waiting for Godot

 

Here is the link of given task on the play waiting for Godot click here

Here is my response to the given questions

Q: what connection do you see in the setting (‘A country road. A tree evening.’) Of the play and these paintings?

The setting of the play is inspired by painting ‘longing’ by two paintings by Caspar David Freidrich. Act of waiting can be considered as act of longing.

Q: the tree is the only important ‘thing’ in the setting. What is the importance of tree in both acts? Why does Beckett grow a few leaves in Act II on the barren tree?

Tree has its own importance in setting.  In first act tree is barren. Barren tree can be seen as hopelessness and nothingness, Vladimir and Estragon thinks to hanging themselves from tree which can be seen a reference to the crucifixion of Christ. In Act two leaves sprouts from tree which shows hope for the next. Found happiness out of despair and anxiety of human life.

Q:  in both Acts, evening falls into night and moon rises. How would you like to interpret this ‘coming of night and moon’ when actually they are waiting for Godot?

Evening falls into night and moon rises signifies that universe is indifferent to us.  Whatever happens in human life despair, anxiety, absurdity; nature’s cycle goes on.

Q: the play begins with the dialogue” nothing to be done”. How does the theme of ‘nothingness’ recurs in play?

Nothingness recurs in the play. Vladimir and Estragon have nothing to do expect waiting. And that’s why Vladimir says this line ‘nothing to be done’.

Q:  do you agree:”the play (waiting for Godot), we agreed, was a positive play, not negative, not pessimistic. As I saw it, with my blood and skin and eyes, the philosophy is: ‘no matter what- bombs, anything-life goes on. You can kill yourself, but you can’t kill life’.(E.G. marshal who played Vladimir in original Broadway production 1950s).

The play is positive play. Play is not absurd but rather meaningful.  Only dialogue are going on but that is only common conversation, at first reading we may not find it that much meaningful but find it meaningful at deep inside. Waiting signifies hope; process of waiting is process of keeping hope towards something to be achieved.

Q: How are the props like hat and boots used in the play? What is the symbolical significances of these props?

Hat signifies Vladimir’s capacity of thinking who remembers every event of past where as boots signifies skepticism in character of Estragon. He is taking his boot on and off Who forgets things very easily, carelessness towards life.

Q: do you feel the effect of existential crisis or meaninglessness of human existence in the irrational and indifference universe during screening of the move? Where and when exactly that feeling was felt, ever it was? Vladimir and estragon talks about ‘hanging’ themselves and commit suicide, but they do not do so. How do you read this idea of suicide in existentialism?

Yes I do feel effect of existential crisis during screening of the movie; when the sentence is repeatedly said that “nothing to be done” we feel meaninglessness of human existence. Vladimir and Estragon talks about ‘hanging’ themselves and commit suicide but they do not do so rather they come again and starts waiting. Here we find out the existential idea that true challenge is when you face despair, absurdity and anxiety of human life and come that absurdity rather ending your life by committing suicide. In movie Mera nam joker there is a song “

                                                         

                                       जीना यहाँ, मरना यहाँ
                                       इसके सिवा जाना कहाँ  - 

We are born here, we will die here where we will go from here(nothing can be done)In this movie Raj kapoor is playing role of joker is life is full of despair but every day comes in front of people to make them laugh by playing the role of joker in circus he is doing his duty same as Sisyphus.

Q: The subject of the play is not Godot but waiting. Do you agree? How can you justify your answer?

The subject of the play is not Godot but ‘Waiting’. Waiting can be seen different by person by person. Waiting can be seen as death.. Waiting can be seen as desire to complete, for a spiritual person it can be ultimate way of salvation.

Thank you 😊😊😊

To the light house

This blog  is part of  my classroom thinking activity on the novel 'To The Lighthouse'.
Here is the given task:click here

 

1) Beauty of the novel ‘To the lighthouse’ is human nature and human relations. Writer has not told story in traditional way of describing events but she has concentrated on a small number of characters with their interior monologue. In this novel nothing happens, there are no events only stream of consciousness goes on and on. Use of parentheses say for example James wishes to visit the lighthouse but Mr. Ramsay strongly opposes because of bad weather thus James feels:


“Had there been an axe handy or any other weapon, he would have gashed a hole in his father’s breast…”


This is the inner feeling of James when Mr. Ramsay refused to go. This is how Woolf has made use of parentheses throughout which we came to know that what character thinks at particular time and situation.


2) The novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay. Mrs. Ramsay’s character is a tribute as well as critique on womanhood. She is caring and kind who pampers her husband’s ego. Taking care of everyone. Woman full of good-will and no ill-will. Mrs. Ramsay’s character is like a character of आज्ञाकारी and संस्कारी बहू we see in Indian daily soaps. According to her she is happier than Lily because she herself is married while she considers Lily as Poor. She repeats the sentence time and again open ‘Open the window and close the doors’- which signifies that allowing yourself to think but close the door means closing the wider way for change or say not allowing yourself for change.
Both Lily and Mrs. Ramsay’s character presents different personality of womanhood. If we look from modern perspective toward the character we consider Lily’s character more independent.

5) Kunstlerroman means apprenticeship novel that deals with the youth and development of an individual who becomes and on threshold of becoming a painter musician or poet. Throughout the novel if we read Lily’s character she develops as a painter. In the third part she completes the painting of Mrs. Ramsay, and finally she has had her own vision. Same as Augustus Carmichael he is also a poet who is unknown chapter one but his poetry meets unexpected success afterwards. So both the characters develop: one as a painter and another as a poet.

9) On one hand it is a tool for preservation. Against that is also a symbol of change of technology, changing and presumably improving human culture. James is guided in his choice by Mrs. Ramsay and it should therefore be associated with her role as preserver and shaper of culture.Traditional woman who is not allowing the change, and preserver of old tradition.

10) Virginia Woolf with the use of fairy tale subverting the misogyny of the fairy tale. Fairy tale in novel challenges the myth about female desire and dangers of unopposed female will and desire. The real danger seems to be male needs and desire. 

Thank you...😊