Waiting
for Godot is a very tragic play; I think we all agree with that. Vladimir
and Estragon, the two main characters, are abandoned by the mysterious Godot,
that they consider as their only hope, their only way to escape this very
boring life and situation. In the whole play, they do not do anything. They are
only waiting.
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| A very simplistic production to show that the characters cannot do anything. There is only a tree: what is the interest of such a life? |
There are
some people who say that Godot is the name that Beckett gave for God. I do not
know if it is true. Maybe Godot is the idea that Beckett and all the
existentialist philosophers have of God: a faraway person or thing, who do not
care about the humans. It is for sure the opinion of a lot of people today, who
think that God do not exist or do not care about the humans.
We
could analyse in detail Beckett’s vision of God and what God is become in our
societies today, but it is not my point. Indeed, I would like to attract your
attention on Vladimir and Estragon’s vain hope.
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A quote that could illustrate
Beckett’s opinion of God.
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What is the absurd?
Vladimir and Estragon are two
miserable people, who are bored to death because they do not have anything to
do. They live in a desolate country, with nothing more than a tree. They cannot
stand each other, but neither one of them can live alone because it would be more
boring. They cannot do anything, but both of them are searching some occupation
to kill time, instead of being able to kill them. Everybody agree: their life
is absurd, useless, meaningless, full boring and so pathetic that they cannot
end it. But what about our lives?
In our societies a lot of people are
a bit like these two hobos: they have a boring life, with a boring job, which
make them in a bad mood, that is why they cannot stand the other people, that
is why they search the meaning of their life, which is not consequently neither
their job neither their social relations. It can be their family, but when the
kids are adults and when the magic of love is disappeared in the couple, the
family is not so important. I also think to unemployed people who do not have
any kid and who search in what way they can find a way to realize them, to
bring a meaning to their life. This is the echo in our societies of what the
absurd theatre wants to say.
This way of thinking incites us to always
adopt a pessimist point of view on all. Our societies are pessimist, because,
even if your life does not correspond to the ideal type of an absurd one that I
have described, you see only the bad things. I mean, I do not want to make
basic and stupid psychology or philosophy, but Vladimir and Estragon are
resigned to their meaningless existence, that is why they can be only pessimist
and they project all their hopes in the future, waiting for something that
could change their life. In this typical case, they really cannot do something,
but our lives are not like this typical play. We have to revolt ourselves to
fight against a boring and a meaningless life. By “revolt”, I do not think of
something violent or dangerous. I think of the realization that we can make
something of our lives.
How to fight against the
absurd
This idea is totally absent of Waiting for Godot, but it is not the
case for Camus. For example, in The
plague, the revolt goes through a collective action against a bad thing,
because then we find a meaning to our life. In The stranger, I think that we can consider that the revolt goes
through Meursault’s new sensibility in the end. Indeed, he revolts himself the
night before his condemnation to death, when he realizes the simple beauty of
nature and when he really communicates with the world outside his body, when he
communicates with his environment. In this case, he finds a meaning to his life
by admiring the nature in a very simple way, in its very simple beauty. He
finds a meaning to his life by finding the beauty of life.
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| The scream, by Edward Munch: when you realize that your life is not so different than the one of Vladimir and Estragon. Does it have a meaning? |
Beauty of nature and life, beauty of
a proper, good and collective fight: I think that these are two ways to find
the meaning of our life and not to abandon ourselves to despair and resignation
like Vladimir and Estragon. Maybe it seems to you very simple or naïve, but I
think that it is essential to remember that in our societies who only live for
consumption and instant pleasures.
So I would like to answer to you:
what brings a meaning to your life, why your life is worth to be lived?
Thank you for reading!
What a pessimistic point of view about activities in life!
ReplyDeleteIf activities like a job, being with his family, appear boring, it's because we think they're not useful or pertinent. But think that seems to give life a teleological direction. Why have we to think that?? It's possible to consider living his life as a mosaic of experiences, and then try several domains of life, like cooking, scuba diving or being an astronaut. An existence is meaningless only if we couldn't achieve actions according to an ultimate purpose. If there isn't teleology, existence can be full of sense by testing life. Enjoy his life, without constraint!
