Assignment
Name : Latta J. Baraiya
Roll no : 11
Paper : The Twentieth Century Literature : From World War || to the End of the Century
Semester : M.A sem 2
Topic : Philosophical Themes in Waiting For Godot : Then and Now Comprehension
Submitted to : Smt. S.B. Gardi Department of English MKBU
Introduction
In spite of the fact that humans have inhabited the Earth for centuries, they still know relatively little about the world that surrounds them. There are numerous questions left to be answered ranging from the ones focusing on the sense of existence, up to those raising the subject of the inevitability of death, and the reality that needs to be accepted is that some of them are bound to remain a mystery until the end of time. Certainly, people have always been looking for something to believe in, something that would convince them that life is not absurd in its purest form and that everything that happens has some sort of meaning. The 21st century proved to be of great importance as, after experiencing the damaging impact of war, the perception and values of the majority changed, making them question everything that they had faith in. This very alteration was later reflected in the works of many prominent artists, including those who were thought to be the representatives of the Theatre of the Absurd. Here we can discuss Beckett's Waiting for Godot and compare it with how they are perceived today.
•Samuel Buckett•
Buckett is an Irish playwright, a literary translator, a poet and a theatre director, born on April 13, 1906, into a protestant middle class family. His interest in foreign languages as well as his love for the French language led him to obtain his degree in 1927 in Trinity College in Dublin. There were many different factors that had a lasting impact on both Beckett, as well as his works and the experience of going through the Second World War was undoubtedly one of them. Furthermore, most of his life consisted of travelling which was a source of life-changing experiences to him and a peculiar way of distancing himself from the family problems that would continue to affect him throughout his life, eventually leading to his depression.
•Waiting For Godot : Plot overview•
Waiting for Godot is frequently described as a play in which
“nothing happens”
The play itself is about two trumps: Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo) who are waiting for the arrival of Mr. Godot. From time to time, they talk with each other, however their discussions are not very detailed and the only thing that they truly know is that they are waiting for Godot who might never arrive. There are also times when they want to leave but the pointless waiting is what makes them stay. Two trumps get to know two new characters: Pozzo and his Slave lucky who stay with them for a while and, as Pozzo engages in a conversation with Didi and Gogo, he tells them that he wants to sell Lucky, he also mistreats him in front of the two tramps and blames him for his state of mind. Lucky is later used for entertainment as he dances for them and, after losing his hat, he performs a monologue which sounds extremely academically although it is entwined with strange sounds. Pozzo gives a command to “think” and after they both depart, a boy messenger comes to Vladimir and Estragon to tell them that Godot will not arrive today, but surely will tomorrow. Vladimir asks some questions about Godot and when the boy leaves, they decide to leave, too, but they stay still.
It can be stated that everything that happens in the first act is mirrored into the second one. Two trumps are again in the same place, Lucky and Pozzo appear again, with the difference that Pozzo is now blind and Lucky has become dumb. Pozzo does not react to his own name and he also does not recall meeting neither Vladimir nor Estragon and as the two exit, two trumps still keep waiting for Godot. The boy messenger appears again to once again convey a message that Godot will not appear, and just as Pozzo – he does not remember talking to Vladimir the other day. After the boy exits, Didi and Gogo consider committing a suicide but they have no possibility to do it without rope so, once again, they decide to leave, but they stay still.
•Waiting For Godot and philosophical themes of freedom, uncertainty and meaninglessness•
In the following section Beckettian view is to be contrasted with how those very themes are perceived by people nowadays, pointing out some of the similarities as well as differences in the conducted analysis.
Freedom
Although the characters seem to possess infinite freedom, one almost immediately comes to the realisation that, in this scenario, the notion of freedom is nothing but an illusion: the characters are technically free to do as they wish, but they choose to remain in the prison of their own making. Everyone is both stagnant as well as passive, and the specific trait which they share is their striking inability to act. Two trumps, the master and his slave, the messenger boy, all of the characters meet the same fate and there is no significance when it comes to their social status or age, as the master is no different than his slave. In fact, the paradox of this situation lies in the fact that the slave might be the one the closest to freedom than any of the other characters would ever be able to get, since he is the only one aware of his imprisonment. His position can be described as the most favourable one, as he does not need to take responsibility for any of his actions because he is told precisely what to do, unlike the rest. In this case, it can be stated that each of them is equal in terms of their enslavement for how Lucky's enslavement to Pozzo really differs from Vladimir and Gogo’s enslavement to their very concept of Godot? With this theoretical freedom there comes a confinement one cannot be truly free being tied to things, people, ideas or hopes.
