Who is Virginia Woolf?

Even including Song of Solomon, Edward Albee’s play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is definitely my least favorite read of the year so far. I thought Song of Solomon‘s literary message was hard to interpret and couldn’t quite understand its overall message, but at least it had a crazy plot that somewhat held my attention. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? also has a wild, unconventional plot, but because I was unable to see through the characters’ drunkenness, foul language, and inappropriate gestures, I found it impossible to follow the events throughout the play. In particular, I puzzled over a song line the characters repeat over and over: “Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf, Virginia Woolf, Virginia Woolf.” I kept wondering, why Virginia Woolf?

Virginia Woolf was a modernist writer, who wrote classics like Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse. Her works investigate true human consciences and the reality of human relationships. She also focused on controversial issues such as feminism and mental illness. From the outside, her life seemed successful, as she was considered an influential writer in her time. Inside, however, her emotions steadily declined. Her depression, ultimately, led her to commit suicide in the spring of 1941.

George and Martha also have seemingly successful lives, as Martha comes from a prosperous family and George works at a local university. The couples’ true state of mind, however, is revealed when the pair escapes reality through drinking. Because she cannot have kids, Martha and George invent a son. They keep him a secret from outside people, but use his “existence” as a temporary escape from their childless lives. At the end of the night, George announces that their son is dead. His “death” means that Martha will now have to fully embrace the reality of her life.

Learning more about Virginia Woolf allowed me to unravel a possible message to this seemingly meaningless play. Her talent in capturing intricate human thought and her suicide, along with watching one night with George and Martha show me that we, as humans, would rather find escape in our hopes and dreams than face reality.