American Research Journal of English and Literature

Albee was one of the first American playwrights who introduced the American audience to the theater of the absurd, which was spearheaded in Europe by Eugene Ionesco and Samuel Beckett. His literary works showed his ingenious ability to “Americanize” the theater of absurdity which was made famous by European playwrights. The aim of this paper is attempting to analyze one of Albee’s most prominent plays, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Which mainly focuses on the conflict between reality and illusion as reflected in one of its main characters, Martha. This paper also will touch upon the themes of materialist marriage, social hypocrisy complexities of motherhood, frustration, and self-delusion. These conflicts were in turn ascribed to the psychological distress and sense of loss felt by Martha. As well as, this paper will explore Albee’s message to his audience about the right foundation on which marital relations should be based