great works in literature II 2850 kta 2:55-4:35— Shades of Truth . . .

1st person:

I put on my shirt, brush off my shoes with a piece of paper, and listen to the sound of a bell that seems to run through the passageways of the house until it arrives at my door. I look out into the hallway. Aura is walking along it with a bell in her hand. She turns her head to look at me and tells me that breakfast is ready. I try to detain her but she goes down the spiral staircase, still ringing that black-painted bell as if she were trying to wake up a whole asylum, a whole boarding – school.

3rd person:
He puts on his shirt, brushes off his shoes with a piece of paper, and listens to the sound of a bell that seems to run through the passageways of the house until it arrives at his door. He looks out into the hallway. Aura is walking along it with a bell in her hand. She turns her head to look at him and tells him that breakfast is ready. He tries to detain her but she goes down the spiral staircase, still ringing that black-painted bell as if she were trying to wake up a whole asylum, a whole boarding- school.

(Page 840, Section 2)

One of the difficulties I faced were changing up the grammar between the first person and the second person. Personally, I’m pretty weak in grammar so the thought of changing one to another really filled me with dread. In the first person point of view, I was – unconsciously- being pulled into the story by thinking how I would react or feel if that was me. But in the third person point of view, it was more natural for me since to me that’s just a story without my emotion in it.

Crystal Wong

“Aura” Points of view

Group Members: Chi Z., Myra K., Diana R.

“Translating” page 836, first paragraph from section 2

First Person

The old woman laughs sharply and tells me that she is grateful for my kindness and that the girl will show me to my room.  I then start to think about the salary of four thousand pesos, and how the work should be pleasant because I like these jobs of careful research that doesn’t include physical effort or going from one place to another or meeting people I don’t want to meet.  I am thinking about this as I follow her out of the room, and I discover that I have got to follow her with my ears instead of my eyes: I follow the rustle of her skirt, the rustle of taffeta, and I am anxious now to look into her eyes again.  I climb the stairs behind that sound in the darkness, and I am still unused to the obscurity.  I remember it must be about six in the afternoon, and the flood of light surprises me when Aura opens the door to my bedroom—another door without a latch—and steps aside to tell me: “This is your room.  We’ll expect you for supper in an hour.”

Third Person

The old woman laughs sharply and tells Felipe that she is grateful for his kindness and that the girl will show him to his room.  Felipe then starts to think about the salary of four thousand pesos, and how the work should be pleasant because he likes jobs of careful research that doesn’t include physical effort or going from one place to another or meeting people he don’t want to meet.  He thinks about this as he follows her out of the room, and he discover that he have got to follow her with his ears instead of his eyes: Felipe follows the rustle of her skirt, the rustle of taffeta, and he is anxious now to look into her eyes again.  Felipe climbs the stairs behind that sound in the darkness, and he is still unused to the obscurity.  He then remember it must be about six in the afternoon, and the flood of light surprises him when Aura opens the door to his bedroom—another door without a latch—and steps aside to tell him: “This is your room.  We’ll expect you for supper in an hour.”

It was a bit difficult going from second to third person because I was very tempted to change the tense of the entire paragraph.  I stayed with the same tense but changed the wording in a few minor areas so that it will be easier for my group members to interpret the text in the different perspectives.

-Chi Z.

The main difference from the second person perspective and the first person perspective is that in the second person perspective there is sort of a tone that is like telling you what to do. For example, “You’re thinking about the salary of four thousand pesos…and you’re anxious now to look into her eyes.” This perspective is basically telling the reader what to do and what to think.

However, unlike the second perspective if the story were to be told in the first perspective I feel it would have been easier to read. “I discover that I have got to follow her with my ears instead of my eyes; I follow the rustle of her skirt.” The use of “I” makes it easier to place yourself into the story and actually see what’s going on, like a movie in your head actually.

-Myra K.

Below are some of your more poignant comments about themes and motifs that connect all three of these works to Endgame. Think about these comments carefully, as it will help you to put this half of the semester in perspective, and also greatly help you for the final exam.

