Samuel Beckett’s Drama: Parables of Modern Life

Samuel Barclay Beckett is a maverick writer of twentieth century. He has become one of the most discussed literary figures, not only of the twentieth century, but of any era. His offbeat dramatic works create a furore in the realm of world literature. It is true to say that, especially in the last fifteen years, his works have become a battleground on which literary critics have contested various positions. Beckett’s oeuvre, particularly his dramas call for an attentive studying in respect for their dormant themes. His dramatic works challenge the reader to become actively engaged in the text with its words and with its silences. Reading Beckett’s dramas made me realize that his dramas are absurd in the sense of their presentation of the action but not in their content. Beckett in Waiting for Godot, Endgame, Happy Days and All That Fall starkly paints the reality of modern life as he sees it. These four plays can be looked at as a montage of modern life. He has depicted the panoramic of the modern life in such a way that I ponder I am a part of his drama.