Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

What are some of the reasons for The Tension between Generations in the play? How are these tensions manifestations of expectations regarding society, The Nuclear Family, and The American Dream? Do the expectations change after the revelation that George and Martha’s son is “dead”?

Teaching Suggestion: In the play, the couples begin to reveal that they believe they have failed many of the expectations and obligations that American society has placed on them. Consider structuring students’ discussion and analysis around specific points of tension revealed by the characters, such as living up to their parents’ expectations, producing a picture-perfect Nuclear Family, and achieving the gender roles of a breadwinning father and childrearing mother. You may wish to guide students toward the understanding that the revelation that the fictional son is “dead” does not change the group’s pursuit of fulfilling these expectations by having them reread the ending of Act III. There, the revelation simply ushers the characters from the mayhem of the night back into their dysfunctional lives.