1984- George Orwell

Hello, this blog is in response to the assigned task by Dr, Dilip Barad Sir. This blog answers to the assigned question and deals with the major concern in Dystopian Social Science Fiction by George Orwell nineteen Eighty Four.

NINETEEN EIGHTY- FOUR

In brief about the author and the text.

George Orwell is a pen name of Arthur Eric Bair. he was an English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic. His work is characterized by lucid prose, biting social criticism, total opposition to totalitarianism, and outspoken support of democratic socialism. Orwell produced literary criticism and poetry, fiction and polemical journalism.

Documentary on Orwell

He is famous for his works Animal Farm, 1984, The Road To Wigan Pier and Homage to Catalonia.

1984 is a Dystopian Social Science fiction novel and cautionary tale written by George Orwell, published on 8 June 1949. Thematically it concerns the consequences of totalitarianism, mass surveillance and repressive regimentation of people and behavior within society. The novel examines the role of truth and facts within politics and the way in which they are manipulated. The adjective Orwellian is popularized after this novel and along with many other words like double think, thought police, thought crime, newspeak and big brother have entered the English language. It is a futuristic novel which deals with real life ideas like surveillance, Totalitarianism and violation of freedom of expression.

What is dystopian fiction? Is '1984' a dystopian fiction?

Etymology, dys- bad (old greek) and Topia- Place (old Greek).

Dystopian Literature is a world in which everything is imperfect, and everything goes wrong. It shows nightmarish images about what might happen to the world in the near future. Usually the main theme of dystopian works are rebellion, oppression, revolutions, wars, overpopulation and disasters.

Dystopian literature concerns the issues of humanity and society and warns the people about their weakness. This literary technique is used to discuss reality and depict issues that might happen in the future. Thus its role is to educate and give awareness to the audience.

The protagonist in the dystopian literature often feels trapped and struggles to escape, they question the existence of social and political systems. They have an instinct of something being terribly wrong in the society they live in and through their perspective, they show the audience the negative aspects of the dystopian world.

Earliest dystopian work is Gulliver's travel, it's a blueprint for dystopian literature. Imagining a world where certain trends in contemporary society are taken to extremes, exposing their underlying flaws.

Dystopia are cautionary tales, not about particular government or technology but the very idea that humanity can be molded into ideal shape.

From the above discussion of Dystopian Literature we see that ‘1984’ completely satisfies all the characteristics of Dystopian fiction. So Yes, ‘1984’ is Dystopian literature; Dystopian social science fiction which also falls in the genre of science fiction and political fiction. ‘1984’ is a futuristic novel in which totalitarian society is oppressive and has created vast inequities. It demonstrates the negative outcome of man’s lust for power and control.

Society in ‘1984’ is always in fear of wars, government surveillance and political oppression of free speech. Totalitarian rule destroys the individuality and identity of one. It was written after war when fascism was rising in the Soviet Union and Germany, it draws a pessimistic picture of society's ability to avoid such disasters.

How Dystopian fiction works; it shows the past of the present society which helps us understand the difference created in the new society and reason for its decline. In this Novel too Winston finds his space and tries to remember the past . but he isn't able to, which can be read as the party's corruption on his emotional life. Party's oppression of the memory of people.

Dystopian novels portray fictional societies that are marked by traits, such as oppression or mass poverty, that cause feelings of fear for the reader. Orwell's 1984 is the perfect example of a dystopian novel, as these traits are present.

What according to you is the central theme of this novel?

‘1984’, Orwell's Futuristic Dystopian social science fiction novel brings to us the mentally, emotionally and physically oppressed world. With various themes:

• Totalitarianism
• Psychological manipulation
• Language as mind control/ use and abuse of language
• Technology
• Control of information and history
• Physical control
• Class system/ wealth of ruling class
• Resistance and revolution
• Political loyalty
• Independence and identity

In all these various themes the major theme which stunned me and we will discuss are Language and the newly introduced term Totalitarianism.

Totalitarianism:

The literal meaning of the word is a system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state, a form of government that attempts to assert total control over the lives of its citizens

Orwell, seems to be disturbed by the cruelties and oppression of communist's countries and seems that he is aware about how technology is helping the government to oppress and control people through monitoring.

