Topic > Searching for the Meaning of Life: Beckett's Dystopia in "Endgame"

“Actionlessness is intrinsic to Beckett's vision of desperation” Shows how inaction is linked to Beckett's depiction of a dystopia. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Hamm's realization of the futility of searching for meaning in life leads him to a state of satisfaction in the search itself. Inaction is a word that connotes restriction of both the physical and mental aspects of a person. Without any of these aspects progressing, humanity, according to Beckett, will be trapped in a state of dystopia. Being a theater of the absurd, Endgame is a work that reveals to the audience the futility of searching for meaning in life. Hamm's realization of this fact instead allows him to find meaning in the research itself. However, pursuit connotes constant movement, in direct contrast to inaction. This reinforces the reason why Hamm rejects the very prospect of inaction. His desire for a constantly changing state manifests itself through his passion when he exclaims “let's breathe, let's change! We lose our hair, our teeth!” It is interesting then that Hamm desires a state of nature that has not changed and is “still green.” Rather than a constantly moving quest, the land free of physical boundaries “down the hole” is the final destination Hamm hopes to reach – the land “beyond those hills” is the metaphorical representation of the meaning of life, an area that the the characters desire to move forward, but never reach the entire work. Furthermore, Hamm talks about using the “current that will carry us far”; the "current" is constantly moving, symbolizing the character's search for meaning, but being a "current", it will never stop and therefore the character will never reach the final destination. In a physical sense, Hamm's wheelchair entrapment is a state that Hamm refuses to accept due to movement limitations. At the show's introduction, Clov's dramatic presentation of Hamm reveals to the audience a somewhat pitiful character due to his blindness and disability, highlighted by Clov's “short laugh.” Hamm's immobility indeed reveals a certain aspect of the work which deals with desperation and dystopia, however, the many times in which Hamm attempts to move in his wheelchair during the work indeed evokes a sense of admiration for Hamm's determination Hamm to remain in a state of movement. . When Hamm can't move despite using the gaff, he orders Clov to "grease the wheels." Hamm refuses to acknowledge his state of inertia despite having failed to use the gaff; instead, try trying again. He realizes that “the end is the beginning” but “you still have to move forward.” Additionally, the scene where Hamm asks Clov to move him to the center involves constant movement. Instead of accepting the fact that he is in the center, Hamm keeps asking Clov to move him “a little to the left,” then “a little to the right.” As a result, the effect achieved through Hamm's demand for constant action achieves a comical effect in the eyes of the audience, which is in contrast to the dystopia that Hamm talks about. Hamm's character can be seen as Beckett's authorial voice – a voice that reveals the view that action, physical or mental, is a requirement to prevent the soul's entrapment in a state of dystopia. Endgame is written in a post-World War II era; a time, for some, when all hope has been lost, causing a stagnant condition. Being absurd theater, Endgame is written not to allow the audience to have a night ofentertainment to escape one's despair, but rather to ask the audience to face despair and overcome dystopia by overcoming inaction. Beckett uses the character of Hamm as an example. While physically immobile, Hamm mentally advances through his energetic “bottling” of the representatives of his memories, Nagg and Nell. Instead, Hamm tells stories that refer to actions, even in a state of suffering, such as the man "who came crawling towards me", the sun "setting among the dead" and "dragging the madman to the window". To free yourself from the state of dystopia you need to be in constant movement, even if you are desperate. It is interesting, then, that Hamm forcefully represses Nagg and Nell, his memories even though their speeches consist largely of high mobility, such as "crashing on our tandem." Hamm sees this as a revisiting of the past, something that will hinder his mental progression. Thus, Hamm's discarding of his memories into the literal "trash cans" in which Nagg and Nell reside is a revelation of Hamm's determination not only to keep himself moving, but to move forward, rather than be mentally trapped in the past . Reflecting on reality, what Beckett is attempting to portray is perhaps that the war is over, and dwelling on the past will only cause a sense of stagnation that will inevitably keep us in a state of dystopia. The reason for the futility of research as meaning is partly due to cycles, an important aspect of the theater of the absurd. A dystopia, by definition, is a state of absolute desperation. It is a condition that Beckett alludes to, a condition that does not only include the characters on stage, but everyone, shown through Hamm's "whistle to the audience". Along with desperation, however, comes hope, a piece of the infinite cycle. Being in a cycle, resonance between the two finely fused elements of desperation and hope is possible. For example, Clov rejects Hamm's hope "won't you kiss me?", "won't you shake my hand?", but proceeds to fulfill the mouse's hope of dying: "If I don't kill him, he will die." ,” meaning that if Clov doesn’t “finish,” the mouse will continue to suffer. However, if characters are caught in a position of inaction, they will forever be trapped in a single state of desperation. The cycles in fact remove the possibility of reaching a destination, but the characters are able to discover the meaning in the infinite search for the meaning itself. . Indeed, the cycle of day and night seems to be confused throughout the play. Time has been removed and yesterday has simply become “that bloody terrible day before this bloody terrible day” – a set of “infinite routines” that are inactive and meaningless, as described by Beckett as the ultimate dystopia. Whenever Clov is told to look out the window, the scenario will always be “nothing” and “zero”. The meaning of “nothing” and “zero” most likely does not mean that there is absolutely nothing outside, as Hamm still asks Clov to look at “the ocean.” Clov's response, however, is to reveal that there are no changes outside their room. From their perspective, nature has taken on a form of inaction, thus confirming Clov's despairing comment that "there is no more nature." However, Clov's desperation is accompanied by hope, as Hamm reveals. Nature is still, but “we breathe, we change! We lose our hair, our teeth!” and the cycle continues, not in the surroundings, but in the characters themselves. Clov's despair is compounded by Hamm's hope and vice versa. What Beckett reveals is that if your surroundings seem stagnant, as long as you keep moving forward, then you can avoid dystopia. To Hamm's observation that "I fear that.