The marxist

interpretation
of Zoo Story
Submitted by: Kasturi
Chakraborti
From : M.A. Final [vasanta
college for WOMENS (BHU)]
Marxism and The communist Manifesto
 Marxism: It is an economic and social theory based upon
the political and economic ideals of Karl Marx (1818-
1883) & Friedrich Engels (1820-1895).
 Some Marxist Conditions:
1. Materialism (Use science as an explanation: not religion).
2. Between real contraies (such as employer & employed;
there is no reconciliation).
3. Labour for a boss may earn a worker a wage, but at the
same time it alienates him/ her ; it deprives him / her of
something which goes into the boss’s pocket .
 The Communist Manifesto : written by Marx and Engels .
It provides analytical approach of the class struggle and
describes the problem of a capitalistic society.
 Social Condition in zoo story
 Albee fully realized that there was no balance in the
society. The gap between the richer and poorer,
between the developed people and undeveloped one’s
was too wide.
 It was the beginning of capitalism in America.
 Capitalism was characterized with the unbalanced
relationship between the owner of the capital and the
labour as workers.
 The owner of capital will acquire all economic sectors
as long as his money can afford it while the worker
will be the workers albeit they work like a horse.
 According to Matthew Roudane he got the idea of zoo
story While working for Western union.
Class distinctions :
 From the description we can conclude that they
come from different class so that they conduct
different attitude, clothing and manner.
 By describing the characters vividly Albee wants to
show us the American society in general.
 Take Jerry for example, if he wants to enter Peter’s
society he has to change everything in him.
 He has to change his clothing, his way of speaking,
his way of thinking, his manner, and everything
that he has.
 zoo story describes class distinction. It tells us how
attitude, behaviour, dress and way of speaking
can be marks of origin of a person.
 Jerry’s Attempt to Oppose the System :
 This ill-feel leads the lower classes to initiate the
struggle. In the struggle, the lower class wants to
obtain social welfare that can only be dreamt.
 The conflict between the upper and lower classes can
be hindered if the strong and powerful classes have
willingness to share and compassionate attention with
lower class.
 Jerry: ‘I’ve been to the zoo (Peter doesn’t notice). I said
, I’ve been to the zoo.’
 The quotation above tells us that the upper classes fail
to maintain relationship with the lower classes.
 The society feels nothing wrong with the gap.
 Jerry forces Peter to get involved in a conversation.
 Peter’s action to keeP his Position :
 Peter as a representative of the upper class is trying
to keep his position on the track of upper class.
 Peter is a typical self-centered person and he is lack
of social responsibility.
 When Jerry is trying to get along with him by saying
that he has been to the zoo , Peter doesn’t give any
responses.
 Both sides are targeting the same bench although
there are two benches in the park.
 Peter defends his chair because he wants to maintain
his established position in the society while Jerry
wants to achieve a higher position like Peter’s.
 conclusion
 Writer chooses class struggle to be the focus of
interest of the thesis because in every industrial
country there will be always the established people
or rich people and left-behind or neglected people.
 In order to be free from the situation , the neglected
people do a class struggle .
 The Zoo Story portrays the social conditions in the
United States of America after the Great Depression
and World War II.
 The zoo story tells how jerry is trying to build a
relation with Peter who comes from the established
class.
 The Zoo Story can be considered as an allegory of
Edward Albee to the capitalist society which is
failed to build harmony between classes.
Thank
You