Totalitarianism is the primary theme of the novels. 1984 a political novel, tries to warn the people from the extreme level of control and power possible under a truly totalitarian regime. In the novel we see that no one has ever seen Big Brother but still everyone has to keep following him. The name of the unknown Big Brother party not only controls social or seual life of people but controls their memory, thoughts, feelings and also over personal space (writing dairy). With the idea of looking for the welfare of the nation the complete surveillance over the people by party, not physically but mentally also. Even if they think against the party they were arrested under ‘thoughtcrime’. As a novel progresses we see that how the resistant character Winston, who is just trying to have ‘ownlife’ and some rational thinking is tortured and brainwashed by the party. The Party uses a number of techniques to control its citizens, each of which is an important theme of its own in the novel.

Language:

It is through language that we communicate with the world, define our identity, express our history and culture, learn, defend our human rights and participate in all aspects of society and it structures and limits the ideas that individuals are capable of formulating and expressing. Orwell in the novel imagines if the language is centralized by the agency. In the Novel we see that the party is bringing new words into existence through ‘newspeak. The aim of newspeak is: Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it.”

The Party is constantly refining and perfecting Newspeak, with the idea of a completely new language which will consist of nonnegative language through which the party can be criticized., no one will be capable of conceptualizing anything that might question the Party’s absolute power. O’Brien and Winston Smith are engaged in the Ministry of Truth to use and abuse language to rewrite history and distort facts for the public consumption. The oppressive. Controlling part is trying to make it impossible to even conceive of disobedient or rebellious thoughts, because there would be no words with which to think them. If one does so, with an example of Winston Orwell show, they are tortured, brain washed and are made to love Big Brother.

The party is also changing history with the change of language because ‘one who controls the past controls the future’. Also today the NEP has decided to change the history syllabus in schools, trying to control the past. With an argument that students are taught about Mughals and not Hindu kings or rulers. Here authority with the use of positive language, is trying to spread hatred towards Mughals/ Muslims. This is how authority is trying to divide nations in the name of dharma. (personal interpretation)

When two languages mix it enriches the language but here the party is reducing the language because one cannot think without language and they aim to control people. They are eliminating negative words e.g. the opposite of good is not bad but ungood. Today similar things we find on social media where the words like Friend and Unfriend are used, Enemy is not used. Social media majorly spreads hatred but by not using negative words they try to show that they are positive and spread love.

In the novel we clearly see the control of language through its motto ‘ war is peace, slavery is freedom’. With the help of language they try to play with their minds.

What do you understand by the term 'Orwellian'?

The word Orwellian has come after the dystopian writing of George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty- Four’. Generally, when one is opposing British or Mughals they are considered to be nationalist and if one is questioning their own selected ruler/ authority they are considered anti- nationalist and that is where the idea of Orwellian Theory comes from.

The term is named after Writer George Orwell whose real name is Arthur Eric Blair. We generally find that this term is used for authoritarian government but this does not fully convey Orwell’s message. It risks what Orwell has tried to warn against; he's opposing a form of tyranny and is and is leading to fight against anti- democratic forces of both left and right wing.

In the Novel 1984, the Government of Oceania controls the speech of people in some ways. Moves and words are watched and there is threat for one who is stepping out the line. The words sed there like War is peace, freedom is slavery are not to convey the message but to undermine it. Oceania’s government is creating a new dictionary ‘Newspeak’ by eliminating the words from the English language and giving a new dialect of limited simple concrete doubts.. It lacks the words which would encourage critical thinking or questioning. Even the privacy of thought is not provided, even if anyone presents his own perception in dreams,keeps a diary or love affair he is found guilty of thoughtcrime and is punished till his brain is washed.

So, Orwell urged us to protect our language because it is our only ability to think and communicate clearly and it is what stands between us and totalitarian society. Words have the power to shape thought.

Thus, Orwellian is not everything that is authoritarian, mass surveillance and intrusive government. It is all about manipulative and deceptive use of language.

Write in brief about 'Newspeak' - and refer to Orwell & Pinter's essays.

Definition of newspeak

propagandistic language marked by euphemism, circumlocution, and the inversion of customary meanings, "designed to diminish the range of thought," in the novel 1984 by George Orwell.

