The Zoo Story Theme Analysis Essay Example

When thinking about metaphors and correlations, there may come to some points where some may go to drastic measures to get their point across to express themselves. The Zoo Story is a play written by Edward Albee that is about two strangers, Jerry and Peter, meeting on a park bench that have a conversation about heavy topics like poverty, wealth, the social classes, and they get to know each other in little bits through this. By the end of the conversation, there are forms of loneliness, isolation, depression, and a want, or need, coming from Jerry, as he commits suicide in the end. There is a feeling of need from Peter as well as he tries to do all he can to get out of the conversation with Jerry by giving short answers. The Zoo Story includes a story entitled “Jerry and the Dog” in which Jerry tries his hardest to befriend the building's owner’s dog that is always seen only eating the garbage. The character relationship is similar because they have similar attitudes: one second they can be extremely kind and the next they can snap at you. Albee shows Jerry’s emotions through the dog’s actions and the multiple tries at how Jerry interacts with it is who Jerry’s character is. 

Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story conversation is a this and that way type one, as someone is feeling one emotion towards one subject and then they feel another mood relating towards something that they can talk about that is completely different, so it throws itself all over the place. That is who Jerry is: someone who can go from someone who is acting one way to someone completely different. For example, author Edward Albee says “[Peter] Well, it seems perfectly simple to me… [Jerry(angry)] Look! Are you going to tell me to get married and have parakeets? [Peter(angry himself)] Forget the parakeets! Stay single if you want to, no business of mine. I didn’t start this conversation in the … [Jerry] All right, all right. I’m sorry. All right? You’re not angry? [Peter(laughing)] No, I’m not angry. [Jerry] Good. (Now, back to his previous tone) Interesting that you asked me about the picture frames. I would have thought that you would have asked me about the pornographic playing cards. [Peter](With a knowing smile) Oh, I’ve seen those cards. [Jerry] That's not the point, (Laughs) I suppose when you were a kid and your pals passed them around, or you had a pack of your own” (Albee 26). When Albee mentions Jerry’s previous tone before this, he was talking about how he was yelling at Peter, only to have them go on to this conversation in a happy, joking, and teasing banter.