Simone Schlösser | Akateeminen Kirjakauppa

The Zoo Story has been analysed in all sorts of contexts and received a wide variety of interpretations: Bigsby (1984, 257) point out that "the two characters constitute a model of American experience", the drama has been seen "as a homosexual pass, as an admonition not to talk to strangers in Central Park, [or] a Christian allegory about Peter denying Jerry (Christ) three times" (Kolin in Bottoms 2005, 17f.), just to name a few. Presumably there is nothing in this play that has not been analysed before. So I am going to focus on one of Jerry¿s statements: "I went to the zoo to find out more about the way people exist".I am going to try to find out how Jerry and Peter exist, in contrast to each other and in accordance (or non-accordance) with the concepts and ideas of existentialism.Albee focuses on (...) the inner reality of Peter and Jerry, on the quality of their respective sensibilities, and on the existentialist choices each person makes. Albee¿s interest is in fundamental human values as objectified through the individual." (Roudané 1987, 29)In the chapter 2 of this paper, I am going to put together important biographical data about Edward Albee in connection with the early phase of his career and publishing The Zoo Story.The third chapter will be concerned with the attempt at a definition of existentialism in general and the ideas about Becoming More Authentic by James Park. He enlightens "the positive side of existentialism" and provides a basis and part of the theoretical background for a detailed analysis of the figures Jerry and Peter. Later in the chapter I will draw the bow from existentialism to the theatre of the Absurd and point out how they connect. Part 3.4 of that chapter will attend to Jean-Paul Sartre¿s dictum "existence precedes essence" and how it is related to The Zoo Story, as well as on the statement "humanity is condemned to freedom".In chapter 4, I will provide an analysis of Peter and Jerry in terms of existentialist traits from different angles based on Becoming More Authentic and Sartre.As a conclusion in chapter 5, I will make an effort to put all threads together.