The Oceania government in 1984 was trying to control the language to control the mind. They started making a new dictionary by eliminating the words from the English language with the main idea of reducing the language, complex or negative words. So the people who ever get a chance resist; they leave no language which can help to communicate or express their feelings against Big Brother or criticize or question against. As said in Orwell's essay POLITICS AND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ‘if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.’ If there is no language there is no negative thought. In the essay Orwell criticizes standard English, with its perceived dying metaphors, pretentious diction, and high-flown rhetoric, which he would later satirize in the meaningless words of doublespeak, the product of unclear reasoning.

The basic idea of Newspeak was to reduce the unnecessary words. In Newspeak, English root words function as both nouns and verbs, which reduce the vocabulary available for the speaker to communicate meaning. For example, think is both a noun and a verb, thus, the word thought is not functionally required to communicate the concepts of thought in Newspeak and therefore is not in the Newspeak vocabulary. The opposite of good is bad but bad is unnecessary and it is written as ‘ungood’ and the degrees of good are ‘plus good’ , ‘double plus good’. CLICK HERE for grammar of newspeak. Through his creation and explanation of Newspeak, Orwell warns the reader that a government that creates the language and mandates how it is used can control the minds of its citizens.

Also Social media plays a vital role in the use of such language. It uses the language add friend and unfriend they don't use the word enemy. Through this they try to show how they spread love and not hatred, while we the algorithms of social media play a major role in spreading hatred.

In contemporary time no one makes the newspeak the the use of words by authorities in speeches, newspaper is done in such a way that it settles in the minds of people and unconsciously they tend to do so. And slogans work powerfully in this process.

Today, the game of words is played a lot around Kashmir files. It indicates that every Indian should watch Kashmir files being an Indian. And the conversations are done in a way to show a movie from only one point of view, that is hatred towards Muslims or terrorists. Movie is a art and it must open for all types of interpretations, no one can force to interpret in a specific way. The Authorities seems to be trying to control over the minds of public through Kashmir Files.

Playing with words, back in 2012 came the idea of ‘chowkidar’-  ‘mein chowkidar’ which gives a hidden meaning that you are ‘chor’ - enemies and I will take care that you can't steal anything. Public is chor and authority is chowkidar.

Thank you for visiting . I hope you liked reading this blog and it helped you for better understanding . any queries or doubt comment below.

[words- 2300]

I.A.Richards- figurative language and Indian poetics

Hello, this blog on figurative analysis by I.A. Richards is a response to a blog task by Dr. Dilip Barad sir. This blog deals with verbal analysis of Bollywood songs based on essays of I.A. Richards ‘Figurative language’ and Indian Poetics theory.

I.A.Richards

I.A. Richards, in full Ivor Armstrong Richards, (born Feb. 26, 1893- died Sept. 7, 1979), English critic, poet, and teacher who was highly influential in developing a new way of reading poetry that led to the new criticism and that also influenced some forms of reader-response criticism.

He wrote three of his most influential books: The Meaning of Meaning (1923;); and Principles of Literary criticism (1924) and Practical Critical(1929), companion volumes that he used to develop his critical method.

The essay ‘Figurative language' is a part of ‘Practical criticism’. The objectives of writing Practical Criticism are

1. To introduce a new kind of documentation to those who are interested in the contemporary state of culture whether as critics, philosophers, as teachers, as psychologists, or merely as curious persons.

2. To provide new techniques for those who wish to discover for themselves what they think and feel about poetry (and cognate matters)and why they should like or dislike it.

3. To prepare the way for educational methods more efficient than those we use now in developing discrimination and the power to understand what we hear and read.

In the Essay ‘Figurative Language’ he gave four types of meanings.

• Sense- ‘items’ referred to by a writer.
• Feeling- “an attitude towards it, some special direction, bias or accentuation of interest towards it, some personal flavor or coloring of feeling”.
• Tone- writer’s attitude to his readers or audience
• Intention- writer’s aim, which may be conscious or unconscious.

Two uses of language

1. The scientific use
2. Emotive use

Four types of misunderstanding

• Sense of poetry
• Over- literal reading
• Defective Scholarship
• Difference between the words in poetry and prose

New Criticism:

New Criticism emphasizes explication, or "close reading," of "the work itself." It rejects old historicism's attention to biographical and sociological matters.

