Why Label? Why Characterize?

In Beckett's trilogy, the reader has discovered that one cannot always trust the claims made by the narrator/speaker. It was not until reading “The Unnamable” that I discovered that the stories told by the speakers came about as a way for the main characters to escape their depressing, tedious lives. “The Unnamable” was much clearer with the insanity of the narrator with his/her wide association with Beckett’s other crazy characters. In this regard, this narrator has proved that all of these nonlinear stories told by these wacky speakers are really just a way for a person to figure out and deal with the issues in his/her life.

Beckett has brought up in multiple works the importance of language and comprehension, yet he takes this a step further in “The Unnamable” thorough his excessive use of labeling. Certainly, some underlying worth exists in these labels and symbols, but ultimately I feel that the labeling of Beckett can be so difficult to understand since there exists no purpose in many instances. Beckett intends to show the reader how we tend to think some sort of label must be in the literature in order for appreciation. The unnamed head continues to label all of these things developing in his/her life, but this character strives for the grey area between despair and prosperity.

It is true that there are no symbols where none intended, but some reoccurring symbols/labels reflect back to the author’s personal life. The bicycle symbol occurs in many of Beckett’s works, yet it appears in the first two novels thou not this final installment. The bicycle was a way to symbolize unwavering happiness, so perhaps absence of labels speaks more than their existence. I have come to believe this since Beckett always seems to be looking for what is missing in a story instead of the material presented.

Ownership

Malone - a 'stick' person

        

  In my previous posting, I viewed the relationships the central character of “Molloy” made with both his mother and bicycle. I wish to expound on a similar note, but this reflection will look purely at the objects Malone has fancied. The most fascinating aspect of all this is the manner in which Malone declares tenure over these substances.

Surely, this was Malone's bed

            The setting of “Malone Dies” takes place in a solitary room where Malone does remains practically motionless on the narrow bed where his dying body resides. Malone does not look for ownership in the entirety of things he once owned, but instead that which is in reach from his bed with the use of a trusty stick. He lists only an exercise book, a stick and a French pencil as his only true possessions since they are always near him, but there are many possessions piled in a heap that Malone normally ignores.

            Beckett snuck in a few similarities for Malone’s ownership that I feel directly related to my explanation of Molloy’s relationship with his bicycle. The bicycle bell of Malone’s that he faintly remembers is a quick reference to the other instances of bicycles in Beckett stories; although, the true connection comes in the ownership of an object that no longer gives any use to the owner. Molloy loves his bicycle quite a bit, yet he can no longer is use the bike practically since he is crippled. This is the exact relation Malone holds with his single boot that has many ‘eyeholes’ displaced throughout it. Just like Molloy, Malone uses this boot and other objects to draw forth the desirable memories once had with them even though their usefulness has depleted in their current states.

Interpersonal Relationships

I want to shift my focus from the individual into the interpersonal connections Molloy makes with people and objects. Many of Beckett’s later works explored the human psyche with little to no communication to the outside world. Molloy is great in the delivery of these relationships because either Molloy or the detective tells them through monologue, but I will just be taking this from Molloy’s viewpoint.

  The relationship I found most profound from this reading was the link Molloy makes with his bicycle. The most remarkable thing about this affair between man and bike is that Molloy is currently crippled (though has always had one stiff leg) and he did not even remember he had a bike when he first came across it. I immediately chose this connection because it was something Beckett brought up in “More Pricks than Kicks.” Belacqua seems more concerned with the bicycle’s appearance (or perhaps Beckett just went into extreme detail) where as Molloy explores the thrilling times had with his trusty companion. Molloy will not even address the bike as bike since that is too generic, so instead he names it green according to the color. The detail Molloy delivers about his bicycle show just how much care he had put into the bike, “I popped the foot of my stiff leg (I forget which, now they’re both stiff) on the projecting front axle, and I pedaled with the other.” (Beckett pg.13).

            Molloy’s relationship with his mother captures my attention excellently through their surreal mother-father bond. The communication created between Molloy and his mother makes this mother-son link more complex. His mother responds to knocks Molloy makes on her skull, but she can only remember a couple of knocks before forgetting everything prior. Obviously this leads to conflicts since a lack of intercourse always gives tension a rise. The position that Molloy has been placed in as his own father further contributes to this escalating stress

The Reader's Presence

 I want to focus on the reader’s involvement in a Beckett story which I will be looking specifically at the relationship developed in Beckett’s “Love and Lethe.” In most of Beckett's short stories, I envision myself in a small, dimly lit room with two plain chairs that are surrounded by one way mirrors. Beckett sits in the chair across from me and he narrates the story as I watch the dialogue unfold on the other end of the mirror. I chose “Love and Lethe” because I felt this was a text that really got the reader engaged in the story, and I will be looking at how Beckett addresses the reader as well as how he gets the reader to participate.
There are a few instances where Beckett directly addresses the reader by either name (reader) or with the use of a pronoun (you & we with the ‘we’ being the reader and Beckett). The other instances where Beckett invites the reader into the story comes with his questions and side notes about the situation unfolding. The questions give the reader a better grasp on the story's plot/characters by asking them rhetorically what they would do/think such as “Is it to be condemned as wholly despicable?”

The side noting is especially what is important about understanding the reader’s omnipresence because it is something that gets addressed in a larger variety of Beckett works as opposed to the questioning and direct addressing to the reader. Side noting is how Beckett will take you away from the scene for a minute to comprehend a character’s traits/past/emotions. Many authors have used this third person omniscient model to elaborate on their characters, but Beckett does so in a way that makes it seem he is talking directly to the reader instead of some empty void. An example out of this story is “Mrs. Tough was used to the whims of Ruby and took them philosophically usually. But this latest fancy was really a little bit too unheard of. Coffee in the lav! What would father say when he heard? However.” I feel with this that the light on the one way mirror has dimmed down, and  Beckett and I alone in a room together, but as soon as he says 'however' there becomes a change in the lighting that will either continue the scene or jump to the next one.

 I am in no way sure if this is what Beckett intended for in the narrator-reader relationship, but I have envisioned myself thus far as a character hanging around Beckett in that small, dimly lit room. Next week I may try to analyze the reader's involvement within a Beckett novel or try to look for a new dualism for reflection.