Memory, Language, Godot – The Importance of Perception

         There are only two acts in While Waiting for Godot spanning over the course of two days, yet the characters (except Vladamir mostly) find a way to erase the previous day’s events including their perceptions of themselves. It seems rather odd that Pozzo does not remember he saw the day prior, but the reader should not be positive of this claim. Stage directions and the other characters’ perception of Pozzo draws a conclusion in the first act that Pozzo could see. An audience member easily presumes Lucky’s rather long tangent seems to mark some intelligence, yet he appears void of language in the second act. Are these mere coincidences between scenes or is the appearance of these characters manipulated by some source?

          It would seem obvious to the reader half way through act 2 that all the characters are insane with Vladamir having some exception; However, Beckett has taught me never trust the sanity and instead question any sliver of rationality. The other characters are imperfect in their memory and actions, yet this over exaggeration seems too surreal to be factual. Vladamir comes across as the only character self aware of the environment around him. I feel the problem with this perception is that Vladamir resembles stability in a universe distorted by Vladamir’s unconscious. Vladamir knows the whole time the two men must be waiting for Godot; although, at no point does he know why they are waiting for Godot thus rising questions to the validity of Vladamir’s decision-making. Only two days pass in the course of the play, but how long have these men been waiting for Godot? I think Vladamir has been waiting for Godot for quite some time within his mind’s void.

          This play was a refreshing ‘simple’ read since the dialogue exchange between characters led to an illusion of interpersonal conversation. I  failed to notice a lot of the deeper material in my first two reads of Godot, but I hope in this next week I can get a better understanding on parts that confused me such as Lucky’s monologue. I would also like to look deeper into this understanding of reality depicted by a single character through the other characters.