There are also the critics like- Cleanth Brooks who gave ‘Language of Paradox’; Allen Tate who talked about the Tension in the poetry between two opposite forces: extension (literal meaning- denotative) and intension (metaphorical meaning- connotative).

In Indian poetics also we have Three different ways of reading meaning.

• અભિધા - we consider the direct meaning of the words.
• લક્ષણા‌ - there is no direct meaning, we need to consider secondary meaning.
• વ્યંજના - there is direct meaning but it's not suitable so have to go for secondary meaning.

Now let us do a verbal analysis of the Bollywood song.

Singer-  Sonu Nigam 

Writer- Anil Pandey

Movie-  Kabhi khushi Kabhi Gham

Composer- Sandesh Sandilya

सूरज हुआ मद्धम, चाँद जलने लगा

आसमान ये हाय क्यूँ पिघलने लगा

सूरज हुआ मद्धम, चाँद जलने लगा

आसमान ये हाय क्यूँ पिघलने लगा

मैं ठेहरा रहा, ज़मीन चलने लगी

धड़का ये दिल, सांस थमने लगी

ओ, क्या ये मेरा पेहला पेहला प्यार है

सजना, क्या ये मेरा पेहला पेहला प्यार है

हो ओ ओ, ओ ओ ओ ओ ओ,

आ आ आ आ आ आ

सूरज हुआ मद्धम, चाँद जलने लगा

आसमान ये हाय क्यूँ पिघलने लगा

मैं ठेहरी रही, ज़मीन चलने लगी

धड़का ये दिल, सांस थमने लगी

हाँ, क्या ये मेरा पेहला पेहला प्यार है

सजना, क्या ये मेरा पेहला पेहला प्यार है

है खूबसूरत ये पल, सब कुछ रहा है बदल

सपने हकीकत में जो ढल रहे है

क्या सदियों से पुराना है रिश्ता ये हमारा

के जिस तरह तुमसे हम मिल रहे है

यूँही रहे हर दम प्यार का मौसम

यूँही मिलो हमसे तुम जनम जनम

मैं ठेहरा रहा, ज़मीन चलने लगी

(ला ला ला, ला ला ला, ला ला ला)

धड़का ये दिल, सांस थमने लगी

हाँ, क्या ये मेरा पेहला पेहला प्यार है

सजना, क्या ये मेरा पेहला पेहला प्यार है

तेरे ही रंग से यूँ मैं तो रंगीन हूँ सनम

पाके तुझे खुद से ही खो रही हूँ सनम

ओ माहिया, वे तेरे इश्क में

हाँ दुबके पार मैं हो रही हूँ सनम

सागर हुआ प्यासा, रात जागने लगी

शोलो के दिल में भी आग जलने लगी

मैं ठेहरी रही, ज़मीन चलने लगी

धड़का ये दिल, सांस थमने लगी

क्या ये मेरा पेहला पेहला प्यार है

सजना

क्या ये मेरा पेहला पेहला प्यार है

New criticism/ First reading

First sense we get through this song is that it can be a nature song as it has used many natural elements like sun, moon, land, sky, ocean, etc.. We also get a sense of a love song as the word ‘pyar’ is found several times. It also suggests appreciation or thanking the beloved for love and being his/her companion and his/her importance in her/ his life. The poem also describes some unsystematic or random things which are perhaps to prove their lostness in love, in each other.

Misunderstanding

This is a Hindi song, so it becomes difficult for English native to understand it. I am trying to explain it in a way that everyone can get its gist and use figurative language in it. We will look at what misunderstanding can happen in reading this song.

मद्धम- dim light

जलने- burn, Lightened

पिघलने- melting

ठेहरा- steady, stay

चलने - walk, move

थमने- pause

These are some words from the first stanza of the song which seems to be problematic in the song when we go for scientific reading/ over literal reading.

सूरज हुआ मद्धम, चाँद जलने लगा

आसमान ये हाय क्यूँ पिघलने लगा

मद्धम and जलने (meaning are given above) are the words generally used for light or fire but here it is used for sun and moon. And also there is a contradiction, sun is brighter and moon but it is described as dim and moon brighter and rising and setting are the words used for sun and moon instead of dimming and brightening.

