Zoo Story - Existentialism
In a crowded city such as Manhattan, it was no wonder that a man like Jerry felt lonely. He was without a friend, a mother and father, and the typical “wife, two children, and a dog,” that many others had. Jerry was thrown in a world that he felt did not want him, and his human flaw of wanting to escape loneliness led to his tragic death. In Edward Albee’s play, The Zoo Story, all Jerry wanted was to be heard and understood, and in the end, after sharing his life story with a complete stranger, he got his final wish - death. The Zoo Story not only tells of the alienation of man in modern society, but also reflects the philosophy of twentieth century ...
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escaped without responsibility, he had to deal with the guilt that it was him who held the weapon that ended the life of Jerry. Peter had to face the rest of his life being aware of how others lived, and how one can feel so indifferent to the world yet live in the very same part of the city.
Both Peter and Jerry had to accept that the world they lived in was a hostile universe. Peter led his life playing by the rules while Jerry decided to accept the cruelties of life the way they were. Peter found that to live in this hostile world, it was better to conform with society and, as Jerry accused him, “make sense out of things and bring order.” Both the men’s acceptance, however, led to the isolation of the individual, where Jerry felt alone not by choice, while Peter, even though he lived according to the rules of society, still managed to isolate himself because he lived in a household of females. He achieved his sense of satisfaction with the world by coming to ...
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Zoo Story - Existentialism. (2005, June 25). Retrieved May 20, 2025, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Zoo-Story-Existentialism/29067
"Zoo Story - Existentialism." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 25 Jun. 2005. Web. 20 May. 2025. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Zoo-Story-Existentialism/29067>
"Zoo Story - Existentialism." Essayworld.com. June 25, 2005. Accessed May 20, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Zoo-Story-Existentialism/29067.
"Zoo Story - Existentialism." Essayworld.com. June 25, 2005. Accessed May 20, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Zoo-Story-Existentialism/29067.
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