The Sandbox Questions

Q. How is Edward Albee's The American Dream related to another one of his one-act
plays, The Sandbox?
Albee was in the process of writing The American Dream when he began writing The Sandbox, which
is a tribute to his grandmother. With the exception of the Musician, most of the characters in The
Sandbox are pulled from The American Dream: Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, and the Young Man.
Mommy and Daddy take Grandma to the beach (represented by a sandbox) so she can die. Only
Grandma can see the Young Man, who turns out to be the Angel of Death. In addition to the characters,
the plays also have a few other elements in common. Mommy is still cruel to Daddy and Grandma in The
Sandbox, and she is still concerned about presenting an attractive exterior to the rest of the world. Daddy
is portrayed as being a weak, emasculated (lacking strength) version of manhood, and the Young Man is
still presented as the physical ideal. The Sandbox also echoes The American Dream in how it shows
the decline of personal relationships and the resulting emptiness, as well as the cultural divide between
generations.

1. 1
Why do you think this is considered one of Edward Albee's most
autobiographical plays?
Edward Albee did not hide his dislike for his family and his resentment of his
adoptive parents, a wealthy couple that adopted him when he was very young, can
be seen in his depiction of parents in many of his plays. Many biographical accounts
have posited that Albee resented his parents' snobbish privilege, and "Mommy" and
"Daddy" in The Sandbox resemble descriptions of Albee's parents. Albee was closer
to his grandmother, and this play is dedicated to her. In an interview about his work,
Albee is quoted as saying, "I didn’t make any mistakes in The Sandbox. I’ve made a
lot of mistakes in my longer plays."
2. 2
Why is the initial image of Grandma so striking?
When we first see Grandma, Mommy and Daddy are carrying her onstage, one with
their hands under her arms and the other with their hands at her legs. The image is
striking because it is an especially undignified way to be carrying an older person,
let alone an older person who is close to death. The image shows us something
about how Mommy and Daddy treat Grandma poorly, and do not give her the
respect to which her age entitles her.

3. 3
What does the sandbox represent?
While it is left somewhat ambiguous and is open to interpretation, the sandbox
represents a liminal space in between life and death, youth and age. The two people
who spend time in the sandbox are the Young Man and Grandma. The Young Man is
the perfect image of youth, an attractive and in-shape young man in a bathing suit
doing calisthenics. His status as a Hollywood hopeful who doesn't seem to know
much, as well as his cheerfulness and impressionability, suggest that he represents
youth. Grandma, on the other hand, is a snarky(sarcastic) and wise older woman
who has seen a great deal of life and has a lot to say. In contrast to the Young Man,
she knows who she is and she is not afraid to tell the audience. Additionally,
Grandma represents the world of the living, while the Young Man represents Death,
so when they come together in the sandbox, the sandbox becomes the zone in
which life ends and death begins.