Destruction of Ambition: Pessimism
...ics. Even Pozzo adds in with these negative thoughts by claiming “That’s how it is on this bitch of an earth.’ (Beckett, 31) He uses violence when referring to the world they live in. Estragon also refers to the population in general with a negative connotation by saying “People are bloody ignorant apes.’ (Beckett, 5) For the characters, life dragged on and the desperation of time passing was immense. After having to survive the tedium of every day, Estragon and Vladimir decide that there must be something they could believe in, as they show in one of their discussions. “He should be here… You’re merciless.” (Beckett, 6) The two sit everyday and every night and try to find reasons for existence. The anticipation of nightfall is a constant cycle. “Will night never come?’ says Vladimir. (Beckett, 29) Not only is the issue of yearning for the end of life important, the protagonists indicate that being knowledgeable and having thought is a horrible thought. Pessimism really shines through when Vladimir says, “What is terrible is to have though.” (Beckett, 55) This phrase meaning that being alive and facing reality is when one cannot go on. Existence is meaningless and truly an insignificant thing for the two. They continuously provide reasons for which they should kill themselves, and take their misery away. Death was an easy way out of the wretched lives they were living. As Estragon puts it, “We always find something, eh Didi, to give us the impression we exist?” (Beckett, 61) Life for them was just a vicious never-ending cycle, an inescapable trend of day in and day out. With every aspect of their petty lives, comes the traditional pessimism of existence and never ending strife. Estragon and Vladimir have convinced themselves that life is just a moment between the “womb and grave” which is an extremely negative view on life. Another way for the men to pass time was talking and finding ways to avoid reality. Acknowledging the truth of their lives was an internal suicide for them. Finding ways to deal with their subsistence was the only way to occupy time, and validate their reasons for living. Estragon says to Vladimir, “Don’t lets do anything, it’s safer.” (Beckett, 10) They come to the realization that nothing ever happens, nobody ever comes, and it is just a terrible situation. Although the play is essentially pessimistic, there are moments of optimism. Both Estragon and Vladimir show signs of optimism in waiting for Godot. It is the only reason they feel the need to continue, because after Godot comes, everything will sort itself out and they will be saved. Godot serves as their savior. The very fact that they intend to continue waiting for Godot, as if it serves some purpose, leads to a slight optimism in their thoughts. The pessimism that arises out of this optimism is the fact that the reader is aware that Godot will never come, which leaves a feeling of sorrow for the reader. We feel the hopelessness of the characters while they fight the struggle for meaning. Their efforts to hide their restlessness and their fears are in passing the time with hollow conversations and actions. Vladimir, the initial level headed one, began quite optimistic, but nearer the end came to a realization ...