Paper 107: The Twentieth Century Literature: From World War II to the End of the Century
Class Assignment
Discuss in detail characters of the play waiting for Godot by Samuel Backett.
Introduction
Waiting for Godot is a play by the Irish writer Samuel Beckett. He first wrote it in French as Enattendant Godot and later translated it into English. The play has two acts and is called “A Tragicomedy in Two Acts” because it is both funny and sad.
The story is about two men, Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo). They spend the whole play waiting for a man named Godot, but he never comes. While waiting, they talk, think, and do strange things.
The play is very famous and important in modern literature. It was first performed in Paris in 1953 and later in London in 1955. Even though nothing big happens in the play, it talks about many important ideas, like life, religion, human suffering, friendship, and the meaning of life.Beckett was inspired by the painting Two Men Contemplating the Moon by Caspar David Friedrich.
About the Author
Samuel Beckett (13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish writer. He wrote plays,poems, novels, and literary criticism in both English and French. His works often show life assad, empty, and strange, but also sometimes funny in a dark way. He is famous for mixing serious and comic moments, using black humor and nonsense.
Beckett is considered one of the most important writers of the 20th century. He changed moderntheatre and is a major figure in Irish literature. His most famous play is Waiting for Godot(1953), which is a tragicomedy—both funny and sad. In 1969, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature for his work, which shows the difficulties of modern life in a new and important way.
Characters
- Estragon
lives like a beggar. He sleeps in a ditch and is beaten by unknown people every night. Estragon has a very weak memory and forgets things quickly. He can remember only what is happening at the present moment. Because of this, he depends completely on Vladimir to remind him of the past. Estragon is impatient and often says that he wants to leave, but he cannot go because he needs Vladimir for survival and emotional support. He feels physical pain often, especially in his feet, and is always concerned with food, sleep, and comfort. It is Estragon who first suggests that they should hang themselves to pass time and end their suffering. Symbolically, Estrogen represents the human body—he focuses on physical needs and cannot think deeply without
Vladimir’s help.
- Vladimir
Vladimir is the other protagonist of the play. Like Estragon, he is also a poor man with no home,but he is more thoughtful and serious. Vladimir has a better memory than Estragon and remembers many events, although he sometimes doubts whether his memories are correct. He keeps reminding Estragon that they are waiting for Mr. Godot and insists that they must not leave. Vladimir needs Estragon because talking to him helps confirm his memories and gives him a sense of reality. He often thinks about deeper questions of life, existence, and time. Vladimir represents the human intellect or mind, which depends on the body (Estragon) to exist.Together, they show that mind and body cannot survive separately.
- Lucky
Lucky is the servant or slave of Pozzo. He is tied to Pozzo by a rope around his neck and is
treated very badly. Lucky carries Pozzo’s heavy bags and obeys every command without protest.He is allowed to speak only twice in the entire play. When he finally speaks, he delivers a long and confusing speech filled with broken thoughts, meaningless words, and incomplete ideas.This shows how his ability to think has been destroyed by years of slavery. When the others take away his hat, he becomes silent again. In the second act, Lucky does not speak at all and appears completely mute. Lucky represents the loss of freedom, intelligence, and dignity caused by oppression.
- Pozzo
Pozzo is Lucky’s master and appears powerful and proud in the first act. He controls Lucky
cruelly and enjoys showing his authority in front of others. He stops to talk to Vladimir and
Estragon because he wants attention and company. Pozzo talks loudly and behaves arrogantly,believing he is superior to others. However, in the second act, Pozzo becomes blind and helpless.He can no longer control Lucky and needs help from Vladimir and Estragon. Like the other characters, Pozzo cannot remember meeting people before. His sudden change from a strong master to a helpless man shows how time destroys power and pride, and how human life is uncertain.
- The Boy
The Boy is a young servant of Mr. Godot. He appears at the end of both acts and delivers the same message each time. He tells Vladimir and Estragon that Godot will not come that night butbwill surely come the next day. The boy never remembers meeting them before, even though he comes every evening. This forgetfulness increases the feeling of confusion and meaninglessness in the play. The boy mentions that he has a brother, but the brother never appears on stage. The boy represents false hope and endless waiting, as his message keeps the characters waiting forever for Godot, who never arrives.
Conclusion
Thus to conclude we can say that Vladimir and Estragon are not traditional characters with development or backstories.Instead, they are universal figures representing humanity’s struggle with waiting,meaninglessness, memory, and hope. Through their contrast and companionship, Beckett explores the absurd condition of human existence.
Home Assignment
Write a detailed note on "Nineteen Eighty Four" by George Orwell.
