the zoo story
...Jerry’s apartment and a zoo. Jerry says that in his building there are many other eccentric and odd people. There is the "colored queen" who plucks his eyebrows and wears a kimono. Although Jerry lives right next door and sees him frequently, they do not associate. A Puerto Rican family also lives in the apartment, however, Jerry does not know how many kids are in the family, or any other details about them. In the last room, lives somebody Jerry, never sees. In many ways life in Jerry’s apartment is similar to life in a zoo. Every family is isolated with little, if any contact with one another. Albee utilizes the theme of isolation to demonstrate the reason behind Jerry’s unique character. This is very similar to a zoo, where different animals are separated into their own cages. Another similarity is the different races in the apartment, compared to the different species in a zoo. The apartment consists of whites, blacks and Puerto Ricans, while a zoo has mammals, reptiles, fish, etc. With the alienation that Jerry lives in, it really is not possible to expect him to be normal. Jerry lives in complete alienation just like animals in a zoo and therefore he is lonely. This loneliness escalates into a psychological disorder, causing Jerry to be a truly unique character. Albee utilizes symbolism and the theme of isolation in society, to...