मैं ठेहरा रहा, ज़मीन चलने लगी

धड़का ये दिल, सांस थमने लगी

In the above lines, it suggests ‘ I was steady and land started moving’ and ‘heart started beating and breathing stopped ' which is completely unscientific. ‘ We can interpret that perhaps the protagonist is on Escalator! And the next line seems like the protagonist is in threat, due to the sudden effect of something he/ she is in shock. Both these activities are completely unscientific.

सपने हकीकत में जो ढल रहे है

ढल- falling, descend

Descend is generally fall, fall of evening but here ‘descend’ is used for falling of dreams into reality.

यूँही रहे हर दम प्यार का मौसम

यूँही मिलो हमसे तुम जनम जनम

प्यार का मौसम- season of love

These lines are wishes by the protagonist that the season of love stays the same forever and they meet similarly in their every birth. We interpret the protagonist to be a believer of re-birth philosophy. Season of love, according to the mythos grid we can read the season they are talking about can be summer as summer is the season for romance. But seasons are a changing thing; it cannot stay the same forever. And about the idea of meeting in every birth seems to be impractical, we don't have any proof about re- birth philosophy and if we believe in it, we don't remember anything about last birth so we don't know whether we are with the same partner or not.

तेरे ही रंग से यूँ मैं तो रंगीन हूँ सनम

Here the question arises: रंग -color means which color? Are they celebrating Holi? Is there any color to specific people which are shared with the beloved?

Also ‘सनम- sanam’ is the same as beloved or nick name or just spoken out of love?

पाके तुझे खुद से ही खो रही हूँ सनम

This line gives the idea that a homogeneous solution; solute completely loses its individual characteristics and apt characteristic of solvent and form solution. Here the question of equality can be raised! These are lines sung by female protagonists, we can interpret the society which forces women to adapt to a new house, follow rules of husband/ beloved and lose her own individuality which is considered ‘sanskar’. Why is a woman खो रही- losing herself after getting beloved?

ओ माहिया, वे तेरे इश्क में

हाँ दुबके पार मैं हो रही हूँ सनम

दुबके- drowning पार- beyond

How can someone drown in a human and also come across. We can also read as is the female protagonist achieving something she longed for after falling in love with him? इश्क में

हाँ दुबके- drowning in love; is love given a metaphor of ocean or ocean a metaphor of love?

सागर हुआ प्यासा, रात जागने लगी

शोलो के दिल में भी आग जलने लगी

सागर हुआ प्यासा- ocean getting thirty; रात जागने लगी- night awaking; शोलो के दिल में भी आग जलने लगी- fire in the heart of flame. Here the ocean, night and flame is personified. This seems completely illogical. Ocean is full of water and night is for sleeping.

We find many problems in over literal reading of the poems. All These complaints rest upon assumptions about language that would be fatal to poetry. If we look at every song or poetry scientifically perhaps it would not ever survive. Language in poetry and prose is very different so it needs a different attitude for better understanding.

Analysis song with Indian poetics terms:

Click Here to Read my Blog On Indian Poetics

Reading it through Gujarati meanings the major part of song comes under લક્ષણા‌ (there is no direct meaning, we need to consider secondary meaning). For example; मैं ठेहरा रहा, ज़मीन चलने लगी- I was steady and land started moving. It has direct meaning but it makes no sense so we go for better understanding the perhaps protagonist is in state of shock and to explain his state he is using this types of metaphors.

Rasa

Theory by Bharata. Indian concept of aesthetic flavor, an essential element of any work of visual, literary, or performing art that can only be suggested, not described. rasa is an individual feeling, what feeling one attains from reading poetry. In this song I felt is ‘shringara rasa’ which evolves from love.

Dhvani

Rasa is something beyond the language, but Dhvani is all about language. Dhvani theory talks about understanding what is not said, to read between the lines. सागर हुआ प्यासा, रात जागने लगी

शोलो के दिल में भी आग जलने लगी these lines are the perfect example. It indirectly. Its Dhvani talks about the restlessness and happiness of the lover.

Vakrokti

Vakrokti, theory by Kuntaka. Vakrokti means irony. Vakrokti we find here is through this line क्या ये मेरा पेहला पेहला प्यार है सजना protagonists are sharing so much of their feelings and still they are in doubt about their feeling.

