Waiting for Godot - Thinking Activity

Hello Readers!

With reference of an online film screening conduced online on 24th Nov 2020, this blog contains the  worksheet and follow up of the play "Waiting for Godot" discussed in the class. Samuel Beckett was a modern playwright and was associated with the "Theatre of the Absurd". This play is originally written in French with the title En Attendant Godot. 

Source Worksheet blog of questions - Click Here

* What connection do you see in the setting (“A country road. A tree. Evening.”) of the play and these paintings?

Ans: These are the paintings by Casper David Friedrich, titled as "Longing." Samuel Beckett has taken the inspiration for the setting of the play "Waiting for Godot". Two persons in the paintings connects us with two main character of the play Vladimir and Estragon. The barrenness of the tree also suggests absurdity of life, emptiness and nothingness. As the two persons in the painting are waiting for something, Vladimir and Estragon are also waiting for Godot.

* The tree is the only important ‘thing’ in the setting. What is the importance of tree in both acts? Why does Beckett grow a few leaves in Act II on the barren tree - The tree has four or five leaves - ?

Ans: Optimistically looking at the leaves, one can say that leaves are symbol of growth, newness and hope. As such there is no hope, no newness and no tone of growth in the play, still tree as part of nature works in its own way. As natural elements like water, greenery, air, fire. . . have nothing to do with human pain, agony, anxiety, frustration and restlessness. Nature is uncaring and indifferent to human being.

* In both Acts, evening falls into night and moon rises. How would you like to interpret this ‘coming of night and moon’ when actually they are waiting for Godot?

Ans: The fall of night and rise of the moon in the play can be read as if the moon is observing the miserable humans from the heavens. In the play an interesting dialogue comes,

Vladimir: Will night never come ?

Estragon: (Contemplates Moon) "Pale Wariness... of climbing heaven and gazing on the like of us."

The absurdity and paleness is felt from this dialogue.

* The director feels the setting with some debris. Can you read any meaning in the contours of debris in the setting of the play?

Ans : Debris is a useless biproduct of building materials. While demolishing the buildings and houses, lot of debris is found. The director has used the debris very cleverly as the setting of the play is countryside road. In order to increase coarseness and barrenness in the play, debris is used.

* The play begins with the dialogue “Nothing to be done”. How does the theme of ‘nothingness’ recurs in the play?

Ans :

* Do you agree: “The play (Waiting for Godot), we agreed, was a positive play, not negative, not pessimistic. As I saw it, with my blood and skin and eyes, the philosophy is: 'No matter what— atom bombs, hydrogen bombs, anything—life goes on. You can kill yourself, but you can't kill life." (E.G. Marshal who played Vladimir in original Broadway production 1950s)?

Ans :

* How are the props like hat and boots used in the play? What is the symbolical significance of these props?

Ans : Hat signifies mind. Boots signify body. Estragon wears boots and he is not able to remove the boots at first, just like desires and body urges. Just like boots get vanished and get rusty, Estragon also forgets many things as if his memory is also like his boots. Vladimir wears hat and he thinks a lot. He remembers many things.

* Do you think that the obedience of Lucky is extremely irritating and nauseatic? Even when the master Pozzo is blind, he obediently hands the whip in his hand. Do you think that such a capacity of slavishness is unbelievable?

Ans:

* Who according to you is Godot? God? An object of desire? Death? Goal? Success? Or . . .

Ans : Godot is an object of desire. Desire is an endless vicious chain that ultimately leads us nowhere. If we observe a toddler playing with toys, we come to know that as soon as it looks at the better toy than it carries, it will leave that toy and will crave, run and cry for the better toy. This desire perhaps comes from the binary comparison that is hardwired in our mind. For grown ups, this desire is perhaps money, material wealth, luxuries, physical fulfilment, emotional acceptance, public recognition and fame, and what not. . . Goals and success are also sprouted from desire. Passion is also nothing but desire. Desire can be compared as fire also, which never gets extinguished.

* “The subject of the play is not Godot but ‘Waiting’” (Esslin, A Search for the Self). Do you agree? How can you justify your answer?

Ans :

* Do you think that plays like this can better be ‘read’ than ‘viewed’ as it requires a lot of thinking on the part of readers, while viewing, the torrent of dialogues does not give ample time and space to ‘think’? Or is it that the audio-visuals help in better understanding of the play?

Ans : For many, reading a play is more preferable than to watch it. But, plays are actually performed in the mind of the playwright. Then it gets penned on the paper. So basically its a matter of performance. Theatrical performance makes the written play more lively and meaningful. So far as Waiting for Godot is concerned, it should be read first and then to be watched also. Because, even after reading the simple and straight forward language of this play, one requires visual clarification for what one has read. Then, the torrent of dialogues and rapidness of speech becomes more clear while watching.

