Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? dramatizes the progression towards an apparent watershed in the turbulent life of a middle-aged couple: Martha is the daughter of the president of a backwater New England college; her husband George, a history lecturer at the same college, has failed to be considered a suitable successor to Martha's father because he is something of a misfit and is ultimately more interested in creative writing and provoking those around him than in rising through the ranks of academia. He nonetheless feels hampered by Martha's father and by her incessant reminders that he is, in her eyes, “a great big flop”. The play represents a dreadful climactic evening as two young guests come for dinner. Nick and Honey …
2033 words
Citation: Martiny, Erik. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 October 2007 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=8777, accessed 25 November 2024.]
