Duality in Waiting For Godot

Duality in Waiting For Godot Beckett is known to have commented, I had little talent for happiness.- This sentence in itself is absurd, like the most famous drama of Beckett: Waiting for Godot. But what exactly absurdity means? The original or dictionary meaning of absurd is Out of harmony. utterly or obviously senseless, illogical, or untrue; contrary to all reason or common sense; laughably foolish or false.But the word has a different meaning when it is used int he theatre of the absurd. Marking the difference between a good play and an absurd play, Martin Esslin opines: If a good play must have a cleverly constructed story, these have no story or plot to speak of : if a good play is judged by subtlety of characterization and motivation, these are often without recognizable characters and present the audience with almost mechanical puppets; if a good play has to have a fully explained theme, which is neatly exposed and finally solved, these often have neither a beginning nor an end; if a good play is to hold the mirror upto nature and portray the manners and mannerisms of the age in finely observed sketches, these seem often to be reflections of dreams and nightmares if a good play relies on witty repartee and pointed dialogues, these often consist of incoherent babblings. Waiting for Godot is chock-full of pairs. Theres Vladimir and Estragon, the two thieves, the Boy and his brother, Pozzo and Lucky, Cain and Abel, and of course the two acts of the play itself. With these pairs comes the repeated notion of arbitrary, 50/50 chances. One thief is saved and other damned, but for no clear reason. If Vladimir and Estragon try to hang themselves, the bough may or may not break. One man may die, one man may live. Godot may or may not come to save them. In the Bible, Cains sacrifice was rejected and Abels accepted for no discernible reason. Its minor, but Estragons line in Act I: My left lung is very weak [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦]. But my right lung is sound as a bell! More pairs, more arbitrary damnation. Even the tone of Waiting for Godot is filled with duality: two person arguments, back-and-forth questions, disagreement-agreement, questions and (often inadequate) answers. The tree is the only distinct piece of the setting, so were pretty sure it matters. Right off the bat youve got the biblical stuff; Jesus was crucified on a cross, but that cross is sometimes referred to as a tree, as in, Jesus was nailed to the tree. That Vladimir and Estragon contemplate hanging themselves from the tree is likely a reference to the crucifixion, but it also parodies the religious significance. If Jesus died for the sins of others, Vladimir and Estragon are dying for nothing. But we can also think of the two men not as Jesus, but rather as the two thieves crucified along with Jesus. This fits quite nicely with gospels tale as Vladimir tells it; one thief is saved and the other damned, so Didi and Gogo are looking at a fifty-fifty chance. The uncertainty that stems from inconsistency between the four gospels is fitting, too, since Vladimir cant be certain if Godot is coming to save either one of them. Furthermore, Vladimir reports that he was told to wait for Godot by the tree. This should be reassuring it means the men are in the right place. As Estragon points out, theyre not sure if this is the right tree. And, come to think of it, they cant even be sure if this is a tree or not. It kind of looks like a shrub. The tree could be the tree of life. So the trees random blooming would suggest that it is something of a tree of life. And, according to the proverb, that means a desire has been fulfilled. Moreover the trees sprouting leaves could be an ironic symbol pointing out that, far from fulfilled desires, hopes have been deferred yet another day much like Vladimirs ironic claim in Act II that things have changed here since yesterday when, clearly, nothing at all has.. While Vladimir and Estragon wait for Godot, they also wait for nightfall. For some reason (again, arbitrary and uncertain), they dont have to wait for him once the night has fallen. The classic interpretation is that night = dark = death. The falling of night is as much a reprieve from daily suffering as death is from the suffering of a lifetime. Theres also the issue of the moon, as its appearance in the sky is the real signal