Gender Roles in Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Essay

Though usually viewed as a violent play astir(predicate) turbulent marriages, Edward Albees Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? should be regarded as an archeozoic feminist text. Bonnie Finkelstein writes that the 1962 play portrays and analyzes the damaging effects of traditional, stereotypical sex activity qualitys, particularly for women the play serves to point out how unrealistic, useless and extraordinarily conjure up they ultimately are.Finkelstein notes that the 1963 publication of Betty Friedans The Feminine Mystique unofficially began a re-evaluation of sexual activity bureaus in the United States (Finkelstein 55). Friedan explores the idea that women need much(prenominal) fulfillment in their lives than can be provided by the drudgery of childrearing and housekeeping. The book also guardedly lays out what society has determined to be the ideal sexual practice role requirements for womenThey could desire no greater destiny than to glory in their receive femininity. E xperts told them how to catch a man and keep him, how to breastfeed children and handle their mess traininghow to dress, look, and act more powder-puff and make marriage more excitingThey learned that truly feminine women do not destiny careers, higher education, political rightsAll they had to do was devote their lives from earliest maidhood to finding a husband and bearing children. (Friedan 15-16)And, more specificallyThe suburban housewifeshe was healthy, beautiful, educated, concerned only virtually her husband, her children, her home. She had found true feminine fulfillment. (Friedan 18)Albee echoes this, noting by contrast what the ideal men and women in 1962 should be. In separate(a) words, his characters have failed at living up to sexual urge roles and the play shows us how this quest has destroyed th... ...s flawed, proof that these gender roles are impossible to emulate. As Finkelstein notes, all four characters are afraid of Virginia Wolf, because she is, in 19 62, the only simulacrum of female equality society had. (Finkelstein 64)Works CitedAlbee, Edward. Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? saucily York Atheneum House, 1962.Finkelstein, Bonnie Blumenthal. Albees Martha Someones Daughter, Someones Wife, No Ones Mother. American Drama (5) no. 1, surpass 1995. pg. 51-70.Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique. reinvigorated York WW. Norton & Company, 1963.Julier, Laura. Faces to the Dawn Female Characters in Albees Plays. Edward Albee be after Wilderness. Interviews, bear witnesss and Bibliography. ed. Patricia De La Fuente. Edinburg, Texas Pan American University Print Shop, 1980.Vogel, Paula. How I Learned to Drive. new-made York Dramatists Play Service, 1998. Gender Roles in Edward Albees Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? EssayThough usually viewed as a violent play about turbulent marriages, Edward Albees Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? should be regarded as an ahead of time feminist text. Bonnie Finkelstein writes that the 1962 play portrays and analyzes the damaging effects of traditional, stereotypical gender roles, particularly for women the play serves to point out how unrealistic, useless and extraordinarily damnatory they ultimately are.Finkelstein notes that the 1963 publication of Betty Friedans The Feminine Mystique unofficially began a re-evaluation of gender roles in the United States (Finkelstein 55). Friedan explores the idea that women need more fulfillment in their lives than can be provided by the drudgery of childrearing and housekeeping. The book also cautiously lays out what society has determined to be the ideal gender role requirements for womenThey could desire no greater destiny than to glory in their take femininity. Experts told them how to catch a man and keep him, how to breastfeed children and handle their tooshie traininghow to dress, look, and act more feminine and make marriage more excitingThey learned that truly feminine women do not exigency careers, higher educati on, political rightsAll they had to do was devote their lives from earliest maidenhood to finding a husband and bearing children. (Friedan 15-16)And, more specificallyThe suburban housewifeshe was healthy, beautiful, educated, concerned only about her husband, her children, her home. She had found true feminine fulfillment. (Friedan 18)Albee echoes this, noting by contrast what the ideal men and women in 1962 should be. In other words, his characters have failed at living up to gender roles and the play shows us how this quest has destroyed th... ...s flawed, proof that these gender roles are impossible to emulate. As Finkelstein notes, all four characters are afraid of Virginia Wolf, because she is, in 1962, the only word-painting of female equality society had. (Finkelstein 64)Works CitedAlbee, Edward. Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? new-fangled York Atheneum House, 1962.Finkelstein, Bonnie Blumenthal. Albees Martha Someones Daughter, Someones Wife, No Ones Mother. American Dra ma (5) no. 1, drop cloth 1995. pg. 51-70.Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique. New York WW. Norton & Company, 1963.Julier, Laura. Faces to the Dawn Female Characters in Albees Plays. Edward Albee plotted Wilderness. Interviews, Essays and Bibliography. ed. Patricia De La Fuente. Edinburg, Texas Pan American University Print Shop, 1980.Vogel, Paula. How I Learned to Drive. New York Dramatists Play Service, 1998.