Dialectic of Two Cultures : Edward Albee, C. P. Snow, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as Dramatized Epistemology
(2023) In Partial Answers: Journal of Literature and the History of Ideas 21(1). p.91-111- Abstract
- Since its publication and first performance, Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962) has often been interpreted with regard to the theme of truth and illusion. A less studied but nonetheless important aspect of the play concerns its relation to C. P. Snow’s concept of the “two cultures.” This article argues for the convergence of these two discussions, resulting in an epistemological understanding of Albee. The play not only rejects of the mutual alienation of the “two cultures” but also constitutes a dramatic move toward a synthesizing “third culture.” Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is read as an epistemological drama of ideas.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/cebe3d55-bde5-4c5a-a1ce-7018995733db
- author
- Tranvik, Andreas LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2023-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Partial Answers: Journal of Literature and the History of Ideas
- volume
- 21
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 21 pages
- publisher
- Johns Hopkins University Press
- ISSN
- 1565-3668
- DOI
- 10.1353/pan.2023.0005
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- cebe3d55-bde5-4c5a-a1ce-7018995733db
- date added to LUP
- 2022-09-08 12:33:50
- date last changed
- 2023-12-19 15:32:48
@article{cebe3d55-bde5-4c5a-a1ce-7018995733db, abstract = {{Since its publication and first performance, Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962) has often been interpreted with regard to the theme of truth and illusion. A less studied but nonetheless important aspect of the play concerns its relation to C. P. Snow’s concept of the “two cultures.” This article argues for the convergence of these two discussions, resulting in an epistemological understanding of Albee. The play not only rejects of the mutual alienation of the “two cultures” but also constitutes a dramatic move toward a synthesizing “third culture.” Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is read as an epistemological drama of ideas.}}, author = {{Tranvik, Andreas}}, issn = {{1565-3668}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{1}}, pages = {{91--111}}, publisher = {{Johns Hopkins University Press}}, series = {{Partial Answers: Journal of Literature and the History of Ideas}}, title = {{Dialectic of Two Cultures : Edward Albee, C. P. Snow, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as Dramatized Epistemology}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/pan.2023.0005}}, doi = {{10.1353/pan.2023.0005}}, volume = {{21}}, year = {{2023}}, }