—Anonymous
First, the reason why I not understand the text is that I can not get what the author want to explain the main idea. What I get is that the story structure of the work. Here is what I get in reading before discussion.
The relationship between Clov and Hamm is a mutualism, they can’t live together outside. Clov may be the servant, but ham, who is blind and builds constraints, and everything depends on Clov seems impossible to really leave it all behind again, which may be their on-going game to pass the time, “in this post-doomsday setting no one seems to be able to go anywhere outside-sound familiar.As the professor said, we couldn’t leave the house and lived on our “dad and cookies”, spending time with the few people we lived with.
On the other hand, I think Clov and Hamm are used to their daily behavior.The dialogue and actions between Clov and Hamm are often repetitive, often witty, often tragic conversations that sound ridiculous.
Secondly, the ways in which you “discussed” the text is that we use professor’s question to help us understand the main idea of author. I do think the professor’s notes help me a lot, especially the question that related to our daily life. I do learn a lot and retrospect my life.
Here is what I thinkIn my life, I have few chances that I did not like someone but continued to stay. First of all, I love my parents so that I do not have to face such dilemma. Secondly, after going to college, the distance between classmates will be limited to the class, you can meet people you don’t like to be friends. Thirdly, it will happen before going to college, in high school, especially in China. Because we have classes and meals together with our classmates almost every day, even in residential schools, because we spend so much time together, and you have no choice. When some students have a particularly bad personality and do some unnecessary things, we can only tolerate or alienate, but still in the same space. So I particularly liked the opportunity to read, to go back and look at the situation.More seriously, I used to be a more outgoing person who liked to be friends with many people, so I was often hurt in this situation. But as I grew up, I learned to say no to this situation, to face the people I didn’t like, and to leave as friendly and polite as possible. This way, my life will not be affected by these people because I will become more focused on my own heart.
Why does Author chooses to place Hamm’s parents in the trash bin, and not on a bed or a Wheel chair? What is the symbolism/metaphor behind a trash bin? Is it Hamm’s treatment towards his parent or is it just to be funny? How is it relatable to today’s modern society, where many of the older generation/parents are kept in an institution such as nursing home where they are “cared” by professional instead of their own kids?Is nursing home the trash bin of the End Game? If not, when you grow old will you stay in a nursing home?
First of all, Hamm’s treatment towards his parent is unreasonable. In Chinese culture, it is unethical that sending an older adult to a nursing home. With the concept of Chinese Confucianism, the family is the most basic unit of social composition, which is also directly related to the ethical system of the whole society. I think the author also wants to reflect the deterioration of social ethics in the 20th century through this drama. To support parents is not only filial piety but also respect for the old. However, the form of modern society and the way of life found subversive changes.Especially in China, because of the great changes in modern China, the two generations have different living habits, which now poses a great challenge to the elderly
When I grow old, I will stay in a nursing home when I can not take care of myself. If I have the ability to take care myself, I would rather to stay at home. Because I do not want to leave the familiar environment, change the healthy life. So the reality is that many elderly people who are able to take care of themselves would rather spend their old age at home. Families with right economic conditions take care of the nursing home for the elderly.
But when I stay at a nursing house, because the children are far away from home, I can not take care of them. Besides that, I am old and frail and could not move quickly. It’s better to go to a nursing home when there’s no one at home to take care of you. At least three meals a day are prepared and served. When they are happy, they can play chess, write and do exercise.
