BETWEEN ALBEE’S DOG AND GOAT: IMAGES OF ANIMAL COMPANIONSHIP

Abstract

Modern times seem to have been inflicted with a puzzling sickness that pervades humans’ existence on every possible level. The modern sickness of loneliness and loss of connection assumes center stage position whether in social contexts or personal spaces. This modern ailment is clear within the modern American setting particularly; therefore, many dramatic pieces try to dramatize its manifestations and consequences. The present paper attempts to explore the manifestations of this sickness in the representations of animal companionship. Such representations populate many modern American plays from the beginning of the twentieth century and moving on to the millennium. The paper suggests that images and representations of animal companionship are only expressions of modern individuals’ isolation and loss of connection. The paper examines two plays by Edward Albee, The Zoo Story (1959) and The Goat or Who’s Sylvia? (2000), that represent a new kind of companionship that may or may not sustain the struggle of their modern protagonists to establish some kind of connection with the world around them. Key words: Animal Companionship, Human-Animal Studies, Loneliness