Waiting For Godot / Huis Clos

We recently read the play Huis Clos by Jean-Paul Sartre in my French Independent Study, and I can't help but draw comparisons between Sartre's play and Samuel Beckett's Waiting For Godot. Both Huis Clos and Waiting For Godot being absurdist dramas written in the same time period, it is likely to find similarities between the two. Both have themes of isolation driving confusion and distortion, and have religious and biblical references. Being an existentialist writer, Sartre focuses on the meaning of existence, and the nature of human existence. Furthermore Sartre stresses his message of "existence precedes essence," meaning that life should be taken for what it is -- life -- and that humans are wasting time trying to find meaning. In Huis Clos (the title can be roughly translated to "behind closed doors" or "no exit"), there are three people trapped in an empty room with no ability to leave. The characters are trying to find out why they are there and if they are actually in hell. So far in Waiting For Godot, it has been difficult to find meaning behind the interactions between characters and the reasoning behind why Vladimir and Estragon are still waiting for the mysterious character Godot. In Waiting For Godot, there are themes of existentialism. With the sheer emptiness of the play, Beckett is simply commenting on the nature of the human condition.

Waiting for Godot - Initial questions about the play

When we were reading Waiting For Godot in class the other day, I felt very confused about the context and setting of the play. First off, Vladimir and Estragon are simply waiting for Godot, however they don't know who he is, what he wants, and claim they couldn't even pick him out in a crowd. This raises the question: why are they inclined to wait in the first place? Then, as the play goes on, Vladimir and Estragon claim that they have to leave, yet they never do. Time and time again, they announce their exits, but Vladimir only leaves momentarily (and doesn't even go completely offstage -- according to stage directions) and returns right away. This raises more questions: why are inclined to stay waiting for nothing? Are they physically able to leave? Another question I have is about the relationship between Estragon and Vladimir. How did they meet? Did they know each other very well before? My final question is: will my questions be left unanswered? Is that the intent of the play?

The Metamorphosis - POV

The point of view of The Metamorphosis is important to the meaning of the story. Kafka uses third person limited narration to give the reader an entry into Gregor's thoughts and feelings. Through this, we are able to sympathize with Gregor better than anyone else in the story. Also, it keeps the story focused solely on Gregor and his interactions with others, rather than the interactions of others with him. If the story were told in first person, the story would be slightly different. The reader would be able to visualize and feel Gregor's physical state, and it would be easier to gain access and understanding of his feelings and thoughts about his situation. Furthermore, the story would likely be even more of a reflection of Kafka himself. However, the story would lose part of its objective perspective. Third person limited allows the reader access to Gregor's feelings, but it also allows for us to see interactions of Gregor with other people as well.

Metamorphosis - Gregor's Transformation

In the short story Metamorphosis, not only does Gregor undergo a physical transformation, but a metaphysical transformation as well. When Gregor wakes up as an insect, he is barely fazed by his new form. His only concern seemed to be due to his inability to go to work and provide for his family. As the story progresses, however, Gregor realizes his frustration with his new body because it holds him back from performing normal everyday tasks. When Grete starts taking furniture out of his room, he wishes he could keep some part of his past life. In this moment, Gregor gains self-awareness that all aspects of his humanity have stripped from him. Throughout the rest of the story, Gregor questions the meaning of humanity due to the neglect and mistreatment inflicted upon him by his family. Although Gregor's physical transformation was the catalyst of the conflict in the story, the true transformation that Gregor undergoes is one of self-awareness.

The Role of Women -- DKH

In Death and the King's Horseman, Wole Soyinka makes a comment on the role of women in Nigeria during the 1940s -- or rather, he doesn't. In the play, although there are a few female characters, Soyinka points out the overt sexism happening at the time. First off, Elesin just "chooses" a girl in the market whom he'd like to take as his wife -- also meaning that this would make her unfit to marry any other man. Also, once Elesin commits the ritual suicide, she will be widowed. Furthermore, the woman's name is never mentioned in the play. Then, later in the play in response to Jane Pilking's involvement in the conversation between Pilkings and Elesin, Elesin states "That is my wife sitting down there. You notice how still and silent she sits? My business is with your husband" (54). In Death and The King's Horseman, Soyinka is attempting to point out the customs of the time, but I do not believe he genuinely thinks this way about women.

Interpretation of DKH

When we first started reading Death and the King's Horseman, we discussed the author's intent of the message of the play. Although in the West it is interpreted as a commentary on ignorance and entitlement of white people, it was not Wole Soyinka's initial message. In the article we had to read for class "Wole Soyinka on how he came to write Death and the King's Horseman" Soyinka says that to Western people, it is "understandable only as a 'clash of cultures.'" Instead, he was commenting on failure of following tradition. In the play, Elesin fails to complete the ceremony because he spends the night with the market girl after the marriage ceremony. However, this does not stop the people in the west from understanding his play, Soyinka deeming this "analytical laziness." With the spike in suicide bombings across the world and the war on terror, the ritual suicide is interpreted as a barbaric act. Nonetheless, Soyinka does not take this interpretation as an insult, but rather a message about the importance to find a mutual understanding between cultures. From reading this play, I've learned more about the importance of perspective when analyzing literature.

The Most Beautiful words

After having read "The Most Beautiful Words" by Hugh A. Mulligan, I've realized all of the words or phrases he listed evoked an emotion. "Summer afternoon" evokes a feeling of happiness, simplicity, and of serendipity. "Enclosed check" evokes a feeling of excitement. "Free lunch" during the Great Depression evoked a feeling of hope and relief. For me, my favorite words evoke a feeling of ambiguity, yet also a feeling of possibility and greatness.
In the English language, words are carefully picked to express different things, however, sometimes we stumble to find the right word to use in the context. This is why one of my favorite words is "ineffable", meaning too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words. "Ineffable" replaces those words that we stumble to find, while also expressing that something is too great or too strong to be expressed in the words -- essentially defeating the entire English language. "Ineffable" also evokes a feeling of grandeur, accomplishment, and honorability. When we use "ineffable" in a sentence, although there is a profuse amount of words to use, we are saying that there is absolutely no words to either honor or truly reach the extent of what we are trying to convey.
My second favorite word is "tomorrow." "Tomorrow" brings possibility; "tomorrow" brings hope; "tomorrow" brings new and fresh beginnings. Though the future is ambiguous, we can always expect the sun to rise and the East and set in the West. "Tomorrow" also evokes a feeling of hope. Although I have bad days, when I wake in the morning, I realize that a new day has come and things aren't as bad as they might've seemed. Finally, if we dwell on the past, or "yesterday," we cannot grow as people, but "tomorrow" gives us a chance to make what we want of our lives. Although we cannot be certain about what may happen tomorrow, "tomorrow" brings so many possibilities.