Matrix of Gender Intelligibility and Heteronormativity in Edward Albee’s the Zoo Story
Author : Aradhana Jyala
Abstract :
Edward Albee’s first play, The Zoo Story (1959) is one of those literary assets which dedicatedly cut through the illusions of contemporary American politics and cultural ethos, to confront the long-held social values. With the publication of the absurdist fictional 1-Act play, Albee came to be perceived as the leader of a new theatrical movement in America, ‘The Theatre of the Absurd’. The work explored themes of isolation, loneliness, gender, sexuality, identity, miscommunication as anathematization, social disparity and dehumanization in a contemporary commercial world. Albee’s success was in part predicated on his ability to straddle the traditional with the avant-garde. He combined the realistic with the surreal, voicing a critique of the society by calling into question the values and norms that underpin it. To Albee, alienation is a product of decisions taken, action deferred, myths endorsed and freedom denied, rather than a simple consequence of capitalism. He was a liberal voice recalling the individual to his moral and spiritual responsibility. His most celebrated play 'The Zoo Story' is a cautionary tale, exposing the harm of narrow gender norms and illuminating the need for a more expansive view of sexuality. This paper aims to explore the role of gender and sexuality in The Zoo Story. It also aims to examine the relationship between gender performance and social exclusion within the context of the play and how the characters (Peter and Jerry) are caught up in a matrix of gender intelligibility and heteronormativity in contemporary society.
Keywords :
Edward Albee, the zoo story, gender performance, sexuality, heteronormative, social exclusion