Riti

Vamana wrote that, શિલે ભવા શૈલી. According to Vamana riti is superior and most important in literature. Every writer has her/ his own style and this song is also written in a specific style, majorly ABCB.

Auchitya theory :

According to Ksemendra, any literary work should be written in proper format, structure wise, beauty wise, use of figurative, flow of emotions, each and everything should be proper. And we find that this song completely justifies all the needs of Auchitya. We can find here the flow of the emotions of poets.

This blog is like a new learning and experiment. If you find anything to add please comment below. Thank you

[Words- 1860]

Worksheet- Movie screening: Waiting for Godot

This blog is a response to an assigned blog by Dr. Dilip Barad sir, on Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett. This blog answers several assigned questions.

WAITING FOR GODOT

Samuel Beckett-

Samuel Barclay Beckett (13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, theater director, poet, and literary translator. A resident of Paris for most of his adult life, he wrote in both French and English. He is considered one of the last modernist writers, and one of the key figures in what Martin Esllin called the Theater of the Absurd. Beckett was awarded the 1969 Nobel Prize of Literature "for his writing, which—in new forms for the novel and drama—in the destitution of modern man acquires its elevation"

Waiting for Godot:

Waiting for Godot is a French play 'En attendant Godot' originally translated to English by Beckett himself. The subtitle of the play 'The tragicomedy in two acts'. It was originally published in 1952.

In the play two characters Vladimir and Estragon engage in various useless discussions to pass their time waiting for titular character Godot who is mute and never comes. The play shows the meaninglessness of life, absurdity and boredom in people's lives. This play seems connected to today's time to a great extent. Even watching the Waiting for Godot film makes us feel bored. This play is read from various points of view; Existentialism, religion, political, psychoanalytical & deconstructive.

'Waiting for Godot' is considered among the three greatest plays with Hamlet, Oedipus Rex. It appeals to an uncertainty: why are we here? Are we alone in the uncaring universe or not? What are we to do while we are here? How can we know? And, ultimately, what does it matter?

Let's discuss some questions-

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?

I interpret this ‘coming of night and moon’ in three ways:

1. Vladimir and Estragon are waiting whole day for Godot. It does not arrive and the falling of night seems falling/ breaking of their hope of Godot coming. And the rising of the moon seems like hope in the dark night which reflects the brighter side and motivates them to wait.
2. They both are waiting for the whole day for Godot but Godot doesn't visits and in waiting night falls and sun rises, this also reflects that nature is distinct from human life. Human’s desire or waiting doesn't affect nature; it will continue doing its work.
3. The falling of night and rising of moon also indicate the end of waiting or postponement of waiting, for both characters after the whole day. It can be read as the coming of night is a postponement of punishment from daily suffering. The appearance of the moon in the sky signals that the night has come and both should stop waiting now.

The director feels the setting with some debris. Can you read any meaning in the contours of debris in the setting of the play?

Debris is pieces from something that has been destroyed or pieces of rubbish or unwanted material that are spread around.

The setting of the play is

"A country road. A Tree.

Evening." (Act 1)

"Next day. Same Time.

Same place."(Act 2)

1. But taking artistic liberty Michael Lindsay Hogg uses Debris in the setting of the film released in 2001. This Debris are read in various ways-
2. This debris is placed to indicate the major earthquake arise in Gujarat in 2001.
3. It also indicates the post- World war effects in various places.
4. We are witnessing the history through Ukraine- Russia war; The photo of debris I have added is debris of Ukraine, exhibiting bomb blasting effects.
5. Debris is the unwanted waste which can also be read as nothing is permanent in this world. Something can be most important in life but once it's destroyed it becomes of no use, no permanence.
6. It also shows the meaninglessness of the material world; irrationality, meaninglessness, nothingness and pointlessness of life.

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— atom bombs, hydrogen bombs, anything—life goes on. You can kill yourself, but you can't kill life." ? (Source: E.G. Marshal said so - he played Vladimir in original Broadway production 1950s)

Waiting for Godot talks about absurdity, meaninglessness and irrationality of life but it doesn't make it a negative or pessimist play. Instead it is giving us the moral of life. The play gives us hope for living life. Life is meaningless. We don't know our essence but one should continue living life, lack of essence should not drive towards the end of life. It is a positive and hopeful play as it is providing us a capacity to quickly recover from difficulties. Characters of the play exhibit the journey without goal which we can easily connect to ourselves. Both are hopefully waiting for Godot for consecutive two days, but he doesn't visit, still they keep on waiting . This also gives us strength, mental power and asks us to be hopeful.

