the
President of the college.Nick is a young professor of Biology. Honey, his
wife, is a rich heiress of her father.Albee criticizes their mercenary
marriages.
Edward Albee believes that despite the material richness of the
American society , the American civilization is essentially empty . This
idea is reflected through the sterility of the characters in the play.The two
families in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf ? are childless.George and
Martha create an illusive dream by pretending that they have a handsome
child. The episode of the imaginary child is used to expose the loneliness
of those people. The child does not exist at all ; it is a shared illusive
dream of George and his wife to add some solace to their barren life