Finding The Sun, A Tragicomedy

Finding the Sun, a Tragicomedy Edward Albee’s one act play about four couples’ day at the beach and the ensuing clash of personalities never made it to Broadway and thus never received much critical attention. This series of flowing vignettes is undoubtedly a tragicomedy because it “causes strong feelings of sadness or regret” as much as it “is meant to make people laugh” (Merriam-Webster). Finding the Sun discusses topics such as extra-marital affairs, it has a quick and good natured structure, and an ending where each character meets a sense of closure within their given circumstances. The play balances on the line between tragedy and comedy the entire time before delivering an ending that affects each individual character. The relationships in this piece are complicated at best but none are more intriguing than that of Daniel and Benjamin. These two men, who are now married to Cordelia and Abigail respectively, used to be lovers and that is no secret to anyone within the immediate vicinity; within the first two vignettes we see the remnants of a strong connection between them. Not much later there is a conversation between Abigail and Cordelia where the problems begin and Abigail refers to Benjamin as having “adjusted to the world” and realizing “the follies of his ways, his former ways” (Albee 9). It is in this conversation that it is apparent that Benjamin and Daniel only left one another because of the world’s view towards homosexual relationship. It is also in this