About Meursault's awakening, I don't think he finds a sense for his life by finding beauty of Nature. I'd say rather that he discovers beauty of Nature BECAUSE HE IS GOING TO DIE. In this way, his imminent death reveals to him all things he didn't make the most when we could live. Then, he attempts in his last moments to appreciate the most possible the last experience of life he can have: admiring Nature, merely. Death is for him an electric shock: he passed next to opportunities, and he has regrets...
Then, my comment is as an answer to your question: Life is worth it because it a possibility. A possibility to affirm his self, which is appealed by special activities. We live on Earth, there are seas, mountains, trees, caves, and further Space: why we wouldn’t be able to make the most of life to leave his mark? It would allow us to add another sense for our live: show future generations that we have been, and we experienced life ;)
You said life is a possibility to affirm oneself. But as said Kierkegaard, it is impossible to reach this self that we precisely want to be ! So while thinking that, how can life be a possibility if the human knows everything he will attempt to do, in order to become himself, will fail? From this point of view, every experience in life is pointless. I don’t know if it is possible to enjoy life with that in mind.
ReplyDeleteWe can see that the characters in Badlands are living in the present, not thinking about the future or the past. They are living by the theory that life needs to be an experience where everything is possible, aka killing a lot of people and surrendering oneself to the police as soon as they are caught, which drives Kit straight to the electrical chair.
But most people want to live a long life, that is why this theory is not really put into application in reality. Vladimir and Estragon let their life go by without trying to have a formidable experience, waiting for death. And they reflect what a majority of humans do.
The generations following us won’t remember us. And our journey on earth, apart from exceptions like Napoleon, won’t change anything in the world we are living.
But why do we have to keep in mind that experiences are pointless? We know, according to Kierkegaard's philosophy, that life has no sense. Then, it should be the end of actions? NO! Whether there is no sense, we can have fun, and don't think about utility of our experiences every time =) So, I take the opposite side to your analysis: have in mind that actions are pointless is wonderful: we don't have to report back about meaning and necessity of our actions.
ReplyDeleteAna and Kit think Freedom implies possibility to kill, but I consider "everything is possible" without murdering, and have a long life ;)
It isn't necessary to change the world in order to following generations remember us. Just make a deep impression on our family and friends, and then influence them. At this time, our influence will allow them to experience new things ;)
Your article reminded me of an excerpt from another play written by Camus, Caligula. It is certainly one of the most powerful illustration of the absurdity of life, and I think this dialogue emphasizes this point pretty well :
ReplyDelete"FIRST PATRICIAN: Anyhow, happily, the sorrows are not everlasting. Are you capable of grieving for more than one year?
SECOND PATRICIAN: Me, no.
FIRST PATRICIAN: No-one is capable of that.
OLD PATRICIAN: Life would be impossible.
FIRST PATRICIAN: You see now. Consider this; I lost my wife a year ago. I 38 cried a lot and then I forgot. Now and then I have difficulty. But, on the whole, it’s nothing.
OLD PATRICIAN: Nature settles these things well.
HELICON: When I look at you, however, I have the impression that it manages to miss its aim."
To some extents, the dialogues in Waiting for Godot and Caligula are quite similar in terms of absurdity and I think they resonate particularly well with your article, as it offers a new perspective on the effect Nature has on human beings and their understanding of there own life -here Nature has to be heard as a supernatural force like God-.
Nature, here, can be seen as dooming and discouraging for human beings as it prevents themselves from truly existing. It is however also used by the protagonists as an excuse not to revolt and not to assume their existence. Instead, they'd rather like life to run its course and not get involved to much in the decision-making process of their life. In a way, they are expecting life to find its way alone, without themselves, the same way Beckett's characters are.
Let me know if you think of this parallel I'm trying to draw between your comment of Beckett's play and Caligula makes sense to you !
Hey and thank you for your answer,
DeleteYes it makes sense for me. You are right to signal that, in Waiting for Godot, Vladimir and Estragon use the pretext of Nature, as you say, or God, or destiny, or any omnipotent kind of power, to justify their resignation. In Caligula, this power of nature is incarnated by the crazy and tyrannical emperor, who illustrates well in what way life can be absurd, like Vladimir and Estragon realize it. Indeed, Caligula is as powerful as the nature and as cruel as the destiny seems to be in Waiting for Godot.
i can relate to the book
ReplyDeletei can relate to the book
ReplyDelete