Irrationalism In Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?

Edward Albee, best known for his acclaimed play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, is considered as one of the most influential and controversial American playwrights, and the pioneer of “the Theatre of the Absurd” in America. Since its emergence, this play has immediately aroused concerns from critics. On the basis of previous researches, this thesis is an attempt to probe into the expressions of irrationalism in Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? to illustrate his humanistic care toward western people’s existence and relationship in a chaotic world from the following three aspects.Firstly, the expression of irrationalism is found in the rejection of the rational communication. Albee thinks that due to the inability to communicate, language seems to lose its function, consequently, verbal abuse and violence bring communication at a deeper level.Therefore, the lives of the hero and heroine are filled with illogical language and irrational actions during their twenty-three-year marriage. Secondly, the expression of irrationalism is found in character’s indulgence of illusion. Albee shows audience that in order to escape from the cruel reality which leads to endless and untold pain, the characters indulge themselves in illusions, such as the hero and heroine’s imaginary “son”, and the two male characters’ unattainable “American dreams”. Thirdly, Albee, in this play, shows his ironies for the intellectuals through the academic setting and intellectuals’ performance; besides, through George, the hero of the play, Albee shows his suspect, even the fear of science, which is the rebellion against modern rational society.Through the interpretation of characters’ words and actions in this play, this thesis tries to probe into the modern people’s spiritual crisis and the distorted American dream after World War II to illustrate Albee’s concern over the human condition, and his introspection on modern civilization which focuses on rationality.