Edward Albee`nin yapıtlarında yabancılaşma

Abstract

10 SUMMARY Edward Albee is one of the few absurdist playwrights of American Literature. He wrote nearly twenty plays over the last thirty years. His main concern is the alienation of man in the universe. The loneliness and abandonment of man, impossibility of communication, hypocrisy, the loss of love and emotions, consuming society and its illusions, physical and spiritual emasculation, moral corruption, cruelty and placing artifical values instead of the real ones are subjects he centered in his plays. He, particularly studied the family institution to show how the realtions are corrupted and disgusting. Reader/audiance is shocked with the view of the family where emotions are expected to be strongest. The playwright disturbs the audiance on purpose, because he believes that man is in a deep sleep and only a powerful shock can wake him up to show facts. That is why he usually uses death theme, either figuratively or literaly. Death reminds us that we are living. Contrary to his fellow European absurdist writers, his belief in change and a better society never diminished. He is not pessimist as many critics labelled him. The idea that `not the whole world but only America part of it is absurd` differs him from other absurdist writers. Albee believes that people don't communicate, they just exchange words which give the impression that they communicate. In this study, a detailed information about the historical development and change of American theater; elements of alienation, existentialism and absurdism in his plays; definitions and different views on related concepts are needed to be given. Consequently, most people are living a semi-dead life. Everyone in this world should be aware of his responsibilities which differ him from a vegetable and as a sign of natural obligation of humanity. Communication is very difficult but not impossible, unless change takes place, this will go on.