Shifting Death from Naturalistic to Symbolic World: A Study of the Works of Mulk Raj Anand and Adward Albee

Anand's novels depict social, political and economic problems of early 20th century rural and urban India. He focuses on the untouchability, miseries, child labour, poverty, exploitation by landlords, dowry, and maladjustment in marriage, helplessness of women, class distinction, breaking of joint family system and caste system, which is an entirely indigenous phenomenon in our country but class system has universal dimensions. The The Lady from Dubuque is also based on the same idea of death-watch – a juxtaposition of living and dying. This play is inspired by Elizabeth Kubler Ross’s On Death and Dying (1969) and this is why the title character in Albee’s play is named Elizabeth. Ross’s book presents a case study of a woman named Mrs. W who is dying and wants to be left alone to die in peace. Along with this, Mrs. W’s husband is unable to accept this final reality i.e., his wife’s death and his approaching loneliness. So, his wife is angry with him for “not facing it and for so desperately clinging on to something that she was willing and ready to give up”.