Play Endgame by Samuel Barclay Beckett - Essay Example

Wendyam Gaelle Koanda English 2112 December 03, Live or Die? It is very uncommon to live without any projects, dreams or purpose. When it is the case it means that our lives do not have any sense and we are losing our faith. In the play “Endgame “of Samuel Barclay Beckett the family of Hamm is a family without any project, dream and purpose. The family is trapped in a single room where Clov the servant have to take care of them during the whole play. This is due to the fact that the parents of Hamm are living in ashbins since they lost their legs and Hamm is blind. Not being in their place make me think that their live do not have any sense but during the play I can feel the fact that they are enjoying themselves in some ways that may be different from the way I do. Live, Die, Interdependence, Generational Conflict , loneliness and Faith are the major themes of this play and this is how their lives are all about, and also through those themes Beckett is showing us how Hamm’s family life is meaningless. Life is not all about eat, sleep and breath. Unfortunately, that was the case for Hamm, Clov, Nagg and Nell. Hamm being blind, he wants to know how the outside is look like, want to play and want to give order while he does not have the ability to observe or to do things by himself. Since then, his life does not have any sense and he is the most depress guy in the play. He wants to be the center of any attention and always berates his parents. Not only blind Hamm is also paralyzed and struggles to do anything. He is also ungrateful to the one that is taking care of him and just to live because he wants to outlive his father. During the whole story the question that is to be asked is that Clov will leave Hamm alone or not?( In fact , both are scared to be alone and theirs live turns around each other due the interdependence is also noticed in the play. The most obvious theme in “Endgame” is interdependence which is a reciprocal relation between individuals. The only discussion that is not absurd in the play is whether or not Clov will leave Hamm alone. In fact , Hamm always ask Clov to leave him alone but will always change his mind before an exit will become possible for Clov. Clov who is the only want that can move, see and do everything he wants depends on Hamm unfortunately since Hamm is the only one that knows the combination of the cupboard. Interdependence is present anywhere. Both men are scared to be alone and always pull each other back. We will always depend on someone or something. That is what Samuel is trying to tell to the audience in the play. How a person that physically dependent can be dependent on somebody that blind and paralyzed? It is almost impossible but it is real in the “Endgame”. We always will be in need of someone who is different of us. Unlike Hamm and Clov, Nagg and Nell cannot rely on each other because they are both legless. Only Nell is aware of that For Hamm it is so obvious that he depends on someone because he is blind and is the center of all of the conflicts. Conflict between father and son is very often noticed in every family. In the “Endgame” case Hamm and hid father do not get alone. They always do not agree with each other and do not show any sympathy to each other. In the world where we are living those things are very common and really affect the kids. Samuel Beckett did not live with his parents unlike many kids and he has kind of frustrated about it .By reading some of his work we notice the repetitiveness tof conflict between generation .In dying from my father of Samuel, Becket the author told us that his father was not much a father to him and rarely helped him and was not there for him. Beckett does express his anger toward his father in his work and try not to be direct. In fact, in “Endgame” Hamm is not mad at his father but at the same time has an anger toward his father who seems to be a nice person and let himself dominated by Hamm. Emptiness is also observed during the story. As Hamm tells us, "all Lifelong the same questions, the same answers."(Lawall, p.2475). Nothing new is happening in Hamm’s family. Hamm is blind and paralyzed; his parents, Nag and Nell his parents, are in the ashcan legless. The only subject of discussion in the play is whether or not Clov will leave Hamm alone. Loneliness is common for everybody in the play. To them the world has ended leaving four of them on earth. Nothing is present in their world except them and they cannot do anything about it. To them the outside is the “death “and the inside is dying since they all are suffering in this gray room. They do not have any faith. Since the author, Becket is catholic he kind of put his religion in the story ironically since there is is no faith. I n fact in the play, following the rule of the Holy Trinity Hamm is the God and Clov is the son. There is no doubt that Hamm is the God in play. Everything depends on him and he is so mean.( Helen H. Popovich South Atlantic Bulletin, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Jan., 1972), pp. 35-38 Published by: South Atlantic Modern Language Association ) It is very confusing to understand Beckett and his stories especially “Endgame”. According to me this due to the fact that his stories were primarily wrote in French and then translated by Samuel himself. This language problem is most of the time observed in the movies. Watching a movie in different languages does not have the same excitement and it is the same with reading a story. Therefore I think Samuel did not have to translate his story himself.”Endgame” that is supposed to be a play does not give envy to see it while you are reading it .Since Beckett is a schoolmaster in French it makes his translation very formal. (Imperfect Mastery: The Failure of Grammar in Becketts LInnommable Juliette Taylor-Batty Journal of Modern Literature, Vol. 30, No. 2 (Winter, 2007), pp. 163-179) The meaningless of life is well seen throughout the whole story. In fact, most of what is happening in the story is