Themes/idea that connect all (or most) of these works:

The idea of isolation, that we are all essentially isolated from each other and the world around us; the struggle to find meaning (and the idea that there is, perhaps, none); the idea of existence being nothing more that a routine, or a vicious cycle (and Radia calls this “an exhausting and constant cycle,” which is interesting); the idea of being trapped in a world (not really meant for us?); the idea that life is essentially suffering; that the “darkness” of the world far outweighs any “light” (but do these works also show some hope?); there is essentially no real meaning to our existence, but we have to exist: So what does that mean about the way we should live our lives? Mel asks this question, and I think it is an important one, and she points out, too the interdependence of Clov and Hamm and asks: “Is this need of dependence really necessary?”

Many of you point to the line, “The horror of the earth will remain where it lies,” Chi offers the idea that “That horror will stay where it is as long as the characters themselves do not choose to actually go out and break their routines”; the idea that we have nothing of our own but our own loneliness (a bleak thought!).

In Stephane Mallarme’s poem, “The Virginal, Vibrant, and Beautiful Dawn”, the author describes the setting as a “hard lake haunted beneath the ice”, establishing a rather gloomy and melancholy mood. The swan depicted in the poem seems to face the same dilemma as Clov and Hamm in The Endgame; it is isolated and surrounded by the frozen lake wondering if it will stay. The frozen lake resembles the bare interior described in The Endgame, and the swan’s feeling of loneliness and emptiness parallels the characters’ mood in the play. Clov and Hamm constantly discuss leaving one another, but somehow staying together seems to ease the pain and monotony of their situation. The swan in the poem “hopelessly struggles to resist” the memories of the better times that it has experienced at the lake, but realizes that even if it leaves “the horror of the earth will remain where it lies.” Although Clov constantly threatens Hamm that he will leave, he seems to be haunted by the hopeless setting that they have both been bound by.

• Zuzanna

A commonality between Sartre’s passage, “The Chestnut Tree” and The Endgame is in the main character’s struggles to find meaning in their lives. In the play, Hamm and Clov are indefinitely stuck inside their bunker. They are forced to repeat each day with the little hope that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel; even though there is no evidence that they will make it out before they die. The audience witnesses through their arguments and constant need to fill time and space with their conversations or their movement that they are doing everything they can to make sure they aren’t left with “nothing.” In the short story, Roquentin explains, “If anyone had asked me what existence was, I would have answered in good faith, that it was nothing, simply an empty form added to things from the outside, without changing any thing in their nature. And then all at once, there it was, clear as day: existence had suddenly unveiled itself.” What comes to mind when I hear this is how people take advantage of the natural business of life and go on with little self or worldly-reflection but once they no longer have that regular schedule and once their life slows down they realize that they have to create their own meaning from what they have or they really are left with nothing. And in response to what Borys and Zuzanna pointed out, how “their repetitive lives give them this feeling of emptiness that gives them no reason to live,” I believe that instead this repetition gives them some meaning. If they gave up, what would be left?

• Emily

In Samuel Beckett’s short film, “Breath,” the audience could observe a depiction of a disorganized basement. In the background we could hear the sounds of water leaking from a faucet and around halfway through the video an alarming noise of someone breathing heavily arises. From the breathing, one could get the sense of illness or the feeling that something is wrong. Each breath sounds very forced and painful, as if whoever is taking it truly doesn’t want to go on. This shortness of breath could be figuratively juxtaposed to the theme of repetitiveness and emptiness in the novel Endgame. Both the characters Hamm and Clov have been following the same mundane routines for the past couple of years without change. This cycle that they live in has taken a toll on them, as symbolized by the heavy/forced breathing in the video. Just like the person in the video, they can not go on for much longer the way they are currently living, they need to change something very soon or else they might not make it. As Zuzanna mentioned before, their repetitive lives give them this feeling of emptiness that gives them no reason to live.

• Borys Shturman

A reader could draw a few  thematic comparisons between “The Virginal, Vibrant, and Beautiful Dawn”, and  the Endgame. However, I believe the overarching theme in both is the idea of being trapped within the our personal barriers as well as our society. Although all poem interpretations are subjective, to me the  lines”Inflicts upon the bird for his denial, But not this horror, plumage trapped in ice”, support this idea and describe self infliction and also lack of control.  To me, the swans wings being trapped in ice is a metaphor for an average person being trapped by societal constraints much like  Hamm, Clov,  Nagg, and Nell are all trapped within the limitations of their personalities as well as the world they live in.  I feel Mallarme makes a point to really emphasize the swans potential as well as its inability to move physically and spiritually. “Phantom by brilliance captive to this place, Immobile”. This theme of being trapped is also evident in endgame as all the characters are trapped in a post apocalyptic world.

