Living Under Maya – a Veil of Illusion Edward Albee dominated American theatre in the 1960s and 1970s. Albee was considered to be an, “angry young man,” who provided the, “much needed change to American theatre.” (Kolin, viii). In 1962 Albee introduced his well known play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. The play starts off with a middle-aged couple, Martha and George, coming home from a party. George is a history professor working at a university and Martha is the daughter of the university’s head. During the party Martha invites a younger couple, Nick and Honey, to their home. During their visit, their insecurities
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through his satirizing of the American Dream. In Act II George plays his game of “Get the Guests.” Using George’s line on page 161, Konkle says that Albee refers to, “the materialistic corruption of religion by the American Dream in George’s allegory of Nick and Honey in the ‘Get the Guests’ game.” (Konkle, 50-51). Konkle then goes further on and quotes Albee to intensify his point, “[s]he was a money baggage among other things…Godly money ripped from the golden teeth of the unfaithful, a pragmatic extension of the big dream.” (Albee, 161). Konkle mentions American capitalism where having money is an ideal in American society and, by extension, an ideal of the American dream. Albee is criticizing, “Godly money,” and how religious men in the “name of God,” steal money and take advantage of optimistic and hopeful individuals who believe that giving godly incentives might provide them with a beneficial output. In reality, little to no output is received and often times the money is gobbled up by the, “men of god,” or in the case of American capitalism: big corporations or the, “top one percent,” as said by Bernie Sanders and his fellow progressives. Moreover, another way Albee is satirizing the American dream is through George and Martha, and how the couple embodies old American values which is essentially just George and Martha’s desire for a son and for wanting to become a traditional American family. In 1950’s American, there was this idea of a “strong” family with a heterosexual couple and, of course, children. The woman was expected to be in the kitchen, the man should be at work, and children must be beautiful, properly kept, and with good manners. Albee satirizes this ideal when George walks towards Nick and says, “[t]hat’s not our own little sonny – Jim? Our own little all-American something-or-other?” (Albee, 207). Albee’s use of a bland American name like Jim,
through his satirizing of the American Dream. In Act II George plays his game of “Get the Guests.” Using George’s line on page 161, Konkle says that Albee refers to, “the materialistic corruption of religion by the American Dream in George’s allegory of Nick and Honey in the ‘Get the Guests’ game.” (Konkle, 50-51). Konkle then goes further on and quotes Albee to intensify his point, “[s]he was a money baggage among other things…Godly money ripped from the golden teeth of the unfaithful, a pragmatic extension of the big dream.” (Albee, 161). Konkle mentions American capitalism where having money is an ideal in American society and, by extension, an ideal of the American dream. Albee is criticizing, “Godly money,” and how religious men in the “name of God,” steal money and take advantage of optimistic and hopeful individuals who believe that giving godly incentives might provide them with a beneficial output. In reality, little to no output is received and often times the money is gobbled up by the, “men of god,” or in the case of American capitalism: big corporations or the, “top one percent,” as said by Bernie Sanders and his fellow progressives. Moreover, another way Albee is satirizing the American dream is through George and Martha, and how the couple embodies old American values which is essentially just George and Martha’s desire for a son and for wanting to become a traditional American family. In 1950’s American, there was this idea of a “strong” family with a heterosexual couple and, of course, children. The woman was expected to be in the kitchen, the man should be at work, and children must be beautiful, properly kept, and with good manners. Albee satirizes this ideal when George walks towards Nick and says, “[t]hat’s not our own little sonny – Jim? Our own little all-American something-or-other?” (Albee, 207). Albee’s use of a bland American name like Jim,