Waiting For Godot Response- Zora Kesich
Waiting For Godot Response
Initially, Waiting For Godot was very confusing and a little frustrating for me. I didn’t understand what the underlying message was or why it was that nothing was happening. However, as the play went on I seemed to develop a deeper understanding (without even realizing it) for the absurdist nature of the characters and their actions.
Vladimir and Estragon’s actions of sitting in one spot every day waiting for something they don’t truly understand seems ridiculous to the audience. That is because it is in fact a silly thing to do. They have somehow convinced themselves that they don’t have a choice in the matter and that it is their responsibility or destiny or only option to sit and wait for the ominous Godot. However, these seemingly incomprehensible actions are not all that unique to these characters. There are many individuals in every facet of life who are convinced that they do not have a true choice in taking part in the actions that they perform. In some cases, choice is very limited or not there at all, but in other cases, there are infinite choices available. People get stuck in a routine and don’t realize that they are limiting themselves. Often, people don’t ask themselves important questions e.g. Why am I here? Why am I doing what I’m doing? Would I be happier if I was doing something else? Would it be beneficial to alter my track and do something else?
I feel for Vladimir and Estragon in that I understand how difficult it is to challenge conventions and think critically all of the time. I think that personally, when I am comfortable doing one thing, even if I am not necessarily happy doing it, I will continue to do so for a prolonged amount of time just because a part of me is to lazy to determine my other options and then take a risk on an unknown option that could potentially play out in a negative way. I think this is why people stay at jobs where they are stagnant, remain in unhappy relationships, or continue upon an academic track they don’t necessarily love. I see this quite a bit with my peers who have known what they have wanted to do for years. For instance, many people have the idea that they will become doctors. However, when they get to college and begin taking classes they may get the idea that this track is not for them. They don’t enjoy the work and are perhaps gaining interest in other disciplines. However, since they have already ‘decided’ that they want to be doctors, they continue down a path on which they are unhappy or complacent simply because they see it as their only option.
The emphasis on suicide throughout the play really struck me. The idea of suicide was brought up again and again, with the characters always arriving at the same conclusion– that they wouldn’t kill themselves because the timing wasn’t right or that they didn’t have the supplies or for whatever reason they just didn’t want to. It was noteworthy how casually they brought the subject up though. I didn’t fully understand this, but I saw it as a device to discuss mortality. The characters don’t kill themselves, but they see it as a potential option until it is shot down. This suggests that they have some hope in their lives and are not ready to give up completely and surrender to inevitable death.