One don't know what the future is, one should not be downhearted by failures. Life goes on, our main idea should be cutting/ passing the time/ life through working/ staying engaged in activity which will ultimately take us to our goal/ essence.

The sprouting of leaves on the tree sent a powerful message to oppressed people - it suggested new life and resolution, an image of hope against all the desolation. This play significantly provides the frame of real life- we really don't know where we will end in life but we are working and staying hopeful. It is the same as the passing of time as we are thrown on this earth.

It is a positive play which gives essence of life- life goes on we cannot stop the time so flow with the time. Keep ‘WAITING’ for the good. ‘ You can kill yourself, but you can't kill life.’

“The tears of the world are a constant quantity.” - Pozzo

This play gives us the real idea of human nature and life so I agree with E.G. Marshall, it is a positive play.

Do you think that the obedience of Lucky is extremely irritating and nauseated? Even when the master Pozzo is blind, he obediently hands the whip in his hand. Do you think that such a capacity of slavishness is unbelievable?

Yes, the obedience of Lucky seems extremely irritating and nauseated. We can agree that he is brought as a slave and his work id to follow master. But in Act I master is ready for him with allegations of being lazy and not working as before. Still Lucky blindly follows him.

In Act II, master turns blind still Pozzo doesn't leave him and by himself gives his rope in master’s hand, surrenders himself even without trying to fight for independence. He is being abused and insulted by master. While watching the film we start feeling like why and for what he is doing that.

We can compare this slavish behavior of Lucky to the religious people in today’s society. Religious guru/ people working on temple service to God as a slave, changing his clothes, giving him food, work for them as a slave do for master. Even the common p[people follow religious practices and rules blindly without thinking. Eg.; pouring milk on shiv when numbers of poor are sitting outside the temple. Even God might be feeling nauseated.

Do you think that plays like this can better be ‘read’ than ‘viewed’ as it requires a lot of thinking on the part of readers, while viewing, the torrent of dialogues does not give ample time and space to ‘think’? Or is it that the audio-visuals help in better understanding of the play?

Yes I personally feel that plays like this can be better read because while watching the film the dialogues are quick, due to which we don't get enough time to understand the meaning hidden in the dialogue or what they want to convey through a specific word.

We had a movie screening in class but before that we also read original text and understood the essence of particular conversations and dialogues. Which let us understand the film/ play better.

Eg. : VLADIMIR:

I don't know. A willow.

ESTRAGON:

Where are the leaves?

VLADIMIR:

It must be dead.

ESTRAGON:

No more weeping.

We cannot understand this reference if we don't know about the Irish tradition. Dead leaves so there will be no weeping while the tree with leaves is considered to be a happy tree. But after reading, thinking and googling, we spent enough time to understand that a willow tree with leaves looks like a weeping tree. So, the dead tree came with the reference of no more weeping. Thus, reading provides better understanding.

Yes visuals do help in this play to understand the setting of the play and the tone of conversation.

Which of the following sequence you liked the most:

(i) Vladimir – Estragon killing time in questions and conversations while waiting

(ii) Pozzo – Lucky episode in both acts

(iii) Conversation of Vladimir with the Boy - the messenger of Mr. Godot

In the play Vladimir and Estragon's conversations were worth understanding and interesting. I enjoyed them but the sequence I liked the most was of Vladimir and the Boy. The major reason is that they were easy to understand. The conversation between them was full of energy and curiosity. Vladimir wished to know more and more about Godot but the Boy kept silent on the questions he didn't want to answer. The Boy seemed to be so clear in his mind and answered everything with the shortest answer. The first conversation with the boy was the hope for Vladimir and the second conversation somewhat despair and revealed Vladimir's selfishness.

Act I: " tell to Godot we are waiting for him ".

Act II: " tell to Godot that I am waiting here ".....

This conversation also raises a question for us. Was this boy real or just a hallucination of Vladimir? Was he really a messenger of Godot?

Thankyou for visiting. I hope this blog was useful to you. any queries or question please write in a comment box.

