Scattered Thoughts and No Commentaries...

           Who exactly is Godot? No one will ever know, including the characters themselves. Nevertheless, their whole lives revolve around him. Waiting for Godot is like waiting for the night sky to fall, or the rope to hang from the tree. It is an uncertainty and a mystery. However, this mystery is never to be resolved. The essence and product of the book: utter confusion. Suicide is the final resolution for Vladimir and Estragon's misery. Nonetheless, throughout their lives they act completely ignorant of their unhappiness. However, at the end of the day they come to realization: life has no meaning. They have no meaning to each other. And Godot is seen as a projection, running their lives forever. Godot is interpreted as the ideal of G-d. He never comes, his existence is not proved, nor are his intentions. G-d and Godot share a power over the world, making people like Vladimir and Estragon live every day awaiting for their ascendance.

           The Bowler’s hat is a representation of personality and identity. Without the hat, the characters seem to be mentally inept. They are unable to think, nevertheless with or without the hats, the characters don’t posses character or individuality. The hat is the free-will given my G-d. They are able to remove this attire (deactivating their faith) or let it lie on the top of their ignorant heads forever.  They live in a world ruled by Godot and a bowler’s hat. Vladimir and Estragon inspect the hats very often. There is one scene where they interchange the hats with Lucky’s. They can’t seem to decide which one they want to wear. Lack of decisiveness is only indicating a lack of faith in the ole mighty Godot.

          These two characters suffer from a “high diagnose ” of stubbornness. In addition, when these two discuss, they act like toddlers. One word per argument gives the reader a sensation of immaturity. The fact that time is unrecognizable leads these two men to never grow. They cannot be separated from each other, and they need to “embrace” quite often. Yet, every time they say good night, and the day has come to an end, they argue over how they wish to part from one another. They state their lives are so different, full of distinct purposes, but they do not separate, for they define each other. This behavior is also seen in The Stranger. For attachment to the material world is seen in this play, it contradicts existentialist ideals. Vladimir and Estragon do not treasure their lives just like Mersault, but these two aren't willing to hand away their last breath to Godot.

            Blindness, a simple punishment for those who don’t appreciate what is in front of them. Pozzo, a wealthy man, encounters Vladimir and Estragon during the two Acts of the play. His significance in the book is the wastefulness of life. (Which is reflected upon the two main characters.) Pozzo lives to travel, drag his slave lucky around, and eat. Pozzo is the materialistic aspect of Waiting for Godot. Towards the end, this man falls to the ground and is unable to get up. He requests the help of Vladimir and Estragon, two strangers to him (he has met them before), but these two characters hesitate. For Pozzo lies far away from the tree, where they are waiting for Godot. The clash between their usual routine and a new event takes place. But, these men don’t know what to do. They have never experimented from outside “Godot’s” boundaries. They are imprisoned.

          “The sun sets, the moon rises.... Everything’s dead but the tree” 107. If everything’s dead but the tree, then every character is dead. Dead to the world, dead to the story. They are not imprisoned, quite the opposite, they are free. Do they just not know it? These two absurd men are homeless to the world, except themselves.