very absurd making the theme existentialism in question. Does this story become reality? The answer is no. How a biscuit and water keep somebody in life? How somebody can live in an ashcan? In fact absurdity and dramatic irony are very common in French stage. It is very to understand a play moreover if the play is from a French stage due to the absurdist .It is very amazing how the story does not have a chronology order, repetitiveness pierce of silence and without interest. Beckett’s dialogues do not have the same function as the classic Theater where it makes sense to read or to watch and where you see actions. “Endgame” can be viewed as a chess game since the author himself is big addicted of chess. Hamm can be seen as the king in jail who does want to accept his failure and use his pawn Clov to flatter him as he is always the king of the game and can give order. All Hamm want is to get attention and that is all he gets since he is considerate as the only God present the world. Also story can be seen as chess masters study endgames to make sure that they can win over their opponents. The author exactly shows in the play the similarities between the “chess endgame and death” as the last stage of man’s life in this world. No matter what kind of game a man plays, or what is his status in the society, one thing is for sure, everybody’s life has his own last stage. Chess is associated with the title of the play, and used by the author to present the current condition of the Clov and Hamm, and Nagg and Nell as a family in the play. Usually, chess masters study endgames to make sure that they can win over their opponents. He exactly shows in the play the similarities between the chess endgame and death as the last stage of man’s life in this world. No matter what kind of game a man plays, or what is his status in the society, one thing is for sure, everybody’s life has his own last stage. Chess endgame is associated in the title of the play, and used by the author to present the current condition of the Clov and Hamm, and Nagg and Nell as a family in the play. Parsell and Perez have described the genre of “Endgame” as psycho drama, the plot is a kind of absurdist, and the time of plot is indeterminate. This theatrical play reveals the different types of roles portrayed by the characters in the story. The destruction and frustration of human persona are present in the story as well. Stage business is also showed in the story. There are some scenes that Clov is folding the sheets, as well as he moves or steps on the stepladder, so as when Hamm is roaming around the room with his wheel chair. More than that, there are various elements in the story that shows weaknesses and strengths of every character. Like Hamm, he has the power to control Clov to stay with him, even he has longed to leave the place but Clov’s main predicament is, how can he feed himself, where he can get his own shelter, and can he really leave this blind man whom he has already learned to care for, along with his three-leg dog? (1-3) The most important part of the “Endgame play”, it gives a moral lessons to the audience; a child must show respect to his or her parents even when they get older. Regardless of disability they have, or circumstances, children must be remained respectful and still show genuine love to their parents. Clov, being Hamm’s assistant, and has acted as Hamm’s eyes in his entire life, still finds it unfair if he will leave the blind man. He will rather stay with him until the time of his death despite the meaningless life he has with his supposed father. However, Clove has been eager to know if Hamm is his real father, but the blind man does not care at all to tell him the truth. Until one day, Hamm’s recalled that once there was a beggar who begged for food from him, and gave his only son to him. Hamm’s recounting paves the way for the truth about the real parent of Clov; still, he is not convinced about his real parents. (Parsell and Perez 1-3) For Hamm’s treatment to his own father Nagg, is it right to put his parents in the trash cans for they are old and legless? Nagg also remembered the time that he and his wife had not been good parents to Hamm. Nagg thinks that he and his wife only deserve whatever treatment they receive from their own son, Hamm. The plot is coupled with continuous wickedness that you can see today in some families in the society. The game the characters play in the story is an entire representation of real family situation when the parents and children do not love respect and understand one another. There is most likely bitterness, frustrations and disintegration within the family. Majority of children these days are not concerned on their parents’ aging condition. Most of the time, old parents are taking for granted by their own children. Indeed, a feeling of being deserted by their own child or children when they grow old is a total frustration for any parents. What most frustrating is the idea of facing one’s death in a family without a chance to path up whatever differences and problems among the members before facing the final stage in life. Towards the end of the play, Nagg seems still alive, but he still in his trash bin. While Hamm, is still sitting in his wheelchair; apparently waiting for his death to come. On the other hand, Clov, as normally as he always plans to leave the place, but preferred to stay. The most dreadful thing depicted in the play is Clov, along with Hamm’s family, has no courage to change his destiny. With all these in mind, hope, determination, reconciliation, and forgiveness are some moral lessons that anyone can get from the story. Works Cited: Batty, Juliette T. “Imperfect Mastery: The Failure of Grammar in Becketts LInnommable.” Journal of Modern Literature. 30.2 (2007): 163-179. Print. Parsell, David B, and Perez, Carlos. “Endgame.” Masterplots. Literary Reference Center. 4th edition (2010): 1-3. Web. 03 December 2011. Popovich, Helen H. South Atlantic Bulletin. South Atlant77ic Modern Language Association. 37.1 (1972): 35-38. Print. Read More