Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe

1. Part II Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe

2. Act I, Scene II • George’s comment: a ‘more private part of one’s anatomy’. Suggesting the theme of impotence once more. • Could be a reference to figurative castration by Martha & in turn could be referencing the castration of the American male by the American Female. • Do you think that this is an accurate suggestion? Why/Why not?

3. Could this be an example of intense misogyny on Albee’s part? • Honey’s inability to use the word bathroom suggesting her childlike qualities and avoidance of reality.

4. Act I, Scene III • ‘Parnassus’: a place from ancient Greek mythology that was a centre for poetry, literature & learning. • Why might George have made the reference?

5. How do you interpret George’s suggestion: ‘What? Oh…yes[….]bested’. (p16) • George: ‘we’re merely walking what’s left of our wits.’ (p17) • What does he mean by this? Do you believe that this is true?

6. Games & Gamesmanship • ‘Musical beds is the faculty sport around here.’ George blatantly states the promiscuity and marriage breakdown. (p17). • George’s open curiosity about Honey could be related to the above point. As could the fact that he tells us about Martha. • How might that be?

7. Professions • George: ‘making everyone the same.’ (p18) • George: ‘I’m very mistrustful.’ (p18) • ‘You people are going to make… [babies] in test tubes.’ (p20) • We can clearly see George’s feelings about Nick’s profession. • However, he is also critical of his own department or rather his position in it: ‘I am in the History Department…as oppose to being the history department.’ (p19) • What is meant by this? Why would he say this to Nick?

8. Interpret this exchange • George: ‘I was implying that your wife [Honey] is…slim-hipped.’ (p20) • Nick: ‘Yes…she is.’ • What does it tell us about George? About Nick?

9. Names for New Carthage • Illyria: an area of the Balkan Peninsula • Penguin Island: a novel set on a mystical island destroyed by capitalism. • Gomorrah: Biblical City destroyed for it’s wickedness. (p21)

10. The University • Where do you think the significance behind George’s cynicism about the university & aging comes from? Use the text to support your answer.

11. Chess • The scene has been compared to a chess game. How does George keep the upper hand? • Bear in mind: George is the son-in-law of the college president. Nick needs to be polite.

12. Act I, Scene IV • George: Of Alcohol ‘You’ll need it as the years go on.’ (p23) • George: ‘Martha hasn’t changed for me in years.’ (p24) • What might these phrases suggest about their relationship.

13. Childhood theme • Martha: ‘trot over to the barie-poo.’ • George: ‘little mommy a gweat big dwink.’ (p25)

14. Nick VS George • What is George doing when he speaks bitterly about Nick’s academic success? • What is it hiding? • Also his ‘paunchy’ body contrasted with Nick’s athletic achievements.

15. History Department • Notice the word play in Albee’s speech. What’s the meaning behind it? • ‘bogged down’ • ‘bog’ • ‘swampy’ • (p26)

16. Martha & George • George does his best to stop his temper from erupting on Martha. However, the way that he constantly accepts her abuse could be read in two ways: • He’s a masochist • He’s biding his time so that he can strike later.

17. Martha & George • George’s refusal to light Martha’s cigarette. How does he do this? • How does Martha respond?

18. The Evolutionary Ladder • This could suggest one of two things: • It suggests how George feels dehumanized by Martha. • It also alludes once more to the pre-Christian and Pagan that Martha represents

19. Martha’s flirting with Nick • What do you notice about the way Martha flirts? • The way that Nick reacts? • How can it be compared to George’s move towards Honey? Honey’s reaction? • (p27-28)

20. Martha & her father • The way that Martha speaks about him is overly positive. • Find examples of this (p29)

21. The Boxing Match • Martha doesn’t criticise George’s physical prowess in his youth. • ‘It’s coloured our whole life’ (p30). • What do you think that Martha meant by this?

22. George & The Gun • What do you notice about everyone’s reaction to the gun incident? • Why do you think that George did it?

