The Zoo Story
Daniel Castellanos
THE2000 Ms Janet Roney
12/1/12
The Zoo Story Edward Albee’s “The Zoo Story” is a one act play that shows what alienation and loneliness can drive a man to do. It is a unique story in the sense that you almost feel as though you are reading in on a social experiment. I consider it is an experiment because of how the reactions between the two characters Peter and Jerry lead up to an intense and life affecting climax between the two. The idea of The Zoo Story is about a middle class man with a wife and two daughters named peter who you can say is quite receptive to what life has given him so far. However, you also have a man named jerry who is just about the opposite. Jerry is unfortunately friendless and not to happy with what life has brought to his plate. One day these two characters have a date with destiny on a New York City park bench. As Peter is minding to himself Jerry comes along and tries to befriend him. The socialization between the two doesn’t go as planned for Jerry. Nevertheless, Jerry walked into that conversation with another plan. It was one that included his own death. Eventually, it ends up into a confrontation between the two where Jerry is punching thus forcing Peter into defending himself. Jerry then pulls out a knife and tosses it towards Peter forcing his hand. In self defense, Peter picks up the knife and holds it up which then leads to Jerry charging towards the knife and thus murdering himself. Peter reactively says “Oh my God” whereas then with Jerry’s last breath he says “Oh…My...God is a combination of scornful mimicry and supplication”. His last words give you an insight on what this novels idea could be. After reading, I started to relate to how Aristotle’s theory on Plot matches to “The Zoo Story”. When you think of plot you would consider the arraignment of events such as rising action and climax. Now when you start to stick together the structural plots in this story you would begin with the exposition
THE2000 Ms Janet Roney
12/1/12
The Zoo Story Edward Albee’s “The Zoo Story” is a one act play that shows what alienation and loneliness can drive a man to do. It is a unique story in the sense that you almost feel as though you are reading in on a social experiment. I consider it is an experiment because of how the reactions between the two characters Peter and Jerry lead up to an intense and life affecting climax between the two. The idea of The Zoo Story is about a middle class man with a wife and two daughters named peter who you can say is quite receptive to what life has given him so far. However, you also have a man named jerry who is just about the opposite. Jerry is unfortunately friendless and not to happy with what life has brought to his plate. One day these two characters have a date with destiny on a New York City park bench. As Peter is minding to himself Jerry comes along and tries to befriend him. The socialization between the two doesn’t go as planned for Jerry. Nevertheless, Jerry walked into that conversation with another plan. It was one that included his own death. Eventually, it ends up into a confrontation between the two where Jerry is punching thus forcing Peter into defending himself. Jerry then pulls out a knife and tosses it towards Peter forcing his hand. In self defense, Peter picks up the knife and holds it up which then leads to Jerry charging towards the knife and thus murdering himself. Peter reactively says “Oh my God” whereas then with Jerry’s last breath he says “Oh…My...God is a combination of scornful mimicry and supplication”. His last words give you an insight on what this novels idea could be. After reading, I started to relate to how Aristotle’s theory on Plot matches to “The Zoo Story”. When you think of plot you would consider the arraignment of events such as rising action and climax. Now when you start to stick together the structural plots in this story you would begin with the exposition