Abstract
A PSYCHOSOCIAL ANALYSIS OF APPROACHING ZANZIBAR BY TINA HOWE
Tina Howe’s Approaching Zanzibar (1989) is a postmodern road drama that explores themes of mortality, familial bonds, and the cyclical nature of life through the journey of the Blossom family. Blending realism and surrealism, the play explores death as an archetypal transformation, challenges gendered social constructs, and frames existence as a continuous loop of renewal. Drawing on Jungian psychology and Eriksonian lifecycle theory, this analysis highlights Howe’s use of symbolism, character dynamics, and stylistic innovation to reconcile despair with hope. The study concludes that the play’s power lies in its ability to juxtapose existential dread with transcendent optimism, offering a meditation on aging, creativity, and legacy.
Keywords
death, surrealism, psychosocial, absurd, Tina Howe.
