Albee, Edward: 1928 - 2016

The Goat or Who is Sylvia?, 2002 - Thematic Parallels: Limits of Tolerance

Albee, Edward: The Goat or Who is Sylvia?, 2002, ~60pp
The play explores love, loss, and the limits of tolerance within an apparently liberal society, as well as the destruction of an idyllic family life when a shocking taboo is revealed.
The following books are thematically simliar. Having read The Goat or Who is Sylvia?, these texts lend themselves well to being read in groups, compared with one another, or used to teach a similar topic over an extended period with a class:
- Chopin, Kate: The Awakening, 1899, ~350pp
  The protagonist’s awakening to her own desires and identity leads to the destruction of her illusions about marriage, motherhood, and societal expectations.
  Both works are fundamentally concerned with the limits society places on individual identity, desire, and relationships. "The Awakening" uses psychological realism to critique gender roles, while "The Goat" uses absurdity to challenge the very definitions of love and morality.
- Boyle, T.C.: The Tortilla Curtain, 1995, 1995, ~340pp
  This novel critiques societal attitudes toward immigration and the boundaries of tolerance in the face of economic disparity and cultural differences in a contemporary American setting.
  Both books use their narratives to expose the hypocrisies and artificial boundaries within society, but "The Tortilla Curtain" focuses on external social divisions (race, class, immigration), while "The Goat" centers on internal, psychological and moral boundaries. Both, however, force audiences to question the foundations of their own beliefs and the structures that define their communities.
- Coetzee, J.M.: Disgrace, 1999, ~220pp
  This novel is about personal responsibility, societal change, and the complexities of forgiveness and reconciliation. The narrative challenges readers to consider the limits of tolerance in a society grappling with its past.
  Both works use personal disgrace and the violation of social norms as a lens to examine broader questions about identity, morality, and the limits of tolerance. Both challenge audiences to confront uncomfortable truths about themselves and society.
- Miller, Arthur: The Crucible, 1953, ~120pp
  This play dramatizes the Salem witch trials, exploring themes of mass hysteria, the dangers of scapegoating, and the consequences of intolerance.
  Both plays use extreme situations—witch hunts and bestiality—to probe the limits of human tolerance, empathy, and moral judgment. Both force audiences to confront uncomfortable truths about judgment, empathy, and the boundaries of acceptable behavior.
- Wiesel, Elie: Night, 1960, ~100pp
  "Night" is a memoir about the Holocaust, focusing on survival, trauma, and the consequences of extreme intolerance and dehumanization.
  "Night" and "The Goat or Who is Sylvia?" are fundamentally different works in genre, setting, and subject matter, but both explore profound questions about human nature, suffering, and the boundaries of morality and empathy.
List of general discussion questions on destruction of illusions (pdf)
List of essay prompts on destruction of illusions (pdf)