.So how do we read the symbolism of Nell's use of "Desert" here as her last word?
In the play the End Game, Nell is the only female character and her name has the same pronunciation as Nail. Nell is the only one capable of precreation or bringing into being life. However she dies (at the end of the play) and this portrays the termination of new life. The last word she utters is desert and the consequences of that term are many. This portrays her achievement in eluding away from her vain and ineffectual life. She is compelled to live an insignificant and irrational ludicrous life. Death comes as a victory to her as she is able to escape from all that.
.And seeing Nell as a representative of mother (mother nature?), what is her relationship to the other characters?
The other characters in the play are Hamm, Nag and Clov. All the four characters in the play are supposed to unite and reconstruct the society. However, they do not have any accord, oneness, unity and cooperation and as such the fail terribly. The other characters decline to rebuild the family and society and consequently, this leads to the breakdown of the current human society. These three frustrate Nells efforts in uniting them together.
.And where does she fit into their search for a reason to "go on"?
In the play Endgame, it can be noted that all the characters are in need of each other if they are to survive. Nell seems to be the first one in giving up . While the other characters are cruel and full of pride, Nell is sympathetic and doesnt use pride as a reason to stay put.
Discussion Post #10
Compare and contrast this Beckettian late-Modern anxiety to our own post-Modern solution that seems awash in mass media, social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.), where information overload and the constant narcissistic, self-referential communication is our response to the dilemma.
Our current world is characterized with powerlessness, emptiness, meaningless and purposelessness of life and inactivity. There is lack of proper communication among people just as in the characters of Endgame. People are tormented, distressed, suffer and have a lot of anguish but they fail miserably in letting others know of their situation and depression. Modern man is imprisoned and the society is very judgmental. People are trapped in the never ending and changing regular and habitual way of life. People go through life routinely just waiting for death to come as a solace and their lives, which are so empty, are full of unspoken anguish and no person can comfort the other.
Discussion Post #11
How do we grieve our current post-Modern circumstance? Or, if we don't grieve, is it because we've new answers--or have we decided to ignore those same questions that have "nagged" us for centuries? And,if we have decided to ignore those questions, then what does that ignorance say about our "humanity"?
Beckett really emphasizes on what it means to live. He paid close attention into understanding the meaning of lifes existence in this world. A world that opposes and withsets the seeking for the purpose of a persons life. Currently, there is an ethical system that centers on human and their values, needs, interests, abilities, dignity and freedom; a system that portrays the greatness of humanness. Beckett, on the other hand, is intensely preoccupied with the filthy contemptible and unpleasant side of humanism and humanity. There are lots of people who have tried all they can to have respectable lives but they have failed. What do we do about them? There are many homeless people and servants who are looked down upon and used by others wrongly while people are engaged vainly in producing a utopian perfect flawless world. Endgame portrays the sinister side of humanism.
Discussion Post #12
With this in mind, identify scenes and passages from the play that show us evidence of these ethical, humanistic qualities:
Compassion for our fellows
In this play, characters are very vicious, sadistic and brutal towards one another. Hamm commands Clov incessantly. He even curses his father for having borne him. Clov is rebellious, defiant, mischievous and cunning. Only a single compassionate relationship exists and its between Nagg and Nell. They are good and loving towards one another.
Living more fully in the present
Hamm and Clov are not intent in having any purpose for their lives. They intend to live a meaningless life. Because they have suffered extensively, they see life as purposeless and have lost all hope. They get happiness and solace from this meaninglessness.
Letting go of desires/possessions
In the play, it can be seen that Hamm is filled with pride. He believes that he was once a king. However, in the present world, he is blind and cannot walk. He depends on the other three characters for everything. Surprisingly, he still things himself as a king. This portrays how hard it is to let go of human pride. A perfect illustration is when Hamm commands Clov to make for him a stuffed dog. Hamm envisions that the dog is staring earnestly and begging at him. He is too attached to pride but so are the other members.
Courage to change
In the play the Endgame, there is no way out of the impending disaster and devastation thats coming. However the characters still soldier on. The doom is having a toll on their bodies and they are degenerating. They will soon die. However, even when it does seem that they have lost all hope, they strife and strive for reasons they cannot understand
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