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Waiting For Godot Absurdism Analysis

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Absurdism, by definition, is the belief that the world is irrational and meaningless. Extentialism is the belief that one can define their own meaning of life. Both ‘The Stranger’, written by Albert Camus, and ‘Waiting for Godot’, written by Samuel Beckett, involve these two beliefs. In this essay, I will be comparing and contrasting three similarities and three differences between the two books based on their views of Absurdism and Extentialism. The first similarity is that both pieces of literature involve repetition and routine. “Waiting for Godot” has two scenes and they are set in two consecutive days. What happened in the second scene is very similar to the first scene. Vladimir and Estragon went to the same place at the same time and even did the same actions. Pozzot and Lucky were again appeared in the second scene. What’s more, the little boy, who was Godot’s messenger, tells them again that Godot is not coming today and he …show more content…

They are waiting for a person named Godot over two days. Some critics believe that Godot is their hope, which symbolizes God. This behavior can represent most people’s desire for having a good life. Estragon and Vladimir endure the boring and routine days to meet Godot, just like other people who suffer the unwillingness and hardness in their life in order to become successful and have a better life. However, in ‘The Stranger’, the main character, Meursault, is an outsider. He did not cry and shows no emotions at his mother’s funeral, but the society in which he lives in, believes that he should be distraught with grief. It is the same situation with Marie. “A minute later she asked me if I loved her. I told her it didn't mean anything but that I didn't think so.” (Camus, 35). As we can see, Meursault did not change his words in order to become more tactful. His response was completely honest. He shows no connection with the society he lives

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