Year in Review

Sans Katic Couric, Chris shall be reviewing his year in AP Lit so far. I could not remember everything that we had done this year. Thankfully I have my literary shepherd, Mrs. Hoffman, to prod me in the right direction. This year alone we have covered Shakespeare's Othello, countless short stories, Ayn Rand's Anthem, independent novels, A Raisin in the Sun, Waiting for Godot, poetry slams, and amazingly I still have time to save the world before dinner. I always enjoy doing plays, Books are great for individual reading, but plays practically require a group setting. I enjoy reading them, acting them, and seeing them be performed. I would love to be able to act out another play (for all that missed Chris in last year's Macbeth- you missed an Oscar worthy performance that critics heralded as "not the best they've ever seen but gets the job done"). Its been a blast so far, and I still have a quarter left of AP Lit before I graduate, so yeah you could say I'm excited. But the thing I'll miss the most is you, my precious blog followers. Cherish the time we have left.

Nihilism and Existentialism and Absurdity, oh my!

Waiting for Godot explores, or may just be, the human condition. While looking at the human condition, there are many lens one may use to observe the spectacle of life. Three philosophical views on Godot are Nihilism, Existentialism, and Absurdity. Looking through these lenses changes one's view on the story, but also adds a new dimension, a deeper level on which the mind ponders, "What exactly just happened?"

Nihilism is the philosophical belief that nothing matters. There is no value attached to anything, and nothing on earth even matters. This view seems pessimistic at first; but it is actually quite freeing. To know that nothing matters really breaks the holds that commercialism and consumerism have on our everyday lives. In Waiting for Godot, Vladimir and Estragon act without a care in the world. The treat their lives as meaningless- even going as far as to commit suicide just because they are bored. However, their nihilistic attitudes have procured a childlike innocence, as well as the everlasting hope for a better tomorrow knowing nothing can hurt them today.

Existentialism is the art of thinking. Think about life- why you are alive, what's the purpose of your life, does life even have a purpose? Don't think too hard; you'll hurt yourself. This train of thought allows the mind, particularly the subconscious, to roam free. While you are busy examining life's toughest questions, questions which do not have an easy answer, your mind wanders and small revelations are revealed. It is these small revelations in which we find life. Vladimir and Estragon have nothing but free time to talk to each other and think. They know they are waiting for Godot to come, but why exactly are they waiting? What is Godot going to offer them. Will Godot ever show up? While pondering these questions, Didi and Gogo have "meaningless" conversation, which reveals the truth that humans crave the company of others, as well as the hope that brighter days are coming.

Absurdity, by definition, is the quality or state of being ridiculous or wildly unreasonable. Most, all, of Waiting for Godot is absurdity. The conversations, the setting, the characters and their actions are all absurd. Pozzo has Lucky on a leash. The tree grows leaves overnight. But all these "absurdities" are normal in the world of Godot. Would they look at our world and find things we deem normal as absurd? Such as the rigidness of our everyday schedules, or that people lose faith in their dreams. What one sees as absurd, another sees as normal. In this way, is not everything an absurdity? And living in a world full of absurdities, is normal.

One Day My Prince Will Come

It seems that from a young age, humans are trained to wait. Classic Disney movies of old, including Cinderella, Snow White, etc. are all about women who are waiting for this man to come and save them and make their lives better. Setting aside the gender issues for now, the theme of stories like these is waiting. In Waiting for Godot, Didi and Gogo are literally sitting around outside, trying to pass the time until this mysterious man comes and sweeps them off their feet. Connecting that with today's societal concerns, far too many people today are abusing programs such as welfare in order to avoid work. Like the aforementioned characters, they are sitting around, trying to pass the time until their next government check comes in. Why are humans so innately drawn to waiting? As the old adage goes, "Fortune favors the brave." The only way to save yourself, make a better life, is to actually go out and do it yourself. Be your own Godot; be your own prince. Don't waste your time waiting on someone else to lead your life.

This is Water

To quickly paraphrase David Foster Wallace's story, fishes are swimming around and one fish swims by saying "The water's nice." One fish turns to his swimming companion and says, "What the hell is water?"

I believe that Wallace is getting at the almost auto-pilot setting that many people use for their everyday lives. Routine kills the imagination. We become so numb, so accustomed to the everyday drive that it takes us months to realize, hey- when did they repaint that building? When did they plant that flowerbed? When did they tear down that playground? If it does not involve us, auto-pilot. If it does not excite us, auto-pilot. We need to stop letting life literally pass us by as we stare out into the hazy mist, searching for the beacons of excitement. Clear your own fog- appreciate the novelties of life such as a heads up penny or inspiring graffiti. Someone went out of their way to give someone else a little slice of happiness; cherish it. If that isn't enough to get you to take firm control of your life, I don't know what will.

Waiting to finally start Godot

"The Human Condition"  is not a foreign horror movie. Rather, it is the thoughtful examination of what it means to be human. Not just the science-y stuff; the all around. To eat, pray, AND love. This topic coincides with my independent novel- Frankenstein. This novel examines the same thread- what makes life life? Can you be considered alive just because you are breathing and moving? Or is Nicki Minaj speaking the truth when saying "everybody dies, but not everybody lives."?

I expect Samuel Becket's Waiting for Godot to be a dialogue based play. I doubt there will be much, if any, action. I predict the play will be philosophical and deep and thought-provoking... just as all literature is. I wonder what makes this play deeper and more philosophical-er than anything else. I guess we'll just have to ---- think about it.  

Clybourne Park Comedians

Clybourne Park is a two-act play based off of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. While Clybourne Park deals with literally every issue you can imagine, this blog will focus on an issue that I deem as one of the most noticeable: humor throughout the years. Acte I (set in 1959) and Acte II (set in 2009) both contain "jokes." However, the jokes have certainly changed between generations. In 1959, the jokes the actors tell are just not as funny to the audience. The humor was dry, a bit bland, and seemed like it belonged on a children's show run by the FCC. Acte II was the complete opposite- it was an FCC nightmare. There were inappropriate sex jokes, off color racist jokes, and jokes that are just offensive. Perhaps the playwright was trying to convey the sense that as the years have gone on, people have loosened their tongues. Nothing is safe anymore, and jokes are made about anything and everyone. This could be a reflection on the loss of society's morals. Nobody bats an eye when the F bomb is dropped nowadays. In fact, I sometimes wonder why it is even a curse word due to the frequency with which it is used today. At any rate, the play really made me evaluate what people find as amusing, and made me question why we find these jokes just so funny?