Existence and Aesthetic Revolution in Postmodern Perspective: The Zoo Story as a Model

Abstract

This one-act play marked a significant step towards the emergence of the Theatre of the Absurd in America. The Zoo Story revolves around two characters who meet in Central Park, New York. Peter is a bourgeois man who doesn't take much interest in his life, while Jerry is a marginalized and disenfranchised man, living in a state of alienation. Above all, he longs to connect with and form social relationships with both humans and animals. The study offers a multifaceted linguistic interpretation of the play using three axes. First, the study explores the existential and philosophical themes of the play from several perspectives and through the lens of prominent existentialist thinkers. It also offers a postmodern linguistic interpretation, referencing deconstruction as a linguistic framework for analysis. Finally, the study analyzes the play's revolutionary impact on American theatre and the contemporary development of drama, considering it one of the first works to adopt an existential and absurdist perspective that significantly influenced American theatre. The piece is a biting indictment of unchecked materialism and the American Dream. It also draws attention to emotions of alienation, loneliness, communication breakdowns, and the search for purpose in absurdity. A postmodern reading demonstrates how the play exposes linguistic and semantic instability and dismantles conventional dichotomies