Introduction
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) is a novel by the English writer George Orwell. It was published on 8 June 1949. This is Orwell’s ninth and last completed book. The story is a dystopian fiction, which means it shows a scary, controlled future where people have very little freedom. The main themes of the book are totalitarianism (complete government control), mass surveillance(watching people all the time), and strict control over how people think and behave.
The story is set in a fictional future, believed to be the year 1984. Much of the world is at
constant war. Great Britain, now called Airstrip One, is part of a powerful, controlling country
called Oceania. Oceania is ruled by Big Brother, a dictator whom everyone is forced to obey. The government, called the Party, watches all citizens using the Thought Police, spreads propaganda, and changes history to control people’s minds. The Party punishes anyone who thinks or acts independently.
Orwell called his book a satire, meaning it shows the dangers and problems of total control and a centralised government. He wanted to warn people that a society like this could actually happen.The novel explores how truth and facts can be manipulated by those in power. Many events and ideas in the book are similar to real-life totalitarian governments and the ways they control freedom of speech and thought.
1984 has become a classic example of dystopian and political fiction. It made the word“Orwellian” popular, meaning something like Big Brother or total government control. Many terms from the book are now commonly used, such as Big Brother, doublethink, Thought Police,thoughtcrime, Newspeak, and the idea that “2 + 2 = 5.” The book is considered one of the best English novels and appears on many important lists of top novels. It has also been made into films and other media, including the famous 1984 movie starring John Hurt.
About the Author
George Orwell was the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair (born 25 June 1903 in India – died 21
January 1950 in London, England). He was an English writer, poet, journalist, and critic. Orwell
wrote books and essays that were clear and easy to read. He was against all forms of totalitarian governments, including both fascism and authoritarian communism, and he supported democratic socialism.
Orwell went to Eton College and later became a writer. He married Eileen O'Shaughnessy in
1936 and later Sonia Brownell in 1949. He had an adopted son named Richard Blair.
Orwell is most famous for his books:
Animal Farm (1945) – an allegorical story about politics and power
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) – a dystopian novel about a world under total government control
Summary
1984 by George Orwell is a dystopian novel set in a frightening future world where human
freedom no longer exists. The world is divided into three powerful countries—Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia—which are always at war with one another. This war is not meant to be won;instead, it is used to keep people busy, afraid, and poor so that they do not question their governments. Ordinary citizens live in fear and poverty, while only a small group of rulers enjoy comfort and power.
Oceania is ruled by a strict and cruel political group called the Party. The Party controls every
aspect of people’s lives, including their actions, thoughts, emotions, and even history. Society in Oceania is divided into three classes. The Inner Party, which makes up only two percent of the population, holds all the power and makes all the decisions. The Outer Party, about thirteen percent of the population, carries out the orders of the Inner Party and is closely watched. The largest group is the proles, who make up eighty-five percent of the population. The Party ignores the proles because it believes they are not intelligent enough to organize a rebellion.
To maintain its power, the Party keeps everyone under constant surveillance. Telescreens are placed in homes and public places to watch and listen to people at all times. Even thoughts are monitored, and anyone who shows signs of disobedience is arrested, tortured, or killed. The symbolic leader of the Party is Big Brother, whose face appears everywhere on posters and coins.Citizens are forced to love Big Brother and show loyalty to him. Hate rallies and public
executions are organized to increase fear and strengthen support for the Party and the ongoing war.
The main character of the novel is Winston Smith, a weak and lonely Outer Party member who lives in a poor building called Victory Mansions. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, where his job is to rewrite old newspapers and records so that the Party always appears correct and never wrong. This constant lying deeply troubles Winston, and he becomes aware that the Party controls not only the present but also the past. In order to express his thoughts and stay mentally sane, Winston secretly starts writing a diary, even though he knows this act could lead to death.
Winston believes that an Inner Party member named O’Brien is secretly against the Party and
may belong to a resistance group called the Brotherhood. He imagines that his diary is written for O’Brien.
Winston also struggles with the concept of doublethink, which is the ability to believe two
opposite ideas at the same time. The Party forces people to accept lies as truth, and Winston finds this mentally painful, as he still remembers reality and truth.
One day, Winston receives a secret note from a dark-haired girl named Julia, which says, “I love
you.” At first, Winston is terrified because personal relationships and love are forbidden in Oceania. However, he later develops a secret romantic relationship with Julia. They meet in
hidden places, enjoying moments of freedom and human connection. Eventually, they begin
meeting in a rented room above a shop owned by Mr. Charrington, whom Winston trusts because he seems to respect the past, something the Party tries hard to erase.
