So, perhaps George has a weak heart that, through a tramautic event in his past, developed into claustrophobia? That could be a good explanation, except for a really interesting comment that I think shows an even deeper mental problem. Page 28, to Jason: "Hey, do you get claustrophobia out in the middle of the ocean? Would affect me the same being at the bottom of the ocean. Being out in the middle of the ocean. I'd go crazy." This line suggests not claustrophobia, a fear of closed in spaces, but rather the opposite: agoraphobia, or fear of wide open spaces (also means fear of public places). So perhaps he has both phobias?
In light of this comment and George's panic attacks, I don't think George has just claustrophobia. He says "Get me out of here, I can't breathe" outside on the patio of Queens, hardly an enclosed space. However, you can infer from this that the play takes place in a kind of prison, a world that George gets caught in and shot in, one created by the attitudes of Jason and his family towards each other. But medically, I think George has a weak heart, a tendency towards anxiety, and tramautic events (perhaps in his childhood?) that have made him live cautiously for his entire life. He abhors excitement and probably does as much as he can to escape potentially anxiety-causing situations. This is identified as claustrophobia, but the triggers can come from anywhere: Jason's gun, the wide open ocean, etc. - it really doesn't have anything to do with physically being in an enclosed space, it's simply the powerless feeling that he is in an enclosed space, created by the anxiety in his mind and the weakness in his heart.
Source:
Causes of claustrophobia:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/269093-what-are-the-causes-of-claustrophobia/
Symptoms of claustrophobia:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/98071-claustrophobia-symptoms/
Brian
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