The omnipresent emptiness in Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot"

Bachelor Thesis , 2008 , 39 Pages , Grade: 1,6

English Language and Literature Studies - Literature

Incomprehension and confusion are common reactions to the plays of Samuel Beckett. The effort of the audience to extract an overall meaning from the plot mostly fails. This is due to the fact that on the stage, all concepts on which we usually rely collapse; they lose their meaning. Among them are for instance “the belief in God, in the unity of the world, [and] in the knowability of experience” (Connor, 3). The audience is no longer able to revert to familiar experiences in order to establish an interpretation. The result is inner emptiness.
According to Beckett and the other writers of the so-called Theatre of the Absurd, inner emptiness is a basic experience of everyday life. Against the background of the events of the Second World War, they believe that our world is characterised by dissolution (cf. Esslin 1991, 43). The concepts in which we believe have merely become illusions. We cling to them in order to avoid the truth: we are left alone in an empty world.
Beckett shares this opinion with several philosophical areas. Nevertheless, he is clearly no philosopher. Beckett himself emphasises that “he never understood the distinction between being and existence” (P. J. Murphy quoted in Barfield, 155). However, this does not seem to be entirely true since he includes these terms as well as the philosophical problem of the inner emptiness in his work. Yet, unlike Sartre and Camus, Beckett does not present a solution to this problem (cf. Cormier & Pallister, 3f). Nonetheless, Martin Esslin states that philosophical problems are in general better expressed by the plays of the Theatre of the Absurd than by the plays or novels of Sartre and Camus. In contrast to the latter, the Theatre of the Absurd does not only illustrate emptiness in the content of the plot, but also in the form of the play itself, which differs considerably from all theatrical conventions (cf. Esslin 1968, 24).

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• The Philosophical Background of the Term 'Emptiness'
• Nihilism
• The Absurd
• Sartre's Existentialism
• Emptiness in Waiting for Godot
• Attempts to Escape from the Inner Emptiness
• Plays
• Christianity
• Godot
• Suicide
• Reasons for the Failure of the Attempts
• No Permanent Escape
• The Meaninglessness of Faith
• The Non-appearance of Godot
• The Ineffectiveness of Suicide
• Consequences
• Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis aims to demonstrate that emptiness is a central theme in Samuel Beckett's plays, specifically focusing on Waiting for Godot. The analysis will delve into Vladimir and Estragon's attempts to escape from the inner emptiness, exploring the reasons for their failure. The analysis will draw from philosophical concepts of inner and outer emptiness, placing these themes within the context of nihilism, the absurd, and existentialism. Key themes explored in the thesis include: * **Inner and Outer Emptiness:** The distinction between the emptiness of space and the emptiness of meaning in human existence. * **The Absurdity of Existence:** The idea that life is inherently meaningless and lacks inherent purpose. * **The Search for Meaning:** Characters' attempts to find meaning in various forms of engagement, including plays, faith, and even suicide. * **The Failure of Escape:** The inevitable failure of these attempts to find lasting meaning or escape from the emptiness. * **Consequences of Emptiness:** The effects of inner emptiness on the characters and the audience's understanding of existence.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction of the thesis explores the common reactions of incomprehension and confusion experienced by audiences of Samuel Beckett's plays. It attributes this to the breakdown of familiar concepts, such as belief in God, the unity of the world, and the knowability of experience, leaving audiences with a sense of inner emptiness. The second chapter delves into the philosophical background of the term "emptiness," distinguishing between inner and outer emptiness. Inner emptiness stems from the human inability to find meaning in existence, while outer emptiness refers to the void of space. The chapter connects these concepts to the philosophical notions of "existence" and "essence," arguing that our concern for existence arises from the awareness of potential non-existence or emptiness. Chapter three, which will not be included in this preview due to its focus on major plot points, likely explores the manifestation of emptiness in Waiting for Godot, providing specific examples from the play. Chapter four, also not included in this preview, likely examines Vladimir and Estragon's attempts to escape from inner emptiness through various activities, including plays, Christianity, and the anticipated arrival of Godot. The fifth chapter, which will not be included in this preview, likely analyzes the reasons for the failure of Vladimir and Estragon's attempts to escape emptiness. It may explore the limitations of these attempts, such as the lack of permanent solutions, the meaninglessness of faith, the non-appearance of Godot, and the ineffectiveness of suicide.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The core concepts explored in the thesis revolve around existentialism, nihilism, the absurd, and the themes of inner and outer emptiness. The analysis focuses on the play "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett and explores the characters' attempts to escape from a profound sense of meaninglessness.

• College: University of Mannheim
• Grade: 1,6
• Author: Saskia Bachner (Author)
• Publication Year: 2008
• Pages: 39
• Catalog Number: V113137
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640136551
• ISBN (Book): 9783640136971
• Language: English
• Tags: Samuel, Beckett, Waiting, Godot