However, Winston and Julia are unknowingly walking into a trap. O’Brien is actually loyal to the Party, and Mr. Charrington is a member of the Thought Police. O’Brien tricks the couple into believing that he is part of the Brotherhood and gives them a book supposedly written by
Emmanuel Goldstein, a former Party leader who is now considered an enemy. Shortly after this, Winston and Julia are arrested with the book in their possession.
They are taken to the Ministry of Love, where O’Brien personally supervises their torture and
brainwashing. In the terrifying Room 101, Winston and Julia are forced to betray each other.Through intense physical and mental torture, the Party destroys their love, self-respect,individuality, and courage. After this process, they are released back into society as obedient and emotionally broken people.
At the end of the novel, Winston is shown as a defeated man who has lost all hope and
resistance. He becomes an alcoholic and spends his days mindlessly following the Party. In the final scene, Winston looks at a picture of Big Brother and realizes that he truly loves him. This ending shows the complete victory of the totalitarian state over the human mind and spirit.
Through 1984, George Orwell warns readers about the dangers of totalitarianism (When the
government controls everything in people’s lives), uncontrolled political power (When
leaders have all the power and no one can stop them), and the manipulation of truth (When
the government lies and changes facts to control people). The novel shows how a government can destroy freedom, love, and individuality by controlling language, history, and thought. It serves as a powerful warning for society to protect freedom and truth.
Conclusion
In conclusion, 1984 shows how a totalitarian government can destroy not only freedom but also human thoughts and emotions. Winston’s tragic end highlights the terrifying power of oppression and control. The novel serves as a lasting warning about the dangers of unchecked authority
Essay
Critically Analyse "Epitaph on a Tyrant" by W. H. Auden.
Introduction
W.H. Auden’s "Epitaph on a Tyrant" was written in January 1939 as a satirical, six-line portrait
of a dictator, widely interpreted as a response to the rise of Adolf Hitler and fascism in Europe on the eve of World War II. The poem, appearing in his collection Another Time (1940), reflects on the chilling nature of authoritarianism.
About the Author
W. H. Auden was one of the most influential poets of the 20th century. Born in 1907 in England, he later became an American citizen. His poetry is known for its intellectual depth, social and political themes, and unique style. Auden wrote about love, war, religion, and human nature in a thoughtful and powerful way. He remains a major figure in modern English literature.
Summary
W. H. Auden’s poem “Epitaph on a Tyrant” is a satirical elegy, which means it is a poem written in memory of a dead person but in a mocking and critical way. Instead of praising the ruler, the poem criticizes a cruel dictator.
The poem was written in 1939, a time when fascism was spreading across Europe. Dictators like Adolf Hitler and other totalitarian leaders were gaining power. These leaders controlled people through fear, violence, and strict rules. Auden wrote this poem to show the danger of such rulers and to warn people about the misuse of political power.
In the poem, the dictator is unnamed. This is done on purpose so that the tyrant can represent any dictator in history. Auden presents the tyrant as a self-centered, disturbed, and proud person, almost like a mad artist, who wants to force his own idea of “Perfection” on the whole society.
This “perfection” is cruel and simple, and it does not respect human freedom or emotions.
The poem is written as an epitaph, which is a short inscription written on a tombstone. This
makes it sound like the ruler is already dead, and people are now looking back at his life and
actions. Through this epitaph, Auden explains the nature of dictatorship and how power can
become dangerous when placed in the wrong hands.
Analysis
The first stanza sets the tone of the poem. The line
“Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after”
shows that the tyrant wanted complete control and order. He believed that his ideas were perfect and that everyone must follow them. This line suggests that the tyrant was not just a madman,but a person who was obsessed with control and discipline. His desire for perfection made him cruel, and this obsession eventually led to his downfall.
The second stanza explains how the tyrant kept his power. He ruled through
“fear and the fire of hate.”
This means that he controlled people by making them afraid and by spreading hatred. Like many dictators, he used propaganda, censorship, and violence to silence opposition. People were not allowed to speak freely or think independently.
The final stanza talks about the result and legacy of the tyrant’s rule. The line
“He held on tight and rode out the storm”
suggests that the dictator stayed in power for some time, even though he caused great suffering.
However, the final lines—
“In the nightmare of the dark / All the dogs of Europe bark”—
are very powerful. They suggest fear, unrest, and danger spreading across Europe. The “barking dogs” symbolize war, violence, and chaos, showing that tyranny affects not just one country but the entire world.
Conclusion
Overall, “Epitaph on a Tyrant” is a strong warning against dictatorship and political tyranny.Auden reminds us that rulers who seek absolute power and false perfection bring only
destruction, fear, and suffering. The poem urges readers to learn from history and remain alert so that such oppressive rulers do not rise again. Auden’s language is simple but meaningful, and the message of the poem is still relevant today.
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