If we take the conversation as main part of the first movement, then the above conversation about north direction can be regarded as a brief prelude generated by theme motive (“I‟ve been to the zoo”) before entry. This prelude is a ascending entry from subdominant ( 下 属 调 上 进 入 ), giving us casual and unconcerned feeling, which makes the appearance of the theme not so abrupt.
Apparently, this part is a sorrow music with a low and circuitous figuration(音型), which lays a foundation for the leading melody --- human‟s life modern city is similar with the situation in the zoo. The whole society is just like a zoo where human is confined in cages, lonely and isolated.
Compared to the first movement‟s, the outer sphere of the second movement is changed but its core remains unchanged. The typical rhythm of the play‟s leading motive repeated regularly. If the Jerry and Peter are on behalf of their class respectively, this part of Jerry‟s narration is portrayal of his class.
The four parts constitute a presentation people‟s deep strain of pathos in modern society, so we might say that pathos(悲怆) is the main theme which runs through the four movements.
The Zoo Story can be divided into four parts: 1, Jerry‟s inquiry of Peter‟s private life 2, Jerry‟s narration of his own private life 3, the long monologue of “Jerry and dog” 4, quarrel between Jerry and Peter and suicide of Jerry The four parts, like four movements in a symphony, make The Zoo Story into homophonic music (主题或主旋律音乐). Different from polyphony( 复调音乐 ) ， homophonic music only has one theme, with other parts severed as a contrast or foil. So the main theme is always the highlight no matter it appears in treble, tenor, or bass registers.
PETER(obviously minding) Why... no,...no.
At the beginning, Peter has no interest in Jerry. He goes along with Jerry just for modesty and manner. This part of music is made up of two totally discordant tones. Actually, the strong contrast between the principal parts(jerry‟s desire of communicating) and accessory parts(Peter‟s reluctant answering) is a hint of the real relationship between Jerry and Peter. What hides in their forma conversation is the real incompatible
The Second Movement
“Do you know what I did before I went to the zoo today?”(Albee 25) It is a slight vibration(变奏) for the first movement and a connecting link between the preceding and the following. It opens the second movement. “It‟s one of those things a person has to do;”( Albee 25) It is like a overture of down tune(下行曲调) produced by woodwind which rests on half cadence (半中止)，calling for the advancement of the theme, and also intriguing audiences' expectation.
Taking The Zoo Story as a symphony, this interpretation is going to analyze the musical features in its plot advancement in the four parts to reveal the play‟s structure features and theme.
The Musical Features of
The Zoo Story
“The Zoo Story was the first evidence of Albee‟s almost musical control of rhythm as the play moves through a carefully orchestrated and dramatically function series of crescendos(声音渐增) and diminuendos（声音渐弱）[...] language, in the play, is oblique. Words are aggression. There is a grammar to the relationship that goes beyond the exchange of lexical meaning.” ------Christopher Bigshy The Cambridge History of American Literature P46
Jerry: I went to the zoo, and then I walked until I came here. Have I been walking north?
Peter( puzzled): North? Why... I ...think so. Let me see.
[...] Peter (Anxious to get back to his reading): yes; it would so. (Albee 12-13) seem
The Third Movement
Jerry: ALL RIGHT.(As if reading from huge billboard)THE STORY OF JERRY AND THE DOG! (Natural again) What I am going to tell you has something to do with how sometimes it‟s necessary to go a long distance correctly;[...] But, it‟s why I went to the zoo today, and why I walked north... northerly , rather... Until I came here. All right. The dog. (Albee 36) This is overture of this movement. First , it is the repetition of the second (“Do you know what I did before I went to the zoo today?”) , which connects with the second naturally. Second, although there is also some slight variety on the basement of the first two parts, essentially, the story between Jerry and the dog is also related with the theme of establishment and development of relationship.