dge that the Young Man is the identical twin of the family’s first son. The family’s ignorance of Grandma is obvious in analyzing her comment to Mrs. Baker; “Oh my; that feels good. It’s been so long since anybody had implored me. Do it again. Implore me some more.” Mommy and Daddy have become accustomed to ignoring the old ways and looking for a new set of values.Throughout the course of the play, Mommy and Daddy are looking for satisfaction. Daddy says to Mommy, “That’s the way things are today; you just can’t get satisfaction; you just try.” They are not happy with the way things are, representing the real values, and are trying to find satisfaction, or an artificial set of values. Mommy constantly threatens Grandma with being sent away to a nursing home, however, she explains to Mrs. Baker, “There’s no such thing as the van man. There is no van man. We…we made him up.” However, when Grandma leaves, Mommy is deeply upset until she is surprised with the presence of the Young Man. The sole purpose for the parents keeping Grandma around is found in the fact that she represented the old set of values. They could not send her away until she had been replaced, replaced with a new, artificial set of values. Albee’s ideas toward the new set of values is present when the Young Man replies to Grandma, “I have no talents at all, except what you see…my person; my body, my face. In every other way I am incomplete, and I must therefore…compensate.” This new set of standards revolves around the artificial qualities of looks, money, and power. Albee also extends to comment that the American citizens have become complacent and self-satisfied. In the opening French scene, Mommy and Daddy are perfectly content sitting around waiting on the guest to arrive. To Albee this is not seen as a sign of laziness, but as a warning of th...
