Albee, Edward: 1928 - 2016
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, 1962 - Secondary Literature
Gender Roles & Masculinity/Femininity
- Ágnes Zsófia Kovács
"The Construction of Masculinity in Edward Albee’s Plays"
In Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies, Vol. 17, No. 1-2 (2011).
Use for: Explores George’s role and the fragility of masculinity within the context of mid-century American culture. - Katie Musgrave
"Performing Gender and Dysfunction in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"
In Papers on Language and Literature, 2012.
Use for: Analyzes how Martha and George use performance and gender norms to assert power.
- Ágnes Zsófia Kovács
Illusion vs. Reality / Truth and Games
- Michael Y. Bennett
"Truth and Illusion: Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"
In Reassessing the Theatre of the Absurd: Camus, Beckett, Ionesco, Genet, and Pinter (2011), Palgrave Macmillan.
Use for: Frames the play within Absurdist traditions and examines the use of games and truth as existential tools. - Elham Alzouebi
"Edward Albee’s Use of Illusion and Reality"
In Advances in Language and Literary Studies, Vol. 9, No. 2 (2018)
Use for: A close analysis of Albee’s use of dramatic illusion in psychological and thematic contexts.
- Michael Y. Bennett
Family, Childlessness, and the American Dream
- Stephen Bottoms
"Edward Albee and the American Dream"
In The Cambridge Companion to Edward Albee (2005)
Use for: Discusses how the play deconstructs mid-century ideals of family and success - Patricia R. Schroeder
"The Imaginary Child and the Death of the American Dream"
In Modern Drama, Vol. 53, No. 2 (Summer 2010)
Use for: Interprets the invented son as both a psychological crutch and a symbol of societal expectations.
- Stephen Bottoms
Power Dynamics and Psychological Warfare
- Brian Schneider
"The Battle of Wits: Verbal Abuse and Power Struggles in Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"
In The Midwest Quarterly, Vol. 54, No. 3 (2013)
Use for: Explores the ways George and Martha use language to assert dominance and control. - S.E. Wilmer
"Playing with Power: Language and Psychological Violence in Albee’s Plays"
In Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, Vol. 28, No. 1 (Fall 2013)
Use for: Investigates Albee’s strategic use of dialogue as emotional weaponry.
- Brian Schneider
Alcohol, Escapism, and Coping Mechanisms
- Ruby Cohn
"Alcohol and Catharsis in American Drama"
In Modern Drama, Vol. 54, No. 4 (2011)
Use for: Addresses drinking as a dramatic and psychological device in postwar American plays including Albee.
- Ruby Cohn