Yes, the audio-visual helps in better understanding of the play.

* Which of the following sequence you liked the most:

- Vladimir – Estragon killing time in questions and conversations while waiting

- Pozzo – Lucky episode in both acts

- Conversation of Vladimir with the boy

Ans:

* Did you feel the effect of existential crisis or meaninglessness of human existence in the irrational and indifference Universe during screening of the movie? Where and when exactly that feeling was felt, if ever it was?

Ans:

* Vladimir and Estragon talks about ‘hanging’ themselves and commit suicide, but they do not do so. How do you read this idea of suicide in Existentialism?

Ans: Suicide is a very bold statement against all the whys of living life. Albert Camus mentions about philosophical suicide in which if one denies to think or question anything one is doing a philosophical suicide. In this play, Vladimir and Estragon can be read as profound existentialists. They are ready to try everything to meet Godot. But at the same time they feel insecure whether they might fail to kill themselves.

* Can we do any political reading of the play if we see European nations represented by the 'names' of the characters (Vladimir - Russia; Estragon - France; Pozzo - Italy and Lucky - England)? What interpretation can be inferred from the play written just after World War II? Which country stands for 'Godot'?

Ans: Germany stands for Godot. As the character of Godot is absent and silent but to consider Godot as God then, Germany best fits in terms of World War II. Adolf Hitler was a German dictator and he occupied many countries including many European countries like Russia France, Italy, England.

(Click Here to view the map. Click Here to know more about World War II). In this way one can politically connect all the characters and countries which are waiting for Germany to liberate them.

* So far as Pozzo and Lucky [master and slave] are concerned, we have to remember that Beckett was a disciple of Joyce and that Joyce hated England. Beckett meant Pozzo to be England, and Lucky to be Ireland." (Bert Lahr who played Estragon in Broadway production). Does this reading make any sense? Why? How? What?

Ans:

* The more the things change, the more it remains similar. There seems to have no change in Act I and Act II of the play. Even the conversation between Vladimir and the Boy sounds almost similar. But there is one major change. In Act I, in reply to Boy's question, Vladimir says:

"BOY: What am I to tell Mr. Godot, Sir?

VLADIMIR: Tell him . . . (he hesitates) . . . tell him you saw us. (Pause.) You did see us, didn't you?

How does this conversation go in Act II? Is there any change in seeming similar situation and conversation? If so, what is it? What does it signify?

Ans: The lines are changing with the word from 'us' to 'me'. In the Act II, Vladimir changes the tone of the thought and speaks: 'tell him you saw me'. In the Act II, This conversation happens between Vladimir and Boy, where Estragon is sleeping. If Estragon represents the body and Vladimir mind, then perhaps one can state that, mind is the ultimate master of the body and mind knows that the body is material thing and going to decay with time, but perhaps it is the consciousness that goes somewhere. This way one can see the selfishness in Vladimir's character. Even after being together throughout the play, Vladimir changes his mind and willingly forgets Estragon. A Gujarati quote that comes to mind,

"અંતે તો સગા સૌ સ્વાર્થનાં"

Vladimir's selfishness also seems forgivable because on a larger way if one thinks, all the humans are tied with one another with some kind of need and requirements. If its all about give and take, then such selfishness is also legible, and forgivable as per the human temperaments. Even after the death of any near and dear ones, people forget them and move on with life. So, this is also a considering aspect of human predicament.

Sometimes life gives many crucial choices to make. And humans mostly go for the personal benefits. For better prospects of life, children go for foreign countries and they forger their parents. Even after death of their parents they don't come to native place.

These are the slightly awkward sides of human life and various situations but if one thinks about a larger and most adverse situations, one comes to know that nothingness prevails everywhere. Still its life, that goes on. . .

Thank You!

additional reading:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/04/theater/waiting-for-godot-review-druid-theater.html

To the Lighthouse - Thinking Activity Worksheet

Hello Readers !

Here is the thinking activity worksheet with the answers

1. How can you explain that 'what' Virginia Woolf wanted to say (for example, the complexity of human relationship, the everyday battles that people are at in their relationship with near and dear ones, the struggle of a female artist against the values of middle/upper class society etc.) can only be said in the way she has said?

(Key: The 'How' of the narrative technique is to be discussed along with features of Stream of Consciousness technique which helps Woolf to put in effective manner what she experienced in abstractions.)

