Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
12-2009
School/College
School of Communication (SOC)
Degree Name
MA in English
First Advisor
Michael David Sollars
Abstract
Samuel Beckett became famous as a dramatist after his publication of Waiting for Godot in 1951. My thesis concentrates on three .of Beckett's plays. These plays place him in the Theatre of the Absurd which is one of the major movements in drama following World War II. Between 1950 and 1960 this literary movement also connected other dramatists such as Edward Albee, Harold Pinter and Jean Genet. According to Albert Camus's essay, "The Myth of Sisyphus," the work of these artists is an expression of their own personal experience and world outlook. Camus also reveals that the emotions of absurdity serve as a literary motivation that connects a number of literary giants and philosophers like Jean - Paul Sartre. This is evident in the three plays of Samuel Beckett: Waiting for Godot, Endgame, and Happy Days. My thesis will be divided into five chapters through which I will attempt to introduce the main themes and motifs recurring in Beckett's 1 2 absurdity and explain how Beckett portrays it his plays. I will also attempt to present an analysis of the tenets of absurd drama, which are prevalent in these Beckettian dramas. Therefore, this thesis is an attempt to examine Beckett's understanding of the Absurd through three of his dramas.
Recommended Citation
Glapion, Quianna Juawanda, "The Absurdity in Samuel Beckett" (2009). Theses (Pre-2016). 85.
https://digitalscholarship.tsu.edu/pre-2016_theses/85