Though he’s best known for his spare, absurÂdist tragiÂcomÂeÂdy, WaitÂing for Godot, playÂwright, poet, and novÂelÂist Samuel BeckÂett wrote what might be his most-quotÂed line at the end of The UnnamÂable, the third book in a hypÂnotÂic trilÂoÂgy that begins with MolÂloy and conÂtinÂues with MalÂone Dies: “I can’t go on, I’ll go on.”
These novÂels, and the origÂiÂnal Godot, were all writÂten in French, then transÂlatÂed into EngÂlish by BeckÂett himÂself. But BeckÂett was an Irish writer, who—like his conÂtemÂpoÂrary, hero, counÂtryÂman, and almost-father-in-law James Joyce—lived most of his life in volÂunÂtary exile. Like Joyce, BeckÂett wrote about Irish charÂacÂters, and his “theme,” notÂed a 1958 New York Times reviewÂer of The UnnamÂable, “is the very Irish one in this cenÂtuÂry: the idenÂtiÂty of oppoÂsites.”
NothÂing in BeckÂett encapÂsuÂlates this idea more conÂciseÂly than the sevÂen-word conÂcludÂing line of The UnnamÂable. It’s a senÂtence that sums up so much of Beckett—his ellipÂtiÂcal aphoÂrisms; his dry, acerÂbic wit; and his unwaÂverÂing stare into the abyss. As one conÂtemÂpoÂrary of his sugÂgestÂed, BeckÂett will remain relÂeÂvant “as long as peoÂple still die.” His priÂmaÂry subÂject is indeed one of the few truÂly uniÂverÂsal themes.
But to only think of BeckÂett as morÂbid is not to read BeckÂett or see his work perÂformed. While he can be unreÂlentÂingÂly grim, he is also nevÂer not in conÂtrol of the dry humor of his voice. In his aniÂmatÂed School of Life introÂducÂtion to BeckÂett above, Alain de BotÂton begins with an anecÂdote about BeckÂett at a much-anticÂiÂpatÂed crickÂet match. ObservÂing the perÂfect weathÂer, a comÂpanÂion of his remarked, “This is the sort of day that would make you glad to be alive.” To which BeckÂett replied, “I wouldn’t go as far as that.”
The stoÂry, de BotÂton, says, “niceÂly encomÂpassÂes two aspects of Samuel BeckÂett: his famousÂly bleak view of life, and his morÂdant sense of humor.” They are qualÂiÂties that for BeckÂett have the staÂtus of philoÂsophÂiÂcal principles—though the author himÂself had a very fraught, almost allerÂgic, relaÂtionÂship to phiÂlosÂoÂphy. He gave up teachÂing earÂly in his career, as we learn in the video, because “he felt he could not teach to othÂers what he did not know himÂself.” When a verÂsion of WaitÂing for Godot debuted in 1952, BeckÂett sent a note to be read in his place. He wrote, in part:
All I knew I showed. It’s not much, but it’s enough for me, by a wide marÂgin. I’ll even say that I would have been satÂisÂfied with less. As for wantÂiÂng to find in all that a broadÂer, loftiÂer meanÂing to carÂry away from the perÂforÂmance, along with the proÂgram and the EskiÂmo pie, I canÂnot see the point of it. But it must be posÂsiÂble …
The necesÂsiÂty of the pointÂless exerÂcise; the richÂness in the poverÂty of existence—stripped of its preÂtense and grand, self-imporÂtant narÂraÂtives.… These ideas arise from “the themes of failÂure that so domÂiÂnate his work,” says de BotÂton. Though BeckÂett resistÂed interÂpreÂtaÂtion in his own writÂing, he wrote an earÂly study of MarÂcel Proust that interÂpretÂed the French author’s work as a phiÂlosÂoÂphy of life which rests “on the makÂing and appreÂciÂaÂtion of art.” GivÂen that this is a School of Life video, this interÂpreÂtaÂtion becomes the favored way to read BeckÂett. There are many othÂers. But as the title of a 1994 Samuel BeckÂett readÂer—I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On—sugÂgests, every approach to BeckÂett must someÂhow try to account for the stubÂborn intenÂsiÂty of his conÂtraÂdicÂtions.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Hear Samuel Beckett’s Avant-Garde Radio Plays: All That Fall, Embers, and More
When Samuel BeckÂett Drove Young AndrĂ© the Giant to School: A True StoÂry
The Books Samuel BeckÂett Read and RealÂly Liked (1941–1956)
How James Joyce’s DaughÂter, Lucia, Was TreatÂed for SchizÂoÂphreÂnia by Carl Jung
Josh Jones is a writer and musiÂcian based in Durham, NC. FolÂlow him at @jdmagness
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