Criticism > Drama Criticism > The Zoo Story - Critical Commentary

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CRITICAL COMMENTARY

Rose A. Zimbardo (essay date 1962)

SOURCE: "Symbolism and Naturalism in Edward Albee's The Zoo Story," in Twentieth Century Literature: A Scholarly and Critical Journal, Vol. 8. No. 1, April, 1962, pp. 10-17.

[The essay below presents the view that The Zoo Story is a "modern morality play" that places Christian symbolism in a context of "naturalistic dialogue, situation and setting. "]

The acclaim, both popular and critical, which has greeted Albee's The Zoo Story leads one to speculate upon the direction American drama is likely to take in the future. Concern with idea, rather than character or plot, is not new in the American theatre, nor is the use of symbolism for the realization of idea. There is, however, about American plays which employ symbolism—from O'Neill to Williams—a strong suggestion of the gimmick. Because American playwrights have been self-conscious in...

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