Zoo Story Analysis by Edward Albee - Book Report/Review Example

ZOO STORY BY EDWARD ALBEE s The Meeting The play begins with Peter who is sitting at the bench in New York Central Park andreading a magazine while smoking a pipe. It’s a sunny Sunday afternoon. This is well expressed by the lighting at the stage which illuminates the yellow sun spots. The tone is so calm and the actors look suspecting as they don’t know each other. These are the opening words; Ive been to the zoo” (Albee, 1958). As you sit down and watch the theatre the theme of the setting resembles of Central Park in New York City. The movement in also very slow as the actors approach each other. While continuing with his readings, he is approached by Jerry who is rather carelessly dressed. These are the only characters in this play. The introduction alone at this point already speaks a lot about what Albee is informing us. First is with regard to the dressing. On stage we can see that Peter is wearing glasses, a pipe on his mouth and smartly dressed. This already shows that he is a respectful man. In addition to this, his introductory statements and his behavior during the introduction already describe him as an eloquent person who is educated, stereotypical and intellectual. However, we later discover that Peter is a businessman and his dressing depicts some kind of information. Jerry informs Peter that he is rather lost and he is coming from the zoo. He wants Peter to confirm that he is going north. Peter informs him that he is actually going north but he does it in an educating manner which makes Jerry conclude he is well educated. Jerry is the first one to ask about Fifth Avenue and Peter confirms it and he also points to him about seventy fourth streets. Peter reminds Jerry that the Zoo is sixty Fifth Street and this confirms he has been walking north. Jerry tells Peter that he will die of cancer of the mouth because Peter is smoking pipe. As Jerry is struggling to describe the situation, Peter helps him with the word ‘prosthesis’ which confirms to Jerry that Peter is indeed educated. Jerry asks Peter, “Are you a doctor? You are an educated man”. Within a short time Jerry a passerby is able to poke into Peter’s life and find out that Peter earns $18,000 in one year. He is a businessman with two children and a wife. He also owns two parakeets as well as two cats at his home. Peter works in a publishing company. On the other hand, Jerry seems not to be married nor having even children. He explains to Peter regarding the size of his house. He lives is what he describes as a laughable sized room which is divided by a beaverboard. Peter also informs Jerry that he does not carry more than $40 at once just in case he is mugged. This explains the meeting of these two characters. The Honeymoon The mode here is so calm with the two participants now opening up and trusting each other. The color of the stage is still bright signifying some sense of hope for the future. The honeymoon actually begins when these two characters takes a walk at the zoo. The author of this play has managed to bring out themes of money, family, homosexuality and power struggle within the 60 minutes of the play. Despite the diverse themes, the bone of contention for Albee is the understanding between these two characters. During the honeymoon period, Jerry manages to pole into Peters life. Although Peter is furious with some of the questions he is able to hold his emotions. Jerry on the other side seems energetic but gentle. Peter is polite but this time Jerry gets into his nerves. However, Jerry the talkative man later opens up and explains to Peter where he lives. The opening line is, “I thought you lived in the village” (Albee, 1958). He explains that he has very few households including two empty frame pictures. Peter asks him whether he doesn’t have a dad or mom or even a girlfriend so that he can fix their pictures on the frames. It is at this time that the author describes the themes of power struggle and homosexuality as well as marriage and family. Jerry explains his struggle in his house and how his dad and mom separated while he was 10 years old. He explains how his father ended up getting married to another man Mr. Barleycorn. During all this time it is possible to realize that these people are from New York because of their accent. Amazingly, Jerry also reveals to Peter that while he was 15 just on the onset of puberty he was a homosexual. For the greater part of this play, Jerry explains to Peter his ordeal with the neighbor’s dog and how he has tried to kill the dog without being successful. The Breaking We notice the mood changing and the tone of the play rising. Then rock music fills the stage and sets the pace for provocation. The bright colors of the stage become deemed indicating that the bleak future coming ahead. This is the opening phrase of this scene, “its feeding time at the lions house and the lion keeper comes into the lion cage, one of the lion cages, to feed one of the lions” (Albee, 1958). This takes place when Jerry starts to poke Peter. He does this three times. It is a form of provoking Peter. Jerry is getting annoyed that his life is not similar to that of Peter. He confirms this by telling Peter earlier that he doesn’t have two daughters and two cats. In fact, Jerry tells Peter, its feeding time at the lions house, and the lion keeper comes into the lion cage, one of the lion cages, to feed one of the lions. He then punches Peter with his arm provoking him. He even pushes Peter away from the bench and then claims that the bench belongs to him. Peter does not believe this. He informs Jerry that he has given him so much attention the whole afternoon. He calls this a precious time that he would have not accorded Jerry if he knew he was a bad man. Peter says, “Ive put up with you long enough. Ive listened to you because you seemed ... well, because I thought you wanted to talk to somebody” (Albee, 1958). Peter reminds him that people don’t have everything in life and it is impossible to get everything in life. This fact provokes Jerry even further prompting him to throw a knife on Peter’s foot. He encourages Peter to defend his honor by killing him. Indeed Peter takes the knife and snubs Jerry because he is infuriated. Jerry reminds Peter as he dies that he has defended his bench but he will never come back to the bench because of guilt but he has proved his honor. There is a lot of movement toward the end as Peter runs up and down the stage. There is also the presence of blood and then the curtain suddenly falls. If this play is to be staged, the setting would be similar to that of Albee. For example, we will have only one bench and the two actors. We will use rock music to fit into the different scenes. The costumes will differ. Peter will dress like a decent man while Jerry’s costume will be those of rags and tattered clothes to reflect his background. The convention on the stage will just be a normal conversation between two characters that get to know each other explore each other’s life and finally break up and one ends up dead. The lighting will be bright yellow to reflect the Sunday sunny afternoon while I will introduce some cool breeze to the play. Creative Justification The creative justification will try to predict what happens to Peter immediately after stubbing Jerry with a knife. Peter: (looking freeze and confused) Ohh my God I killed him Wife: (confused) who did you kill what are you talking about? Peter: (approaches wife as he breaks down in tears) I killed Jerry Wife: Who is this Jerry come on tell me. Who is this Jerry. Come on Peter you’ve got to tell me Peter: He is a man who approached me in the zoo. He made me to do it am so sorry (breaks up into loud cry) Wife: (embraces Peter in her arms and comforts him) am sorry Peter when did this happen Peter: It just happened a while ago. I was reading my magazine before he approached me Wife: and then….(looking anxious) Peter: He just started asking me many questions and we took a walk Wife: A walk. Where? Peter: To the zoo. He looked like a nice man. I trusted him Wife: Then why did you kill him. I have never known you to be a murder ( shouting ) Peter: I am not a murderer Wife: Then you are what. (whispering) you just killed a man. Look at all the blood in your house Peter: (Crying) it was not my intention. He dragged me into it. I am sorry Ashley: (the daughter) Daddy what happened to you why are you having blood on your hand. Did someone hit you ( looking concerned). Wife: Honey go back to your room daddy is gonna be okay. (She carries Ashley and takes her upstairs away from his father) Peter: (He sobers up and stands firm) it was self-defense. He repeats this words three times Wife: (coming down from the bedroom stairs). Are you sure you will convince the police that this was a self-defense? Before Peter can answer this the police kick the door open and inform Peter that he is under arrest. He has the right to remain silent or all the words he use will be used against him in the court of law. (Curtains fall). The End. References Albee, E. (1958). The Zoo Story. New York: Oxford. Read More