I agreed with many of the points you made throughout your response such as the symbolic meaning behind Gregors meaningless life style and how out of all the animals he could have been transformed into a cockroach. As you wrote, the symbolic meaning behind becoming a cockroach represents how little society thinks of an insect. I also agree with the connection you make with the person in Plato’s Cave Allegory and how the person who saw truthful reality became an outsider. The way you ended your paragraph and point with “The world continued to spin around, and the society continued to live in the chains to see what they want to see and not what is really there” which provides an insightful look into the lives of these people who despite giving everything were ultimately destroyed by society. The choking or lack of breathing represents that the world continued to do despite the suicide of Georg which also brings the issue of depression and suicide into todays world.

In both  “Endgame” and the short film “Breath”, there seems to be a concept that connects the both of them, that concept is suffering. Suffering can be seen in “Breath” by the person that is gasping for air, struggling to breathe it doesn’t sound like the normal gasping ones either it sounds like it is painful every time he takes a breath, thus concluding that he is suffering. It can be seen in the video that his vision becomes clear or blurry depending on what he is doing, exhaling or inhaling. In “Endgame” all of the characters seem to be suffering in some way or another. For example, Hamm is disabled by being blind and his legs don’t work, putting him in a wheelchair. One of his quotes says “Oh I am willing to believe they suffer as much as such creatures can suffer. But dies that mean their suffering equal mine?” (768). Hamm straight out says he is suffering, other characters also can be seen suffering. Also in “Endgame” the environment of both story/film seems to in a small secluded space, which is another comparison between these two works.

-Denny Huang

The short film “Breath” and Samuel Beckett’s endgame both portray the theme of suffering.In Endgame, the character Hamm is blind and disabled in a wheelchair. When Hamm quotes “Can there be misery loftier than mine? No doubt. Formerly. But Now?”, he portrays to the audience that his is suffering from extreme depression. The short film “Breath” can be observed as a person having a really difficult time breathing. In “Breath” and the character Hamm from “Endgame”, both the main characters suffer from physical sufferings. Where Hamm suffers from being blind in wheelchair and the person breathing in breath is suffering from not being able to breath properly. Both these characters can be viewed as miserable characters that are suffering.

-William Dayan

Upon comparing Samuel Beckett’s Endgame to Mallarme’s poem, “The Virginal, Vibrant, and Beautiful Dawn” it can be found that they both represent a dark and gloomy scenario. Similar to how William mentioned above that “Breath” and Endgame portray suffering, it can be seen that this poem also ties into that theme. The line “To rend this hard lake haunted beneath the ice” can be compared to the room the characters in the play are stuck in. The swan in the poem who struggles to resist and eventually, “Though its quivering neck will shake free of the agonies Inflicted on the bird by the space it denies”, seems to represent Clov, as he is always speaking of leaving, and at the end we can imagine that he does. One of the last lines of the poem says “The horror of the earth will remain where it lies.” This shows that no matter if he does leave, the suffering of that room will always be there. This poem can be seen as a parallel to the play by how it represents a dark world.

-Sabera Qazi

As J.P. Sarte, retells his experience on his discovery of the meaning of existence in the paper, “The Chestnut Tree: The Experience of Contingency” , it occurred to me that much like the characters in Samuel Beckett’s Endgame, he was saying that existence has no meaning and yet we continue to do it. As he sits down at a park bench and ponders the meaning of existence he claims that once he saw what existence was everything suddenly started to exist too much, everything, even his own life. He thought about killing himself but says “I dreamed vaguely of killing myself to wipe out at least one of these superfluous existences. But even my death would have been superfluous.” Much like the characters in endgame they shared a similair train of thought. As the reader or viewer of Endgame goes through the play they can see how as the play goes one each character is tired of this existence they currently have. Such as when Clov says he’s going to leave because he no longer wants to have to take care of Hamm, however as far as the viewer sees he does not ever actually leave. He stays in that existence that he has much like what Sarte says.

-Brian Baigorria

Group Members: Chi Zhang, Myra Khan, Diana Rodriguez

The short film “Breath” relates to the theme of being trapped in the play “Endgame”. The short film shows a pile of junk in a small confined space. On top of the sprawled clutter it’s very dark and the only source of light is the small light bulb. The setting can connect to the play’s setting because all the characters are basically trapped in a dark room with the only source of light coming from two small windows. Of which Clov must get a step stool first in order to open the windows.

