One Hundred And Twenty-Six Pages Of Absurdism
A Book That Left Me Feeling Unfeeling
I’m a literature student, and before I started studying this course, I only read rom-com books that made me laugh and left me feeling all giddy. Then I became a Literature student, and my reading life changed into something I had never imagined.
Last year, I took some dramatic arts courses, and one of them was: The History of Drama and Theatre in The Modern Period.
In this course, we read books, many books, but one among them stood out, and it’s a play titled — Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett.
Waiting for Godot is a book about nothing, a tragic comedy, and an incredible work of art. Beckett successfully weaves the web of this book around the meaningless, confusing, and ridiculous plight of humans.
SUMMARY OF THE BOOK
Two men, Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo) meet near a leafless tree and reveal they are waiting for a man called Godot. While they waited, two men came to join them — Pozzo and Lucky. Lucky is Pozzo’s servant and his master wants to sell him.
On their way to the market, they pause for a while to converse with Vladimir and Estragon. Pozzo’s servant, Lucky, entertains them by dancing and thinking, and soon after, they leave.
After Pozzo and Lucky leave, a young boy enters and tells Vladimir that he is a messenger from Godot. The boy explains to Vladimir that Godot will not be coming tonight, but he will surely come the next day. Vladimir asks him questions about Godot before allowing him to leave.
Vladimir and Estragon decide to leave since Godot is not coming, but they do not move as the curtain falls.
The night after, Vladimir and Estragon again meet near the tree to wait for Godot. Pozzo and his servant, Lucky, enter again, but this time Pozzo is blind, and Lucky is dumb. Pozzo does not remember meeting them the night before. They leave while Vladimir and Estragon continue to wait.
Shortly after, the young boy enters and again tells Vladimir that Godot will not come. Vladimir tells the boy that he told them Godot would be around today. However, the boy insists that he did not speak to Vladimir the day before.
After he leaves, Estragon and Vladimir decide to leave, but again they do not move.
…
Cutting across one hundred and sixty-five pages, this book is an interesting work of nonsense; Beckett uses an unusual dialogue, a slight plot, and bizarre characters to show the absurdity of life.
In the play, practically nothing happens; there is no character development, no action, and no beginning or end.
I can still remember the day I read this book. I sat there, reading the same lines repeatedly and wondering where it was going. Despite being frustrated that the characters weren’t getting anywhere, I couldn’t stop reading.
It was a memorable read that had me questioning my philosophies and the daily decisions I make. Beckett tries to show us what it means to put one’s faith in something unknowable and unpromising.
Waiting for Godot was the first book I read that left me feeling unfeeling. It was one hundred and sixty-five pages of absurdism, but every flip was worth it.
It’s undeniable that the book is an exceptional work of art, meaningless yet meaningful.
Thanks for reading!
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