The Sandbox by Edward Albee; I want the paper to identify the character Youn Man - Essay Example

The character of the Angel of Death is quite amusing .Unlike presenting the gruesome image of the death angel, he bears the disposition of an innocent boy who reveals his identity in a quite innocuous way. Grandma is not a woman who likes to be pitied. Though she makes some reflections on the callous and indifferent behavior of her daughter and husband, yet she finds no excuse for complaining as she has been duly attended by them. They took me off the farm…which was real decent of them…and they moved me into the big town house with them…fixed a nice place for me under the stove…gave me an army blanket…and my own dish…my very own dish!

So, what have I got to complain about? Nothing, of course! I’m not complaining. The very statement seems to be ironic as the audience found no affection from the characters for the old lady. These characters attended the old woman not out of sense of duty rather they had certain utilitarian ends. ‘It pays to do things well’ is their cherished philosophy. Though they pretend mourning but the hollowness of their grief is also exposed. Grandma, though supposed to be near her end, takes active part in the action of the play.

She throws sand on Daddy and annoys him. She talks to the persons offstage and also engages herself in conversation with the Young Man. The character of Young Man is quite amusing and intriguing. When asked about his name by Grandma, he fails to tell his name as he seems to be unsure of his identity. But then he blurts out himself as Angel of Death. He is wearing swimming costume and doing calisthenics (quite amusing activities for the death angel).It would be hard for the audience to accept him as Angel of Death to see his appearance.

This seems to be another attempt on the part of the playwright to heighten the effect of mock seriousness which he wanted to create in his play. The very hollowness of the situation is quite obvious