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  • Essay / The character who wasn't there: Dad in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf"

    In the drama Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Edward Albee meticulously constructs Dad as a character who is both omnipresent and linked to the representation of the major themes of the play. Albee uses Dad's looming but absent presence to bring out the traits of the other characters and also portray their relationships in a particularly stark light. Papa is almost realistic in the relationship between George and Martha, while simultaneously serving as a supernatural, fictional presence that draws attention to rituals, cycles, conflict, and escape, thus giving rise to the ideology behind the theater of Albee's absurdity. to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"? Get an original essay On a mostly superficial level, Dad reveals himself as a major factor in Martha's life, supported by the fact that she speaks of her “relationship” with him. . The audience also sees the importance he places on Martha wanting her son's eyes to be green, because "daddy's eyes were green too." At the same time, Dad is Martha's trump card, the last word in any argument with George. When trying to resolve an issue between them, George is interrupted by "Dad said...", meaning that Dad is a third person in their relationship. Additionally, Martha admits that George is the only one who makes her happy, but on the contrary, because George is not living up to Dad's expectations, by being a "flop" and not being able to take the lead. relay, Martha is eternally dissatisfied with their relationship and disappointed in George. So, dad hinders their relationship and occupies an important position over them and also means the inability to love completely. This lack of satisfaction and this inability to find happiness and intact love is linked to the absurdity of the human condition. Therefore, through Dad's unquestioned authority and influence, Albee portrays him as an almost divine being. Dad seems to have the last word. “Dad didn't let him” publish the book and “Daddy said we should be nice”: Dad dictates what happens. The fact that Dad is never seen in the play, but has the highest authority status and can manipulate the characters, further highlights the absurdity. An invisible and irrational force controls the actions and conditions of characters and people on a daily basis. This theme explored by Albee is intriguing because of its universality and relevance even in our society today. What is also significant is the description of Dad as a large white mouse with red eyes. This gives it a fable-like character and adds to the effect of the rituals in the second act. The ritual and curse are supported by the fact that he is always present and as a mouse he carries evil across the room. It should also be noted that there is no mention of him leading up to, during, or after the exorcism procedure. The feeling that everything is cyclical, representing the futile state of humanity, is explored through Papa. It is mentioned that he has a "sense of continuity", which is important because throughout the play Albee evokes repetition, continuity and cycles. Furthermore, the cycle of sadness is caused by the fact that “you (Dad) cry all the time” and Martha, the offspring, cries “all the time”. This underlines the continuity, the sadness is passed down from generation to generation, endlessly and extends to George and, furthermore, freezing their tears to consume the latter. In the same sense that nothing is human choice, futility, and alien control of the characters, Martha and George are never alone, except at the end of the play. They need their audience Nick,.