Ans: 

2. Do you agree: "The novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay"? (Key: Take some clues from the painting of Mrs. Ramsay drawn by Lily Briscoe and the article by Andre Viola and Glenn Pedersen. Can we read Mrs. R in context of the idea of Ideal Indian Woman - Karyeshu dasi, Karaneshu manthri; Bhojeshu mata, Shayaneshu rambha; Kshamayeshu dharithri, Roopeshu lakshmi; Satkarma yukta, Kuladharma pathni. )

Ans: This is the 18th century thinking. Today, all the new thinking and perspectives about gender roles and identity are welcomed in modern world. 

3. Considering symbolically, does the Lighthouse stand for Mrs. Ramsay or the narrator (Virginia Woolf herself who is categorically represented by Lily)? (Key: Take help from the presentation on Symbolism to connect Mrs. Caroline Ramsay with Lighthouse. Secondly, the narrator / author cannot fully disappear from the novel and thus the stoicism of Lily to paint and thus prove that she can paint, is symbolically presented in stoicism of Lighthouse. Read 'lighthouse' symbol from presentation slide with this insight to connect lighthouse with the narrator. Give your concluding remarks in the comment below in this blog)

Ans: 

4. In the article by Joseph Blotner, two myths are patterned together. Name the myths? How they are zeroed down to the symbols of 'Window' and 'Lighthouse'? How does the male phallic symbol represent feminine Mrs. Ramsay? (Key: The strokes of light-beams. . . )

Ans: 

5. What do you understand by the German term 'Künstlerroman'? How can you justify that 'To The Lighthouse' is 'Künstlerroman' novel? (Key: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/325047/Kunstlerroman)

Ans: 

6. "... the wages of obedience is death, and the daughter that reproduces mothering to perfection, including child-bearing, already has on her cheeks the pallor of death. One reminded here of various texts by Lucy Irigaray, in which she attacks mothers for being, however unwillingly, accomplices in the patriarchal system of oppression." (Viola). In light of this remark, explain briefly Lily's dilemma in 'To The Lighthouse'.

Ans:

7. Movie Screening: Worksheet
Ans: Visited.

8. You have compared the 'beginning' and the 'ending' of the novel and the film adaptation of the novel directed by Colin Gregg (you can see it again in the embedded video below this). Do you think that the novel is more poignant than the movie? If yes, do you ascribe the fact that the power of words is much greater than that of the screen / visuals?

Ans: Well, it is accepted that a picture is worth than thousand words. But in this particular novel, Virginia Woolf creates a picture which is sharper than of the film. Though some frames of the film stand best. It is advisable to always read the original book before watching it's audio visual adaptation. Colin Gregg, however, has captured many interesting frames which exactly reminds readers of the novel. For instance, James biting nails while sharply gazing at his father, signifies the hatred towards his father, Mr. Ramsay.

    On the other hand, Virginia Woolf has given the strong and in-depth nuance of the major characters. With the technique of stream of consciousness, she creates a milieu of the Ramsay family in the reader's mind. Woolf has spectacularly captured the thought process of Mrs. Ramsay, James, Mr. Ramsay, Lily Briscoe. While reading the stream of consciousness of the characters, it seems like a reader is watching a moving picture while reading the book. This captivity itself is a successful thing for an author. The novel is poignant than the film. We have ample examples from the text itself.

    James, is more closer to her mother. while thinking about his father Mr. Ramsay, He thinks about his mother Mrs. Ramsay, "who was ten thousand times better in every way than he was (James thought),..." (Woolf, 4). On the contrary, James, had so much hatred for his father that, "Had there been an axe handy, a poker, or any weapon that would have gashed a hole in his father’s breast and killed him, there and then, James would have seized it." (Woolf, 4).

"Such were the extremes of emotion that Mr. Ramsay excited in his children’s breasts by his mere presence..." (Woolf, 4).

These are few examples which best explain that the book is more poignant than a film. Though, Colin Gregg's attempt to make an adaptation is also worth noting.

9. How do you interpret the last line of the novel (It was done; it was finished. Yes, she thought, laying down her brush in extreme fatigue, I have had my vision.) with reference to the ending of the film (After the final stroke on the canvass with finishing touch, Lily walks inside the house. As she goes ante-chamber, the light and dark shade makes his face play hide-and-seek. She climbs stairs, puts her brush aside, walks through the dark and light to enter her room. Gently closes the door - speaks: "Closed doors, open windows" - lies on the bed and with some sort of satisfaction utters: "Dearest Briscoe, you are a fool".)