that night has come and the men can stop waiting for Godot. Estragon, in one of his wicked smart moments, comments the moon is pale for weariness [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] of climbing heaven and gazing on the likes of us. Though the man remembers nothing of yesterday, he does in this moment seem to comprehend the endless repetition of his life. And if the moon is weary just from watching, imagine what that says about the predicament of the men themselves. Carrots and turnips are in one sense just a gag reel for Vladimir and Estragons comic bits. But I was interested in their disagreement over the vegetable: Funny, Estragon comments as he munches, the more you eat, the worse it gets. Vladimir quickly disagrees, adding that, for him, its just the opposite. On the one hand, this could be a completely meaningless conversation the point is simply that Vladimir is in disagreement, playing at opposites, adding to the bickering duality between himself and Gogo. On the other hand, the carrot could be about the meaning of life. It could be a hint as to the differences between the way Vladimir and Estragon live their lives. Vladimirs subsequent comment, an addendum to his carrot claim, is that he gets used to the muck as [he goes] along. He resigns himself to banality. Estragon, on the other hand, wearies as time passes much like the weary moon he observes in Act II. When Pozzo later dishes about smoking, he claims that a second pipe is never so sweet [as the first]. But its sweet just the same. This is a third and distinct answer to the carrot question. When Lucky is commanded to dance in Act I, Pozzo reveals that he calls his dance The Net, adding, He thinks hes entangled in a net. You would think a guy tied up on a rope leash would feel confined enough. Of course, the image of Lucky writhing in an imaginary net is a lasting image for the play as a whole, and especially for the plight of Vladimir and Estragon, who, as weve said before, are confined in a prison or perhaps a net of their own imaginations. There seems to be no shortage of inane props in Waiting for Godot, and these three have one thing in common: they are all absurd objects on which the men have developed irrational dependences. Lucky cannot think without his bowler. Pozzo needs his vaporizer to speak. Estragon seems condemned to forever take his boots on and off, as does Vladimir with his hat. This is another great combination of the tragic and the comic; the situation is hilarious for its absurdity, but dismal at the same time. Estragon is repeatedly repelled by smells in Waiting for Godot. Vladimir stinks of garlic, Lucky smells like who knows what, and Pozzo reeks of a fart in Act II. It seems every time Estragon tries to get close to a person, he is repelled by their odor. It looks to us like smells represent one of the barriers to interpersonal relationships. Estragon isnt just repelled by odors hes repelled by the visceral humanity of those around him. Theres something gritty and base about the odor of a human body, and for Estragon its too much to handle. There are several interpretations of Waiting for Godot, the two most well-known are the religious one and the political one. The religious interpretations posit Vladimir and Estragon as humanity waiting for the elusive return of a savior. If this is the basic idea, then this makes Pozzo into the Pope and Lucky into the faithful. The faithful are then viewed as a cipher of God cut short by human intolerance. The twisted tree can alternatively represent either the tree of death, the tree of life, the tree of Judas or the tree of knowledge. Political interpretations also abound. Some reviewers hold that the relationship between Pozzo and Lucky is that of a capitalist to his labor. This Marxist interpretation is understandable given that in the second act Pozzo is blind to what is happening around him and Lucky is mute to protest his treatment. The play has also been understood as an allegory for Franco-German relations. An interesting interpretation argues that Lucky receives his name because he is lucky in the context of the play. Since most of the play is spent trying to find things to do to pass the time, Lucky is lucky because his actions are determined absolutely by Pozzo. Pozzo on the other hand is unlucky because he not only needs to pass his own time but must find things for Lucky to do.