In this way, Vladimir and Estragon are tied to the unknown Mr. Godot around whom the lives of two trumps perpetually revolve, making waiting for him one of the reasons for their very imprisonment in spite of being free. Similarly, they are tied to the place in which they wait, even though they keep coming there without any certainty whatsoever that this is, in fact, the right place to wait for the mysterious man. Imprisoned by their hopes and the image of Godot created in their minds, they are willing to sacrifice their freedom once again for if he doesn’t come, they will come back the next day:
Vladimir: A - What are you insinuating? That we've come to the wrong place?
Estragon: He should be here.
Vladimir: He didn't say for sure he'd come.
Estragon: And if he doesn't come?
Vladimir: We'll come back tomorrow.
•Freedom in Today's Context•
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, one of the most popular definitions of freedom is
“the condition or right of being able or allowed to do, say, think, etc. whatever you want to, without being controlled or limited”.
Nowadays, the nature of the concept of freedom can still be denoted as rather complex because theoretically humans are free to do as they wish, but since they are social animals their very actions need to be in accordance with what is expected of them.
Today people are nothing but slaves to a system imposing certain behaviours on them, slaves to the expectations of others and also of visions which they created in their own heads. How can one know whether he is really free? Is it yet another paradox and an illusion in its purest form? It might seem that modern life and real freedom are thoroughly incompatible, since modern times are what makes us imprisoned.
Uncertainty
An indisputable fact that should be mentioned is that the theme of uncertainty permeates the whole play; apparently, not only the characters are overwhelmed by the incapacitating feeling that there is nothing that they can be certain of, but it also can be noticed in terms of action, setting, plot and time. The plot itself, apart from being almost non-existent, is yet another thing which contributes to strengthening the feeling of uncertainty, since one realises that a sequence of a cause and effect is an alien notion, indeed. Everything that happens is done either to pass the time or relieve the feeling of boredom and the words mean nothing, as they do not correspond with actions of the characters. As previously mentioned, the uncertainty also pertains to the characters themselves as, from the very beginning, they make it obvious that they have no idea what they should be doing. For those reasons two vagabonds unendingly wait for Godot, hoping that he will provide them with some kind of certainty, making the whole act of waiting a peculiar metaphor of trying to find some meaning in life.
Not only is it hard for the reader or the audience to find any information about the location, but the characters also have no idea whatsoever where they really are. In this connection, the question that arises is how can they be sure if they are precisely where they are supposed to be, since they do not possess any knowledge about their current whereabouts? Uncertainty strikes everyone down from the very beginning, concerning not only significant but also trivial things.
Estragon: (despairingly). Ah! (Pause.) You're sure it was here?
Vladimir: What?
Estragon: That we were to wait.
Vladimir: He said by the tree. (They look at the tree.) Do you see any others?
Estragon: What is it?
Vladimir: I don't know. A willow.
•Uncertainty in Today's Context•
Invariably, the uncertainty is as ubiquitous as ever, making many people question their choices, their existence, as well as the things they believe in. Uncertainty pertains to each area of life, since nothing is ever certain. In spite of the technological progress which enabled us to get to know some of the secrets of our planet and our lives, there are still many issues which remain shrouded in mystery.
It could come across as foolish to state that there is anything that one can be truly certain of, for even the course of events of the following day is a mystery yet to be revealed. Life is filled with uncertainty and there is nothing that can be done but to learn how to live with it, while not letting it affect one’s well-being. Nowadays, the uncertainty in general takes its toll especially on people’s mental health, frequently being one of the main reasons for depression, anxiety and panic attacks. There are countless threats awaiting around each corner, ranging from the threat of a nuclear war, going through climate change, up to pandemic. Just as in Beckett’s world human beings today also cannot be freed from this feeling and the reaction can be denoted as similar when it comes to the matter of experiencing it.
