Aging
The characters in Three Tall Women offer insights into a universal theme: the journey of aging. Through the portrayal of a woman at three distinct stages of her life, Albee skillfully contrasts their varied experiences and perspectives.
C, at twenty-six, embodies youth. She is idealistic and carefree, dismissing her older selves' predictions about her future. She cannot fathom marrying a man she doesn't love, being unfaithful, or estranging her only son. Even towards the end, she maintains, ‘‘I know my best times ... haven’t happened yet. They’re to come.’’
B symbolizes middle age, a point between youthful freedom and the frailty of old age. At this stage, she has gained some wisdom but has also become somewhat cynical. Despite this, she views her current age as the best phase of her life. ‘‘This must be the happiest time,’’ she remarks, ‘‘half of being adult done, the rest ahead of me. Old enough to be a little wise, past being really dumb.’’
A represents the twilight years. In the first act, she maintains dignity despite significant physical and mental challenges. She shows prejudice and pettiness, enjoys reminiscing about her life, yet struggles with recalling certain details. When she suffers a stroke while discussing her mother's death, it seems almost merciful.
The play's second act offers a new perspective on A. As she moves around her own deathbed, contemplating her life and current state, she remains elderly but is now healthy, and her previous confusion has vanished. She reflects on a life filled with both happiness and sorrow, achievements and failures.
Gender Differences
Three Tall Women stands out in its depiction of gender dynamics. It is a sincere and empathetic play focusing on women. The women portrayed are complex individuals, capable of both minor jealousies and grand gestures.
The noticeable absence of male roles in the play is striking. Men are only mentioned in conversation, and the only male character who appears on stage, the "tall woman's" son, remains silent. Nevertheless, her interactions with men, especially her husband and son, have deeply influenced her life.
Each portrayal of the woman offers a unique viewpoint on relationships with men. C cherishes the memory of the charming boy who took her virginity and daydreams about her future husband. She is intrigued by seeing The Boy, who will become her son. Not yet mature enough to understand how her views on him will evolve, she is taken aback by B's angry response to his presence.
B has already encountered and married her ideal man, whom she affectionately refers to as "the penguin." He has imparted some tough lessons about relationships to her. "Men cheat; men cheat a lot," she tells her younger self. "We cheat less, and we cheat because we're lonely; men cheat because they're men." The penguin never appears to justify himself, leaving a distinctly negative impression of men.
As the oldest of the group, A has long forgiven her husband and moved on from her father's passing. She even regrets her estrangement from her son. Over more than ninety years, she has been a daughter, wife, mother, and widow. These experiences have given her a more tolerant and balanced view of the men in her life.
Autobiographical Elements
In the introduction to his play, Edward Albee unflinchingly acknowledges its autobiographical nature, particularly in its portrayal of his adoptive mother. Albee’s relationship with her spanned his entire life, from infancy until her passing more than sixty years later. Despite a complex dynamic, Albee clarifies that he harbors no ill-will toward her, though he openly admits to not liking her much. His distaste was driven by her...
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prejudices and paranoias, elements of her personality that were difficult to tolerate.
However, Albee’s portrayal is not one-sided. Although he candidly critiques the aspects of his mother that troubled him, he balances this with an acknowledgement of her admirable traits. He appreciated her self-assuredness and pride, traits that commanded respect despite her otherwise difficult personality. In the last two decades of her life, Albee notes that even those positive attributes were overshadowed by behavioral tendencies that made her company challenging for almost everyone, himself included. Yet, through the play, Albee captures a nuanced depiction that neither glorifies nor vilifies her, offering instead a genuine exploration of the complexities inherent in familial relationships.
Inevitable Changes with Aging
Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women intricately delves into the inevitable transformations that accompany aging, providing a profound exploration of the human condition. The play centers around three women, each embodying different stages of life, who grapple with their understanding of self and the passage of time. Through their reflections, Albee invites the audience to ponder whether individuals genuinely learn from their life experiences.
The narrative unfolds through the distinct perspectives of three characters, each serving as a representation of different phases of aging. Woman C, the youngest, is infused with hope and naivete, yet there is an underlying tension in her denial of what she might become. Her journey reflects the unyielding passage of time as she inevitably marches towards becoming Woman A, the eldest character, who is now steeped in cynicism and disillusionment. The evolution of Woman C into Woman A encapsulates the transformation from youthful idealism to the hardened reality of old age.
At the heart of this transformation is Woman B, who stands at an intermediate stage between her younger and older counterparts. She embodies the transitional phase where past hopes and future realities collide. Albee uses her to illustrate the unavoidable progression of life, where change is the only constant. As the women reminisce about moments of happiness and pivotal life events, each monologue becomes a reflection on the past, questioning the wisdom gained and the inevitability of becoming one's future self.
Through Three Tall Women, Albee masterfully portrays the stages of life as a continuous journey, marked by the relentless march of time and the unending cycle of learning and transformation. The play compels one to consider the profound impact of aging on personal identity and the universal struggle to reconcile with one's past, present, and future selves.
The Role of Time
In Edward Albee's play Three Tall Women, time emerges as the most formidable force, outstripping any of the characters in its relentless progression and impact. Time's dominance over human life is starkly illustrated through the character of A, whose physical and mental decline represents the erosion of selfhood and dignity. Once a robust and independent woman, A's present state is characterized by frailty and dependence. Her physical ailments, such as a broken arm that her doctor threatens to amputate, and her incontinence, serve as tangible signs of her diminishing autonomy. These physical degradations underscore the overarching theme of inevitability that time imposes on all lives.
A's life journey, from riding horses and managing a household to her current state, is a poignant depiction of time's devouring nature. Her suspicions about outliving her resources reflect a pervasive fear of losing control and independence, a fear unfounded according to C’s observations of A’s financial security. However, these anxieties about independence mask a deeper existential dread that transcends monetary concerns. It is the fear of losing the essence of her identity as time inexorably advances.
Albee encapsulates the bittersweet essence of life’s journey through A’s concluding monologue, where she reflects on the happiest moment of her life. In a candid revelation, she admits that the happiest moment is not a specific event but the ultimate cessation of life’s struggles. She describes the moment when one reaches the end and can finally rest, illustrating the paradoxical relief that accompanies the finality of time. This reflection suggests a peace found not in life's peak experiences, but rather in its conclusion. Through her words, "When it’s all done. When we stop. When we can stop," Albee eloquently encapsulates the inevitability and ultimate resolution brought by time, leaving the audience with a profound contemplation of life and its transient nature.
Catharsis and Sympathy
In the unfolding drama of Albee's play, a profound catharsis is orchestrated for both the audience and the playwright himself. Albee crafts a narrative that gently guides the viewers to develop an unexpected sympathy for A, the character inspired by his adoptive mother, Frankie. Despite Albee's own admission that few harbored lasting sympathy for Frankie, the play skillfully evokes empathy for her complex persona. This emotional journey is not merely a theatrical device but a genuine reflection of Albee’s personal reconciliation with his past. Through this, audience members find themselves embarking on their own paths of introspection and emotional release, mirroring Albee’s own cathartic experience.
