Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D Student in Philosophy of Art, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor of Philosophy of Art, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

If the investigation of different methods of existence and surveying language capabilities were among the most important thought issues of Samuel Beckett, so he would certainly use these two in order to recognize man better and communicate with the world around him. Beckett, affected by Descartes’ Dualism, believes that the intrinsic separation of body and soul has resulted in the incapability of man’s language to communicate with the world around him. So, he tries to show that there is no way to resolve his inability of communicating rather than creating a new language to narrate himself by his separated body from soul. Beckett uses body, its parts and motions to do this. He believes that the more decrepit the body is, the more obvious its effort to be seen. In order to do this, he tries to use characters with different kinds of inabilities in their bodies. In Beckett’s view, body can remove the obstacles of communication by narrating its defects. Therefore, the characters in his writings never speak about their calamitous situation and they are used to their inabilities as a permanent companion that it seems there is no sign of self-suffering in their behavior and motions. Being with these sufferings to the end of their explorations makes them self-conscious and at the same time to go beyond their decrepit bodies. Critical-analytical method has been used in this article and the result shows that Samuel Beckett goes beyond Descartes' Dualism and tries to restore the place and value of body.

Keywords

Abolfazl, Haddad. (2010). "Truth and meaning in the works of Samuel Beckett; Emphasizing the views of Alain Badiou and Theodor Adorno. Criticism of foreign language and literature. Number 5. 47 to 69. [in Persian]
Brecken, Harry McFarland. (2010). Reading Descartes' reflections. Shapour Etemad, Tehran, Hermes. [in Persian]
Beckett, Samuel. (2013). driven away Marzieh Khosravi, Tehran, Rouzegar No Publications. [in Persian]
----------. (2014). Watt. Sohail Sami, Tehran, Qoqnous. [in Persian]
---------. (2011). Malone dies. Sohail Sami, Tehran, Sales publication, third edition. [in Persian]
---------. (2012). Molvi. Sohail Sami, Tehran, Sales publication. [in Persian]
---------. (2009). A collection of dramatic works, by Ali Bash, Mashhad, Mehr Damoun Publications. [in Persian]
---------. (2016). waiting for Godo. Murad Hossein Abbaspour, Tehran, Rozegar Publishing House. [in Persian]
Beckett, Samuel, (1959).  Three N‌ovels: Molloy, Malon Dies, The Unnameable. London, Jhon Calder.
_____________, . (1958). Endgame, New York, Grove Press.
_____________, . (1959). Waiting for Goddot, London, Fabor & Fabor.
_____________, . (1938). Murphy, New York, Grove Press.
Cousineau J. Thomas. (1984). Descartes, Lacan, and Murphy. College Literature. P 233- 232.
Cohn, Rubi. (1964). Philosophical Fragments in the Works of Samuel Beckett.
Descartes, Rene. (2008). Reflections on the first philosophy, Ahmad Ahmadi, Samt Publishing House. [in Persian]
Fletcher, John. (1965). Samuel Beckett and the Philosophers. Comparative literature. Vol 17. P 43-56.
Karshenas, Ali. (2012). "Criticism and examination of the relationship between soul and body from Descartes' point of view using the system of transcendental wisdom". The ritual of wisdom. No. 15. 69 to 92. [in Persian]
Mujtahedi, Karim. (2006). Descartes and his philosophy. Tehran, Amir Kabir Publishing House, third edition. [in Persian]
McDonald, Ronan. (2011). The Narrative of Humiliation (An Introduction to Samuel Beckett's Thoughts and Works), translated by Ali Akbar Pish Dasti, Tehran, Qaqnoos Publications. [in Persian]
Nochlin, Linda. (2014). The fragmented body (the fragment as a metaphor for modernity). Majid Akhgar, Tehran, Herfeh Honarmand Publishing House, third edition. [in Persian]
Roberts, James. (2010). Beckett and the theater of meaninglessness. Hossein Poivendeh, Tehran, J Publications. [in Persian]
Spinoza, Benedict. (2009). Description of the principles of Descartes' philosophy and metaphysical thoughts, Mohsen Jahangiri, Tehran, Samt Publications. [in Persian]
Slaine, Martin. (2009). Theater of the Absurd. Mehtab Kalantari, Tehran, Ameh publication. [in Persian]
Shokri, Mahmoud, Kurd Firouzjaei, Yar Ali. (2012). "Examining the duality of soul and body from the point of view of Descartes and Mulla Sadra". Qabsat No. 62. 133 to 154. [in Persian]
The group of authors. (2014). Guerrillas and Pigeons (a collection of critical essays on the life and works of Samuel Beckett). Compiled and translated by Behrouz Hajimohammadi, Tehran, Qaqnoos Publications. [in Persian]
Uhlmann, Anthony. (2004). A Fragment of a VITAGRAPH: Hiding and Revealing in Beckett, Guelincx, and Descartes. Samuel Beckett Today. Vol 14. P 341-356. Published by Brill.