The characters in the Endgame always wore an expression of hopelessness and feeling trapped by the same routine. We can see this when Clov says “Why must you always ask the same question.” To Ham and Ham also says “You always say you will leave, but you never actually do.” In the short film “Breath” the pile of junk stays settled in there spot and don’t move, basically stuck in the same position until someone actually moves them. Same as the character’s in “Endgame”; until something happens everyone repeats the same cycle, until then they go through a never ending routine.

-Myra K.

I think it’s important that you pointed out how the “Endgame” can be seen as a cycle since we can infer from the beginning of the play and the end of the play that the two works connect and possibly, repeats.  The fact that the pile of junk in the short video “Breath” can’t be moved until an outside source interferes really do symbolize the characters’ hopelessness that you have mentioned as well.

As for the poem by Mallarme, “The Virginal, Vibrant, and Beautiful Dawn,” I have found a few lines that can be connected to the “Endgame” as well.  One of the connections arises from the line “the horror of the earth will remain where it lies.”  This line can represent how the world outside the small, confined area in which Hamm and Clov lives is seen as a place filled with catastrophe and unpleasantness.  That horror will stay where it is as long as the characters themselves do not choose to actually go out and break their routines.  

-Chi Z.

Theme: Endgame
Group Members: Radia, Elizaveta, and Mel

   
Comment #1 – Elizaveta – BREATH

    In the Samuel Beckett’s play Endgame, characters stuck in the daily routine with each other and cannot break out of it. They are close to death, yet they are not giving up. Clov opens the play by saying, “Finished, it’s finished, nearly finished, it must be nearly finished Grain upon grain, one by one, and one day, suddenly, there’s a heap, a little heap, the impossible heap.” Characters of the play see life as a series of repeating moments. The same cycle of the day is killing them from the inside and does not let them live fully.  Identical settings are in Beckett’s “Breath.” The video represents a cyclical moment of inhale and exhale. Piles of garbage are one of the characters in the video and could be seen as a representation of Endgame characters. They have no purpose in life. They just stay trapped in unfortunate situations by doing nothing to break out. Both of those plays represent absurdism. Through the pain, the person in the video is still breathing. Similarly, all characters of the Endgame have glimmers of hope and belief that they would set free soon. Thus, Clov, Hamm, Nagg and Nell continue to repeat everything they hate again and again.  

Comment #2 – Radia ( Mallarme poem)
                                    
Elizaveta discusses how Endgame and the video, “Breath,” shares common elements of an exhausting and constant cycle. This cycle slowly kills them and to some extent drives them insane. A major theme that both works share is loneliness. “The Virginal, Vibrant, and Beautiful Dawn,” shares this common theme. Mallarme’s poem gives off a dark tone just like Endgame. The poem takes place in a frozen lake and the play takes place in this closed off room. One of the lines that resonates with Hamm’s mindset: “The horror of the earth will remain where it lies.” Hamm has a very negative outlook on life and rather die than live another day.  The swan decides to leave home, but found itself incapable to live alone. Hamm can’t live alone either and depends on Clov for everything. Hamm asks Clov where he is, Clov is in the kitchen, then Hamm replies, “Outside of here it’s death.” The swan and the characters from Endgame fear isolation and death. Hamm and Clov need each other to survive. The swan was no longer able to survive because there was no one.

   
Comment #3 – Mel

    Radia mentions about how Hamm from Endgame is similar to the swan in Mallarme’s poem because they both depend on each other to survive. Is this need of dependence really necessary? Is anything in life necessary, or just superfluous? In The Chestnut Tree: The Experience of Contingency,
Sartre repeatedly mentions the word superfluous. He claims that the world and everything around is superfluous. When something is superfluous, there is no purpose to that idea, object, or being, because it is deemed unnecessary. The theme of life and the world not having a purpose exists in Endgame as well. Hamm and Clov are in an apocalyptic world in which they have nothing to do but to communicate with each other. There’s nothing to do, and no purpose to surviving. In a situation like that, what should humans do? For Hamm and Clov, they let each other go. They gave each other freedom at last, to part ways. For Sartre, after acknowledging that there is no purpose to anything, begins to wonder what it really means to exist. If existence has no purpose or meaning, what else is there to existence? Should humans then, give up existence because there is no purpose, and that everything around them is unnecessary?