Ans:

10. What does the catalogue named as 'Army and Navy' signify? What does cutting of 'Refrigerator' signify?

Ans: War and consumerism. This connotation of consumerism with association of war is significant. Because it was the time where, purchasing goods and utensils from Army Navy store was thought as some sort of significant thing. People used to take sense of pride in purchasing things from such stores. Army and Navy stores basically keep the best quality goods at reasonable, bargain price for soldiers.

    In terms of marketing also we can see that James is cutting a picture of refrigerator from the Army Navy catalogue. We can draw a parallel between war and modernity also. Refrigerator's basic function is to preserve the food for long time. It stops the process of decomposing. It is also a sign of social change as it is a modern device with new technology. Refrigerator conveys the idea of preservation of natural thing. This way it signifies the human mindset of preserving and freezing the things, which is obviously against the natural order. Decomposition of a fruit, or a milk is bad only in the eyes of human being, otherwise it is only a part of natural process. It is a stage of an edible thing, just the way we have childhood, youth and geezerhood in human life. Similarly, spring, autumn, winter, monsoon are just a condition of nature, but it is human who categorize the seasons as good or bad.

11. Why did Virginia give such prominence to the tale of the “Fisherman’s Wife”? In particular, why did she weave such a misogynist tale into the fabric of a book which so eloquently challenges received patriarchal notions about the roles and capabilities of women?

Ans: Mrs. Ramsay reads a story of the "Fisherman's Wife" to children. The original theme of the story is materialistic greed of a fisherman's wife. The story, connotes a false belief about the greedy nature of women, and has a misogynistic tone. But here, Virginia Woolf subverts the reference and uses the story as a sharp voice of women in front of patriarch society. Woolf, perhaps, wanted to show the openness of speech that fisherman's wife is having and demanding various things from her husband, and also wanted to be a rebel in the time of Victorian mindset where women's voice was almost silent or not heard. 

12. How is India represented in 'To The Lighthouse'? (Read this blog for passing reference)

Ans: India is referred six times in the novel. 

13. Write summaries of these articles:

Mythic Pattern in To the Lighthouse

Journal: PMLA

Author: Joseph Blotner

Fluidity vs. Masculinity: Lily's Dilemma in Woolf's To the Lighthouse

Journal: Journal of Modern Literature

Author: Andre Viola

Vision in To the Lighthouse by Glenn Pedersen

Journal: PMLA

Author: Glenn Pedersen

Thank You!

References:

Woolf, Viginia. To The Lighthouse. Ebooks@Adelaide, 2004, p. 4, PDF. Accessed 23 Oct 2020.

Blotner, Joseph L. “Mythic Patterns in to the Lighthouse.” PMLA, vol. 71, no. 4, 1956, pp. 547–562. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/460631. Accessed 16 Oct. 2020.

Viola, André. “Fluidity versus Muscularity: Lily's Dilemma in Woolf's ‘To the Lighthouse.’” Journal of Modern Literature, vol. 24, no. 2, 2000, pp. 271–289. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3831911. Accessed 16 Oct. 2020.

Pedersen, Glenn. “Vision in to the Lighthouse.” PMLA, vol. 73, no. 5, 1958, pp. 585–600. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/460303. Accessed 16 Oct. 2020.

Frankenstein Worksheet - Book and the Movie

Hello Readers !

Have you ever seen a ghost ? Sounds funny, right ? But just imagine the lonely house with crooked doors with hazy yellow lights along with shiny white veils on the windows! You are all alone in that house and bats are flying to and fro with a terrible chatter and that owl on the aisle of a stairs gazing at you, the only newcomer in the house. all of a sudden someone puts a hand on your shoulder ! How horrific it would be ?

Well, stories apart, Frankenstein is a novel written in 19th century female writer Mary Shelley, wife of P. B. Shelley. Many movie adaptations have been released from the novel. The 1994 movie, with the same name, directed by Kenneth Branagh, was screened at the department of English. Through the screening of this movie students understood some basic concept like narration technique about the novel. As a part of a unit ending task, this thinking activity is given to explore the both versions of the work.

Pre-viewing tasks:

* What is gothic scientific fiction?
Ans: Gothic scientific fiction is a mixture or a sub genre of horror, death and the same time of romance also. It emerged from Horace Walpole. Gothic Scientific fiction is someway connecting with horrific elements in movie along with the elements of scientific experiments. In literature fiction The example of this genre are movies like Frankenstein, Doctor Who, Blade Runner, Dooms Day etc.

* What is a frame narrative?
Ans: Frame narrative is a style of telling story within a story. Frankenstein is a story told by s captain of the ship to her sister, in a form of letters. So the way, story unfolds in front of us, is framed. The entire story is narrated by a character who plays only the role of story teller. In other ways the novelist nullifies him/her self from the novel and the story is narrated through the mouth of a character. In the present novel, the author has given voice to a captain of a ship and he describes his experience of his journey towards the north pole, in the form of letters.