American Dream Synthesis

Kyrie Staab Mrs. Wieseman Hon. English 10 Dec. 18, 2012 Is Our American Dream Fading Away? The attainability and very existence of the American dream has been debated for many years. As the economy, politics, and social standings change, so do the expectations and beliefs about what the American dream should be and how one should go about achieving it. The main question involved in this debate is not so much whether the dream is alive or dead, but whether America’s dream can ever be fully realized.Even the most skeptic of men and women cannot deny that although the dream may be blurring around the edges, it is still very much alive in the minds and hearts of the people. For generations, the American dream has retained it’s basic definition: â€Å"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness†. Immigrants to America-at least in years past-cling to this dream, hoping to find a better, happier, more secure life. One woman tells the story of a Russian family coming to live in the US in a BBC news article in March of 2011: â€Å"†¦ he American Dream meant liberty. But Isabel says it promised even more. ‘The Dream is to work, to have a home, to get ahead, you can start as a janitor and become owner of the building. ’† For almost everyone, the dream has been the same. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the two main characters, Lennie and George, share the desire to have a home: a small, safe place to call their own. This same dream has pushed generations of men and women to work hard to reach their goals despite social and economic obstacles.In a Los Angeles Times article in 2011, Gregory Rodriguez says practically the same thing. â€Å"The dream is the glue that keeps us all together. It’s the vague promise that our lot will get better over time that gives us the patience to endure whatever indignities we suffer at the moment. † In the novel, George especially encounters obstacles while trying to achieve both his and Lennie’s dream. However, the promise of a secure, happy, quiet life for himself and his friend encourages him to continue his work.Yes, it is unfortunately true that as time goes on, less and less people seem to believe that the American Dream is attainable. However, the reason for this may be because we have already achieved the original dream, but continue to expect more and more from a badly damaged economy. In the 60s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ’s expression of the American Dream emphasized universal equality and compassion, and racial equality within our own borders. In a lecture to college students in 1964, King states that â€Å"If the American Dream is to be a reality we must develop a world perspective. He explains this by quoting John Donne and saying, â€Å"No man is an island entire of itself every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main†¦ Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. therefo re never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee. † Looking at today’s society, it would appear that this dream has, at least in part, been achieved. All people have the opportunity to earn a home, happiness, and security. At this point, the only thing stopping people from achieving their dreams are themselves.In John Steinbeck’s essay â€Å"Paradox and Dream† he says that â€Å"†¦ we are a restless, a dissatisfied, a searching people†¦ we seem to be in a state of turmoil all the time, both physically and mentally. † When Steinbeck goes on to say that the American Dream has very little to with reality in everyday life, he demonstrates how society prevents citizens from being satisfied when their dream is fulfilled. Is it possible that the expectations attached to the American Dream are unrealistic?Given today’s economy, the standards and expectations people have assigned to the American Dream do make it more difficul t to achieve. In Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie’s dream, though very simple and basic by today’s standards, was unrealistic, given Lennie’s handicaps. George’s dream is far more achievable with Lennie gone, even though Lennie is part of that dream. This example illustrates how the amount of effort one is willing to put into achieving their dream has changed. People today are not as willing to accept more realistic standards for their dreams.This is different even from just three years ago, when Katharine Q. Seelye said in her article â€Å"What Happens to the American Dream in a Recession? † that â€Å"Even though their economic outlook is worse, more people are saying they have either achieved the dream or expect to do so†¦ † She then quotes Barry Glassner, a professor of sociology: â€Å"‘You want to hold on to your dream even more when times are hard†, he said. ‘And if you want to hold on to it, then you better define it differently. ’† In her article, Seelye states that â€Å"people are shifting their definition of the American Dream†¦ ewer people are pegging their dream to material success and more are pegging it to abstract values. † If people today were to adopt this point of view, far many more citizens would achieve their dream. While standards and expectations change, the essential roots of the American Dream remain the same. The dream of having a prosperous, safe, happy life drives citizens to achieve more and improve themselves and the country. As long as these basic beliefs are held by even one citizen, the dream still lives. Works Cited Kay, Katty. â€Å"What is today’s American Dream?. BBC News U. S and Canada. (2011): n. page. Web. 12 Jan. 2013. . King, Dr. Martin Luther. â€Å"The American Dream. † Drew University, Madison, New Jersey. 5 Feb 1964. Lecture. Rodriguez, Gregory. â€Å"The American Dream: Is it slipping away?. † Los Angeles Times. (2010): n. page. Print. Seelye, Katharine. â€Å"What Happens to the American Dream in a Recession?. † (2009): n. page. Web. 12 Jan. 2013. Steinbeck, John. â€Å"Paradox and Dream. † Trans. Array Excerpts from â€Å"Paradox and Dream†. 1966. Print. Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. Penguin Group, 1937. Print.

One Simple Tip About College Essay Examples Exposed

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The Main Source Of Data Was English For Today - 1810 Words

The main source of data was English For Today, a textbook that is used in class nine in Bangladesh. In class 9 the students get themselves prepared for their upcoming board examination that is called SSC (Secondary School Certificate) which they will face within two years but the students who are used in this research has one and a half year to appear in the exam as it is conducted in the middle of the year. 3.2. Participants About 25 students and 5 teachers from different schools are the participants of this study. The teachers were from various schools and educational background. All of them are from bangle medium schools and their teaching experience is almost same. They have experience for approximately 10 to 12 years of teaching. 3.3. Materials Three reading passages were used in this study. Two of them were adopted from the text book and another was selected from their supplementary book. These three passages were chosen from a larger number of possible selections on the basis of several pilot studies with students of same class. In the first pilot study with 10 students, seven passages along with some open ended questions were used in order to discover which ones were most appropriate for the students. After pilot study, passages which he students failed o comprehend and answers were thrown out. And for the teachers the researcher has designed a questionnaire and some interview questions. 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