Animal umwelt and species misunderstanding: A posthumanist reading of the animals in Edward Albee's <i>The Zoo Story</i>

Abstract Animals play an essential role in The Zoo Story . In “The Story of Jerry and the Dog,” Jerry describes the dog's hostility and their stare‐down. However, if the dog had a voice, it would narrate (sniff) a diametrically different tale. The furry creature welcomes Jerry, receives a confirmation of mutual goodwill, and plays games with the human friend. This species misunderstanding culminates in a poisoning and severs Jerry's only connection to the world, so Jerry decides to go to the zoo to learn about animals. The distinction between “the way humans exist with animals” and “the way animals exist with humans” reveals a posthumanist world of the animal umwelt beneath the facade of anthropocentric projection. Posthumanism believes in dynamic species interactions of becoming, networks humans with nonhuman agents, and represents a potential remedy to the theater of the absurd.