Further Reading

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

Atkinson, Brooks. "Village Vagrants."The New York Times (31 January 1960): III. 1.

Review of The Zoo Story that finds the play "original and engrossing" but considers the ending "conventional melodrama."

Matthews, Honor. "The Disappearance of the Image in England and America." In The Primal Curse: The Myth of Cain and Abel in the Theatre, pp. 187-205. London: Chatto and Windus, 1967.

Includes a discussion of The Zoo Story. Matthews views the story of Jerry and Peter a "twisted" version of the Cain and Abel tale, for in Albee's play "the agressor throws down the knife at his victim's feet, and himself … achieves before death a transient fulfillment and peace."

Way, Brian. "Albee and the Absurd: The 'American Dream' and 'The Zoo Story'." In American Theatre, ed. John Russell Brown and Bernard Harris, pp. 189-207. London: Edward Arnold, 1967.

Examines the conflict between realism and the Theatre of the Absurd in two of Albee's early works. Way argues that while Albee adopts elements of the Theatre of the Absurd, he fails to achieve that drama's power.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Previous

Critical Commentary

Loading...