Nothingness
It can be stated that Waiting for Godot is an ideal example of a play in which the theme of nothingness is of great significance and is fantastically reflected in terms of both, content and form. Undeniably, throughout the whole play, one gets the impression that nothing happens and characters are incapable of taking any action which keeps them in the claws of nothingness. Nevertheless, another paradox which appears is that nothing enables the creation of everything. Since in Beckett’s point of view both form and content should be complementary, in this very play they are both built on the sense of nothingness. While taking a closer look at other components, it becomes clear that creation of each character only strengthens the idea of the ‘nothingness’ being the source of creation. For setting, characters, themes, dialogues and even specific patterns of behaviour or activities are being ruled by nothingness which prevails in the life of a human being. The life of characters is empty, they do nothing except for waiting and talking about things which are meaningless, just to pass their time. Not only is there no plot, no information about the characters, about the place in which they stay, but there is also a general lack of communication between the characters.
It cannot be called into question that nothingness, meaninglessness and repetitiveness are all strictly connected and they simply complement each other. And so it happens, that meaningless events ruled by nothingness are being repeated by being mirrored from the first, to the second act. Vladimir and Estragon are in the same place, discussing committing suicide, engaging in meaningless conversations, meeting Pozzo and Lucky, receiving an identical message from the messenger boy and, most importantly, repeating their empty words about leaving the place, while they stand still. Two trumps are utterly paralysed by their inability to move, depriving themselves of a chance to give meaning to their words and, finally, take an action.
1st act:
ESTRAGON: Well, shall we go?
VLADIMIR: Yes, let's go. They do not move.
2nd act:
Vladimir: Well? Shall we go?
Estragon: Yes, let's go. They do not move.
•Nothingness In Today's Time•
Taking a closer look at the notions of nothingness, meaninglessness and repetitiveness is there a place for any of those in the 21st century? In the world of Waiting for Godot, all of them seem to be unavoidable as they constantly keep on affecting the lives of characters on a daily basis making them miserable, which can be contrasted with what the modern world has to offer today. It seems that nowadays to find a meaning becomes a paramount goal to be achieved in life. Thanks to positive psychology becoming omnipresent and easily accessible, everyone is now able to deepen their knowledge about human nature, how to find the meaning to their existence and make their lives meaningful as well. As can be noticed, the modern approach wants one to believe in his strength and countless possibilities waiting for him. A modern human being should have some hope and put an end to habits which might contribute to bringing themselves down.
Apparently, there is no place for meaninglessness, especially if one wants to lead a truly happy life and create his own meaning. Interestingly, when it comes to the scientific perception of the notion of nothingness, it proves that nothing indeed, can create everything - for even atoms creating the atomic matter are mostly empty spaces. Nothingness obtains a thoroughly new meaning and can be perceived in a brand new way as it becomes a source of creation which is in a state of constant change, reminding everyone of its impermanence as it comes and goes. For this very reason Lawrence Krauss, an American-Canadian
physicist says that
“nothing is the most important part of the universe”.
Since nothingness does not have to be associated with a negative force affecting one’s life, it is worth to cast some light on how it might contribute to improving people’s lives today. While Vladimir and Estragon were tormented by nothingness and doing nothing, nowadays people frequently find themselves in need to find a way out from their daily problems, exhausting routines and there are times when doing nothing makes it possible for them to take a breath and completely reprogramme their thoughts. Doing nothing was proven to decrease stress levels, clear mind, increase productivity and most importantly discover what makes one truly happy. While repetitiveness is still present today and might bring out virtually the same emotions as it did in the case of two trumps, these days many hold onto it as it provides them with some kind of security which they need in the world, where everyone lives in a pace so fast that changes are often traded for stability.
Conclusion
Waiting for Godot, along with many other absurd plays, such as Endgame (1957) or Happy Days (1961), reflected not only the peculiar views of their authors, but also the philosophy which had a lasting impact on the points of view of many. A thing that needs to be accepted is that the mystery of existence as well as the fears connected with it will never truly leave one’s side and will also never cease to affect him. While analysing the philosophy of existentialism it becomes obvious that human’s existence Indeed, might be absurd in its purest form and although the philosophy offers different solutions which could greatly facilitate dealing with this problem even if to some extent, the crushing weight of one’s existence invariably complicates any attempts to overcome it. Since there is no possibility to bring an end to the surrounding absurd as it is irreversibly linked with the human experience, a man has no choice but to simply accept it and although such a vision might come across as a truly disheartening one, it has a potential to become the greatest weapon that one might possess just as it is proved through many approaches nowadays. This very weapon has a potential of bringing one closer to happiness, as with the desired approach, he will not perceive the situation he finds himself in as an utter defeat, but in spite of knowing that meaninglessness is staring right into his eyes, he might truly begin to live through acceptance, making his own attempt to find the meaning and taking the fight.
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