* What is the point of view of the author?
Ans: Authors point of view seems to highlight the over ambitiousness of the character Victor Frankenstein. He craves for knowledge and the wanting for knowledge is the reason for is fall. By doing research in medical, he created a monster and then nightmare begins. The monster kills Victor's loved ones and demands for a female monster. The author has highlighted the threat to society while this kind of mistake is made.


* What are the viewpoints of different characters?
Ans: The character of Victor's mother believes that apart from study, and knowledge, there are many more things to enjoy in life. Earlier the females were not allowed to study and learn to read and write. 

* Do you have confusion about the title of the novel?
Ans: No, The title of the novel is the name of a person and it gives the clear idea about what would be story inside the book.

* Who do you think is the real monster, the Creator or the Creature?
Ans: The creator is the real monster, because the very foundation of the thought of creating something unusual and different from the normal, comes with dual probability. Either the creation may be helpful or it can create havoc, and destruction. Victor's over ambitiousness and craving for knowledge is the reason for the creation of the monster. 

* What is tabula rasa?
Ans: Tabula rasa means empty slate. The term can be used for the people born without having mental ability to think by themselves. They immediately believe from whatever thing they experience or they believe everything true from their perceptions. The lack of self intuition or in-built thinking system in brain can be called as tabula rasa.

* What is the significance of the subtitle "The Modern Prometheus"?
Ans: Prometheus is a Greek myth in which Prometheus is a Titan and he helped mankind by bringing fire to them. This was forbidden. But Zeus made Prometheus immortal and tied him on a rock. An eagle came everyday to eat his lever which would grow overnight. The story is rather symbolical in meaning because the growth of lever is taken as growth of emotions and desires which never end throughout the life. Even if they are suppressed or demolished by us, they still regrow.

* Do you think Mary Shelley's Frankenstein stands on the brick of revolutionary changes?
Ans: 


While viewing the movie:


* How is the beginning and the end of the movie?
Ans: The beginning creates the suspense and horrific thrilling, and the end of the movie, the audience start having sympathy for the monster.

* Do you feel the effect of horror in the movie?
Ans: Yes, the look given to the character of monster, is horrific. The entrance of the monster creates horrific effects. Gradually, the horror becomes terror while the monster kills Victor's loved ones. He generates terror in his every killing.

* What do you think about the character of the monster in the movie?
Ans: The character of the monster is the creation of Victor's scientific experiments. The monster doesn't know any language, but he carries a journal of Victor. He learns to speak from a family, where he hides himself from the people. Because of his ugliness, he finds himself a misfit in society. Later on he vows to take revenge of this hatred and ugliness of his body. He gradually finds Victor as good character and he calls him father.

* What do you think about the conversation between Victor and the monster?
Ans: 

* Do you think that some scenes are omitted or replaced by other scene? How is the effect of these changes?
Ans:

* Do you think the director has used appropriate symbols in the movie?
Ans: The symbols like cross of Christianity, the mirror, the journal are aptly used in the movie.



Post-viewing tasks:


* What is the difference between the movie and the novel?
Ans: The movie is the adaptation and the book is the original text. Frankenstein of Kenneth Branagh and Frankenstein of Mary Shelley is different. The movie is based on the objective of entertaining the audience, in two or three hours. Though the movie has some similarities with the novel but still, movie can't replace the novel.

* Does the movie help you to understand narrative structure of the novel?
Ans: Yes, the movie, helped us to understand the narrative structure of the novel, because, the director has given justice to the style of narration. The movie has some similarity to the novel structure.

* Do you think the movie is helpful to understand the viewpoints of different characters?
Ans: Yes, the movie is much helpful to understand the viewpoints of different characters. The movie makes a clear picture of characters in mind.

* What do you think about the creation of lady monster in the novel and Elizabeth's look of a monster in the movie?
Ans: The creation of lady monster is the result of the desire of the male monster, Monster was threatening Victor to kill his loved ones if he would not make a female monster. But Victor fails to keep his promise so the Monster kills Victor's wife Elizabeth and out of pain Victor tries to give her life by modifying the body parts, and he succeeds in it.

* Think about Victor's acceptance of Elizabeth and rejection of the monster.
Ans: 

* Do you think the director is faithful to the novel?
Ans: Director has taken artistic liberty to make the movie more audience friendly. He has also modified some scenes but still we can say that in some manner director is faithful to the novel.

Thank You !