Waiting for Godot: Just a Dream

Though Beckett wrote Waiting for Godot to comment on absurdism in day to day life, for me, there seems to be a question of whether or not Waiting for Godot is even taking place in real life. The major reason for me to believe that the events of the play are taking place in a dream rather than reality is the Vladimir seems to be the only character that has recollection of the days prior. Estragon can never remember why the two men are where they are or from whom they are waiting. Pozzo does not seem to remember encountering the men, nor Estragon remember encountering Pozzo, until Vladimir pieces it together. Estragon cannot remember why a pair of boots is on the ground, or that he had taken his off the day prior. It is always left to Vladimir to piece together the events of the day prior, and then Estragon feigns to remember. However, perhaps it is Vladimir's dream and the reason he remembers everything is only because he was the one experiencing everything. Estragon is a character of Vladimir's subconscious, who is reliant on Vladimir for all of his memories and personality traits.

Waiting for Godot: Setting

Waiting for Godot is a unique play in many ways. Beckett's intention was to showcase the absurdism of the real world, but it seems the events of the play don't take play in the "real world" at all. Perhaps the lack of setting or defining time line add to absurdism, showing that the absurd can be present in all aspects of life, everywhere. A setting may have allowed the reader to contain the absurdism, classifying it a set location, secluding it far from the realms of day to day life. There is no defined plot of the play, just as certain days do not reach a climax. Yesterday I went to mock trial practice, then went to work, then watched television before going to bed. I went to bed feeling I had accomplished a lot. I had completed part of my direct examination for mock trial, organized and cleaned the menus at work, and cleared out the DVR. Upon reflection, none of these actions have meaning. They meant something to me at the time, but in the course of life none of my actions from yesterday will have meaning or change the world. By removing setting from his play, Beckett allows the audience to insert themselves into the realm of absurd, only to find they have been living there far before the play began.

Metamorphosis as a Dog

In class when asked if we had to undergo a metamorphosis, what animal we would chose to become it seemed the overwhelmingly popular answer was a dog. If Gregor had been transformed into a dog, I think the course of Metamorphosis would have taken a different turn. A dog body would still struggle to accomplish the tasks that humans could. For instance, opening the door still would have presented a challenge, but it would have involved less horrific imagery than dark liquid oozing from Gregor's jaws. His family and boss would have been more confused than revolted at the sight of Gregor, perhaps resulting in them aiming to be more helpful to acclimate Gregor to his adjusted state. In caring for Gregor, Grete would have had a much easier time. She would most likely not have been so uncomfortable just by the sight of him, leaving her more willing to interact with him. The book would have lost its commentary on isolationism, as Gregor would have been much more accepted by both his family and society as a dog is man's best friend, but a cockroach is his enemy.

Metamorphosis and Physical Disfigurement

When reading Metamorphosis, I could not help but think about a more realistic version of a physical change that could alter the world's perception of any individual. I considered burn victims or other accident survivors that suffer a rapid change in physical appearance. We live in a country today that places tremendous value on outer beauty. There are entire magazines and websites dedicated to celebrating the lifestyles of people who are considered beautiful by traditional standards. When Gregor hid himself from his sister, to pardon her of the burden of having to look at his insect body, I thought of people with physical disfigurements who may wear glasses and scarves, even if is uncomfortable for them, as to relieve others of having to see their wounds, which to onlookers might be considered disgusting. Going from one day being satisfied with the person in the mirror, spending hours on hair or makeup, to never wanting to look in a mirror or even see a reflection of oneself in a window would be a challenging adjustment. This is only made worse when going out in public means constant stares from onlookers, trying to figure out "what happened" or "whats wrong." Even I think about myself and the amount of time I spend looking at myself, whether it be in the mirror in the or on my phone screen, and how traumatic it would be to be revolted by my own face. For accident survivors, I can only imagine that looking at their disfigurement also serves as a constant reminder of a horrible day where they most likely lost more than vanity.