You wouldn't think there was a lot of space in this play for sex. There are only two people in The Zoo Story, and they spend the whole time fully clothed in a public park. And yet, sex lurks right under the surface of this play, ready to leap out at Jerry and Peter if they look away for just an instant. Sigmund Freud—who became very famous for thinking sex has a penchant for lurking—is mentioned very early in the play (see "Allusions"), and that's a tip-off that, while the play isn't called The Sex Story, there are certainly some tense and sexual undertones in this zoo.
Questions About Sex
- Who is more sexually knowledgeable, Peter or Jerry? Explain your answer.
- How are Peter's sexual experiences presented as a foil to Jerry's?
- Is sex in the play a force of release from convention, or is it corrupting? Or both?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
The play is about the sexual relationship between Jerry and Peter.
The play is about the fact that there is no sexual relationship between Jerry and Peter.