NOVATEUR PUBLICATIONS JournalNX- A Multidisciplinary Peer Reviewed Journal ISSN No: 2581 - 4230 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 6, June. -2021 DESCRIPTION OF DEATH: A RECURRING THEME IN THE WORKS OF EDWARD ALBEE Renu Yadav Assistant Professor of English G C W Ateli Mahendergarh, Haryana ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Albee’s work also demands a Death is a recurring theme in the works separation - separation from masked of all the realistic writers, and contemporary innocence in order to experience reality. American dramatists are no exceptions. They Art, for Albee, is a medium to make man are abnormally sensitive about death, as for confront reality, and this reality can never them death is more abstract and destructive. be embraced without accepting the final Eugene O’Neill and Tennessee Williams have reality of his life i.e., death. Albee’s theater used death in their works in various ways – has portrayed a number of instances and sometimes their characters are unable to circumstances in order to make us strong accept the bitter reality, while at other enough to accept the ultimate separation moments they embrace death as a medium for from ‘life at death.’ Pleasure and pain, release from this absurd life. Edward Albee, the success and failure, life and death make up hardcore realist, has associated countless two sides of a coin. Only one side is visible passages to death in more than a dozen plays. at one time but the other side is also waiting This is why, Albee is able to shift from the for its turn, this is what Albee advocates. An naturalistic presentation of death to symbolic important part of this acceptance is this and surrealistic presentation of death. In an that the person who has taken birth is interview with Matthew C. Roudane Albee said, bound to die as well. Robert Rowland Smith There are only a few significant things has rightly asserted that, “Everything that to write about: life and death. I am very lives, dies . Rather than being opposites, interested in the cleansing consciousness of therefore, it’s fairer to say that living and death; and the fact that people avoid thinking dying depend on each other, each the about death – and about living. I think we other’s condition” (01). Thus, if one has should always live with the consciousness of taken birth, his death is certain as well. But death. How else can we possibly participate in man forgets this certainty and starts living life fully? (195) expecting too much from life – power, Death is one of the significant things to possession, love, companions, happiness – write about because it highlights the value of as if he will remain in this state forever. life. Thus, Albee demonstrates various colours Forgetting that inevitability of death is also of death. In some plays Albee discusses death a ‘Life-Lie’ as it leads to plan so much which in general but Albee’s mastery can be judged is nothing but an illusion. The reality is this through the plays in which Albee portrays the nothing belongs to man as he is only a impact of death on the living persons rather traveler and can never attain stable than its impact on the person who is dying. position or state in the journey named life. Albee not only attacks human being’s inability to face death or death as a medium to release from this absurd world, but also makes a 420 | P a g e NOVATEUR PUBLICATIONS JournalNX- A Multidisciplinary Peer Reviewed Journal ISSN No: 2581 - 4230 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 6, June. -2021 wonderful presentation of death-watch in his order to make them realize the symbolic death plays. This death watch portrays the process of which is creeping in their lives. dying along with the presentation of the ritual Death scene is an important part in almost of waiting and shows us that how this death- half of Albee’s plays. In this chapter we will watch affects and haunts the life of survivors. dissect the plays which focus on death as a The Zoo Story ends with the Jerry’s death major theme, such as – The Sandbox (1960), which is brought in order to teach Peter the Box-Mao-Box (1968), All Over (1971), Listening importance of living life at its fullest – not as a (1976), The Lady from Dubuque (1980) and ‘vegetable’ but as an ‘animal’. Jerry impales Fragments: A Sit Around (1993). In these plays himself on the knife in order to get rid from his death is treated in various ways to save man alien and absurd life, and thanks Peter for from the life full of lies. The Sandbox, an comforting him by releasing him from the extremely short play, leaves the characters absurd life. So, in the very first presented play unnamed and makes them embodiment of their death is playing a very important role – roles which they are playing rather than working both as a teacher (for Peter) and a particular individuals. There are Mommy, comforter (for Jerry). The Death of Bessie Smith, Daddy, Grandma and Young Man (The Angel of too, revolves around the death of the Blues Death). The title of the play reminds us of the singer Bessie Smith. Through her death Albee child’s sandbox, but there is no child in the criticizes the White Americans for being play. So, the square sandbox symbolizes the inhumane to Blacks in America. Tiny Alice, the “oversized coffin” (Rutenberg 44). It is really a most debated play, also ends with the death of coffin because Grandma is destined to cover the protagonist Julian. Box-Mao-Box is full of herself up and remain in this box until the death symbols – the first part of the threnody Angel of Death takes over. Anne Paolucci fades to the sound of bell, with a darkened explains, stage and the second part unfolds the Long- The sandbox is the grave, regression, Winded lady’s autobiographical narrative dreams, heaven, escape, peace, even sexual which revolves around her husband’s death. fulfillment. The Young Man is the male body Listening, too, ends with the Girl’s suicide. beautiful, eternal youth, generosity, love, what Three Tall Women is a story of a dying lady who is gone, what is to come, sympathy, is recollecting her past on the death-bed. Who’s understanding, compassion. (27) Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ends with the death of The curtain goes up on a scene at a beach. the child – not the real death but the death of The play covers almost twenty-four hours – the illusionary child. All Over and The Lady from “which alters from bright day to deepest night” Dubuque are the plays which completely focus (TS 86) and ends with the birth of a new day on the process of dying and the impact of death and death of Grandma. The play opens and we on the survivors. Breda Murphy has rightly find Mommy and Daddy on a beach. Mommy remarked, “All Over concentrate on the finding this place perfect for Grandma’s death, situation of waiting . The Lady from Dubuque says “This will do perfectly . don’t you think is an intense treatment of the experience of the so, Daddy? There’s sand there, and the water loving survivors” (96). By this confrontation of beyond. What do you think Daddy?” (TS 87). death, Albee makes his audience aware not After this, she asks Daddy to help her in only of death but also of life. He wants to wake disposing Grandma. Mommy and Daddy return them up from their long death like sleep in to the beach, carrying Grandma, and they “dump her in” (TS 88) the sandbox. This act 421 | P a g e NOVATEUR PUBLICATIONS JournalNX- A Multidisciplinary Peer Reviewed Journal ISSN No: 2581 - 4230 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 6, June. -2021 juxtaposes pathos with meanness because a a farmer, who died when she was just thirty helpless old woman (Mother of Mommy – years old and left her all alone to raise their Grandma) is brought to death by her own unpleasant daughter. Firstly, her husband’s daughter. death devalued her life, and now Mommy and The younger as well as the older Daddy are devaluing life. They are treating generation is discarding death and life both Grandma as a discarded animal by making her because they are captured in the web of ‘Life- sleep on a blanket in the kitchen, and at the Lies’. The younger generation discards the hour of death, they are dumping her in the older generation not only because of their sandbox. callousness, but there is a psychological reason As the play approaches towards end, the as well i.e., the older generation is representing Musician (brought by Mommy and Daddy for the old age and death in front of the younger funeral) plays nice and soft music. Off-stage generation which they do not want to confront. rumbles convey the message that Grandma’s The older generation is also surrounded by death is approaching. The author parodies ‘Life-Lies’ as they expect that the younger theatrical conventions in order to satirize the generation will look after them when they will vacuity and hypocrisy of a death-watch. grow old, but the reality is totally different – Mommy and Daddy are not concerned with they are thrown out of the house like trash- Grandma’s life or death but they are dedicated bags. to the principle of conforming outwardly what In the play, too, Mommy and Daddy dump other people expect from them. Grandma into the sandbox for the above MOMMY. It means the time has come for poor mentioned reasons.