“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” by Edward Albee (post 6): Who’s afraid that exorcism of Martha’s alternate personality is futile? Martha says, “I am.”

My interpretation of Act One was correct. As you recall, I said that it must have been one of Martha’s alternate personalities who told Honey about Martha’s alleged son. This was indicated by Martha’s simultaneous change of clothing, George’s reaction, and Martha’s history of having memory gaps.

The confirmation of my interpretation comes at the end of the play when Martha (her host personality) reports having no memory—a multiple personality memory gap—of her (alternate personality) having told Honey about Martha’s alleged son (1, p. 251). Of course, since Martha recalls often having had the urge to tell someone, and since there is no reason for Honey to lie about this, Martha accepts Honey’s testimony that she did tell her, but Martha does not actually recall doing so.

The obvious reason that Martha and George had always agreed not to tell anyone about their imaginary son is that they both knew he was imaginary, and they feared that their talking about him as being real would be considered crazy by others. Martha’s father might disown her or insist that she needed to be committed, and he might blame George for collusion with Martha’s craziness.

Was Martha psychotic? No. Although she apparently did have an alternate personality who believed in the imaginary son, her regular personality knew very well that the son was imaginary.

What would be expected to happen now that George was no longer going to humor Martha’s alternate personality who believed in the reality of their “son”? Should Martha be afraid what will happen? Or, as this question is phrased, “Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Martha, in her last line answers, “I am.”

Martha is right, because George can’t kill off her alternate personality. Exorcism does not work and is not therapeutic. At most, it can temporarily scare an alternate personality into staying inside, being quiet, and lying low.

1. Edward Albee. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? New York, New American Library, 1962/2005.