[words-1700]

Breath: Interpretation: Shooting a video Challenge

 Welcome to my new attempt. This blog is a response to the Video challenge by Dr. Dilip Barad sir. We are assigned to make a video of a self- interpretation on Samuel Beckett’s shortest play ‘BREATH’. Visit sir blog to read in detail and the picturization of the play by other students. [CLICK HERE]

Video Challenge/ picturization 

BRAETH

If essence precedes existence, are we doing the task which is decided for us?  If existence precedes essence, then is  it necessary to find essence?

Samuel Beckett:

Samuel Barclay Beckett (13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, theater director, poet, and literary translator. A resident of Paris for most of his adult life, he wrote in both French and English. He is considered one of the last modernist writers, and one of the key figures in what Martin Esllin called the Theater of the Absurd. Beckett was awarded the 1969 Nobel Prize of Literature "for his writing, which—in new forms for the novel and drama—in the destitution of modern man acquires its elevation"

Play ‘Breath’:

Beckett’s plays are always short but Breath is an unusual brief work. Detailed instructions of the play in the script to be about 35 seconds. The play has no characters, only sound. It was surprising to know that there would be a play of only 30 to 35 secs, which is interpreted in various ways. 

My understanding about the original script is how absurd our life is. Life is only in one breath, we are born with close eyes (darkness) and die with close eyes (darkness). Whatever we do in between is just working illogically to gain and achieve something which is absurd at the end of life. 

The script of the play:

CURTAIN Up

1. Faint light on stage littered with miscellaneous rubbish. Hold about five seconds.

2. Faint brief cry and immediate inspiration and slow increase of light together reaching maximum - together in about ten seconds. Silence and hold for about five seconds.

3. Expiration and slow decrease of light together reaching minimum together (light as in 1) in about ten seconds and immediately cry as before. Silence and hold about five seconds. 

CURTAIN Down

There have been many Adaptations of this play. Click to view filmed version of the play ‘Breath’ on You Tube:

1.  Breath by Damien Hirst

2.  Breath - Samuel Beckett by Liana De Jourdan

3.  National Theater School First Year Technical Production Class project, production of Samuel Beckett's play Breath.

4.  Samuel Beckett Breath (Modern Interpretation)

In Martin Esllin’s introduction to the book Absurd Drama (1965), Esslin wrote:

The Theatre of the Absurd attacks the comfortable certainties of religious or political orthodoxy. It aims to shock its audience out of complacency, to bring it face to face with the harsh facts of the human situation as these writers see it. But the challenge behind this message is anything but one of despair. It is a challenge to accept the human condition as it is, in all its mystery and absurdity, and to bear it with dignity, nobility, and responsibility; precisely because there are no easy solutions to the mysteries of existence, because ultimately man is alone in a meaningless world. The shedding of easy solutions, of comforting illusions, may be painful, but it leaves behind it a sense of freedom and relief. And that is why, in the last resort, the Theater of the Absurd does not provoke tears of despair but the laughter of liberation. READ MORE ABOUT THEATER OF ABSURD. 

My interpretation of the play is:

Absurd theater is A form of drama that emphasizes the absurdity of human existence by employing disjointed, repetitious, and meaningless dialogue, purposeless and confusing situations, and plots that lack realistic or logical development. And I have tried to keep my picturization showing the absurdity of life.  

I have tried to be more faithful to the script of the play. Since an accidental birth on this planet we keep on running to achieve something. We all work with the sense of establishment, name and fame. In my picturization, trophies and medals symbolize the achievements of my whole life. No one remembers one lifetime for their achievements. Neither achievements give satisfaction, it grows greed of achieving more and if we can't achieve a grief in heart. In the end of life all these achievements will turn into just a shoe piece. Still we all run for name, fame and achievement. It seems an absurd idea. The cry in the beginning and in the end have been interpreted as cry for achieving and cry of realizing, the happiness of achievements are temporary, respectively.

For the first time I edited a video on the computer. It took around 2 hours and numerous takes for making and selecting the audios for this video. It was a new activity to learn and realize the difficulties a cinematographer, an editor and also a YouTube influencer must be facing in various movies, documentaries, videos etc. 

Thank you for visiting. I hope you liked my picturization of play.

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