23. Gun as Phallic Symbol • The gun has been referred to as a phallic symbol (representing the penis). • It’s ‘joke’ nature further represents George’s impotence.

24. Gun & Murder • Could the gun suggest George’s anger towards Martha? • Therefore the shooting becomes a symbolic ‘death’.

25. Martha & Nick • ‘You don’t need props, do you, baby?’ (p32) • Once again Martha emphasises George’s impotence through suggesting Nick’s sexual prowess. • Again Martha succeeds in emasculating George.

26. Martha Demanding Kiss • Is she transferring her lust for Nick to George? • Or does violence excite her?

27. George & Martha • Once again Martha makes a move on George & George rejects her advances referring to them as ‘blue games.’ (p31) • What could this be suggesting about the relationship? • What could George’s suggestion of: • ‘All in it’s own good time’ (p31) mean in this context?

28. Martha’s articulate side • Martha’s statement about biology being ‘ABSTRUSE! In the sense of recondite’ (p33); seems very out of character for her. Why might that be? • What is particularly unusual about how this is followed: ‘right at the meat of things.’ (p33)

29. Act I, Scene V • George’s speech spans roughly two pages of dialogue – (p34-36) – and is only interrupted with Martha’s jeering & a few remarks from Nick. • Why might this be? • It has been put forward that the speech may represent Albee’s personal views.

30. Allusion in the speech • Cold War: • George once again standing for Western Ideals & Nick representing communism. • The allusion to Berlin is the strongest reference to this. The city literally cut in half (Berlin Wall) by the War.

31. Allusion (CONT.) • George’s suggestion ‘one hand on my scrotum’ (p35) could be an ironic allusion to castration.

32. Martha’s & Honey’s reactions • George’s words or fear of the imminent destruction of humanity by Nick are lost on both Martha & Honey. • Martha sees it as turning Nick into her ‘personal screwing machine’ • Honey is just shocked that Nick uses vulgar language & misses his sarcasm completely. (p37)

33. The Child • The child is initially described as the All-American Ideal. Find ideas that suggest this… • However, this is soon twisted to ‘blond-eyed, blue-haired,’ what the effect of this?

34. Paganism & Religious Allusion • This could be suggesting that Martha is primitive. • However, there are also sexual connotations to the ‘blue circles’ comment. (p39) • For example, during special ceremonies women painted circles around their breasts.

35. Religious Allusion • It is also a religious allusion. There are too many of these to be ignored. • Could the jumble of them suggest the disillusionment & confusion of religion in the modern world.

36. George & Martha’s Father • George insults him by comparing him to a ‘white mouse’ (p40) • Notice how Martha reacts: • She turns it around on George once more.

37. Martha & her father • Martha: ‘I absolutely worshipped him. ..he was pretty fond of me too.’ (p41) • What does this tell us about the relationship?

38. ‘Allbatross’ • This is an allusion to a poem in which the Albatross is a symbol of bad luck. (p42-43) • It could be a subconscious remark about Martha feeling like a burden to her father.

39. Gardener Affair • It’s an allusion to D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterly’s Lover. • A novel that was banned for several years for being sexually explicit. • It told of a love story between a married upper-class woman & her gameskeeper.

40. Martha & George’s Marriage • Martha: ‘He was the groom…he was going to be groomed’ (p45) • For what? • To take over the Dean’s position? • To be Martha’s surrogate father?

41. Martha & George’s Marriage • George is ‘a flop’ which ‘was disappointing to Daddy’ Martha. (p45) • What does this tell us about their relationship?

42. George’s Failure? • It is clear that George is humiliated because Martha has made his flaws public. • His failure and constant humiliation due to not gaining the elusive prize. Is it justified? • The bottle – Another reference towards impotence? His strike towards anger is met with criticism.

43. George’s Failure • George sings in anger desperation the song that began as a joke. • What’s the significance of this?

44. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe • Martha’s annoyance foreshadows the song’s use later in the play.

45. George at the end of the Act • George is left alone at the end of the scene. • How do you think he would stand? • Eager to fight back? • Or • Defeated?