You are here

FAU Collections » FAU Research Repository » FAU Theses and Dissertations

ART OF NOT LISTENING AND THE PLAYS OF EDWARD ALBEE

Download pdf | Full Screen View

Date Issued:
1981
Summary:
Not listening is essential in the evasion of reality. The plays of Edward Albee demonstrate various types of not listening and the debilitating effects of such behavior. The American Dream presents superficial listening and its inherent neglect of the meaning of words. A Delicate Balance explores the abortive listening which expels reality from one's communication. The Zoo Story exposes pseudo-listening, that complacent pretense of attention, and the subsequent ignorance of real communication. And Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? condemns negative listening and the inability or refusal to use input positively. In contrast to, and in conflict with, the non-listeners are those who do listen effectively and hence recognize both the nature of problems and their solutions. These listeners endeavor to break through the aural barriers of the others, forcing them to listen to, recognize, and deal with the reality they sought to evade.
Title: THE ART OF NOT LISTENING AND THE PLAYS OF EDWARD ALBEE.
109 views
40 downloads
Name(s): MEYER, KATHLEEN BAILEY.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Pearce, Howard D., Thesis advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1981
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 92 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Not listening is essential in the evasion of reality. The plays of Edward Albee demonstrate various types of not listening and the debilitating effects of such behavior. The American Dream presents superficial listening and its inherent neglect of the meaning of words. A Delicate Balance explores the abortive listening which expels reality from one's communication. The Zoo Story exposes pseudo-listening, that complacent pretense of attention, and the subsequent ignorance of real communication. And Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? condemns negative listening and the inability or refusal to use input positively. In contrast to, and in conflict with, the non-listeners are those who do listen effectively and hence recognize both the nature of problems and their solutions. These listeners endeavor to break through the aural barriers of the others, forcing them to listen to, recognize, and deal with the reality they sought to evade.
Identifier: 14056 (digitool), FADT14056 (IID), fau:10873 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1981.
Subject(s): Albee, Edward,--1928---Characters
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14056
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.