great works ii – 2850 jta 12:25-2:05: love letters from the world

Rebecca:

A similar theme runs through Endgame and Mallarme’s poem. This is the theme of hopelessness. Clov and Hamm go through each and every day of their lives achieving basically nothing. There is a certain sense of unfulfilled potential, of an existence with no purpose. The same theme runs throughout Mallarme’s poem. “By the transparent glacier of flights never flown?” Flights never flown indicates the possibility to take off, to fly high, but they were never flown, indicated, the chance to find purpose and fulfill potential was not taken.  Another theme that runs through both pieces is the idea of being pained and troubled because of the circumstance that you are placed in. “Inflicted on the bird by the space it denies.” This swan had certain agonies because of the place that he was in, and because of his refusal to take flight. Clov is in a similar position, being certainly pained for staying where he is, and not taking flight.

Songyun:

I agree with Rebecca said, the poem and Endgame displayed quite a similar feelings of hopelessness. Compare the Endgame and the Chestnut Tree, you can feel about emptiness and loneliness. The constant tension in Endgame is whether Clov will leave Hamm or not. Hamm continually tells Clov to leave him alone but pulls him back before an exit is possible. Their empty lives are filled only with unyielding pain, and none of life’s typical consolations help them. But Hamm and Clov’s unwillingness to face this pain alone somehow makes the pain greater. The Chestnut Tree is trying to find the meaning of human existence. And often question what existing meant, but realized there is no reason for existence.

Michelle:

The short film “Breathe” and the short story “Endgame” both have a similar themes in a strange way. Their two connecting themes can be viewed as isolation. In the one minute video I was creeped out by the weird breathing which, in my opinion, can be viewed as the character being anxious due to their isolation. There was (what I would like to describe as) garbage all piled on top of each other in one dark, creepy room and each piece in there were somehow connected and intertwined to each other. In Endgame, Clov and Ham are the only two left and they’re located in an empty room with only two trash cans. They both go at it with each other with smart comments and at some point get tired of each other but don’t want to leave their sides. As the room is dark and dull, it gives the reader a sense of isolation (and anxiety). Both are located in one dark, dull room isolated from the outside.