Thinking Activity : Movie Screening Postcolonial Study

Thinking Activity : Movie Screening Postcolonial Study 
  
The Black Prince 

The Midnight's children

The Reluctant Fundamentalist 

      Hello Reader,

     On 12 August we are  film screening of the two films first was "Midnight's Children"(Novel written by Salman Rushdie) directed by Deepa Mehta and second was "The Reluctant Fundamentalist"(A Novel written by Mohsin Hamid) directed by Mira Nair. So, our task to give review of these films with the perspectives of The Postcolonial Studies, so I will try to connect films with postcolonial approaches.

    Midnight's Children:

Midnight Children :

          This is a novel written by British-Indian Novelist Salman Rushdie and filmed by Deepa Mehta. The film was very popular in foreign countries and well criticized in India also. The film didn't cover up all the things written deeply in the novel due to time period of the movie so it's looks like the collage of many things like history, culture, Colonialism. freedom movement, etc. 

 The story of the film begun with the year of 1917, the birth year of Indira Gandhi and end with the emergency or we can say that the last stage of Indira Gandhi's Life. So, some may have question that why the protagonist of the film narrated the the history before the thirty years when he was not in her mother's womb? Well, I don't know why Rushdie connected Indira Gandhi's era throughout the film, we must read the novel to understand the connection. The story about the Children who were born in the stroke of the midnight 15th august 1947 with the magical power, in which two major character like Saleem Sinai, the protagonist belong to reach family while the Shiva who was born in poor family later joined the Army and fought in the battle with Pakistan to free Bangladesh.

               The main idea of hybridity in culture and identity we can see in the movie, as per the quote 'Let reach to be poor and poor to be reach' Saleem, actually, the son of British man William Methwold and poor Marathian lady and the Shiva was the son of Ahemad Sinai and Amina, but, Mary, a nurse in the hospital changed these both baby boy with each other because her lover was a Marxist and pursued mary to protest against elite class. 
        
                Furthermore, Salim went to pakistan and Shiva Joined Indian Army, so here we can see the partition of India and pakistan. later on, After the war, Saleem came to India, his mother land and marry with Parvati, beloved of Shiva and she gave birth to baby boy who was the son of shiva so, we again see the hybridity. And also we can see the culture of India like snake Charmer. SO, this way movie ended through various perspectives.

          Here, also the good use of background music which symbolize many thing, the nose of Ghani family also a symbol. The narrative techniques also used in very good way to understand the story. And also a camera focus was excellent, while the Tajmahal scene came that time camera focused more on the poor conditioned house rather than Tajmahal. So, here film tried to show the real India through camera technique.

• Postcolonial point of view:

• Hybridity: 
• Miscegenation 
• Postcolonial Feminism:

• Hybridity:     

             Hybridity means Something that is formed by combining two or more things. Here, in the movie we can see the hybridity in the identity, Saleem is the perfect example of hybrid man, who was the son of colonizer and poor Indian lady and also the other character, Shiva was another example of hybrid man who was the son of Muslim parents. If we see the hybridity in culture then we can give the example of west(Methwold) and east(Poor Indian lady) and also Sikh(Picturesingh) with Hindu(Parvati)culture mixed each other.

Miscegenation:      

                As per the definition of Merriam Webster dictionary, Miscegenation means a mixture of races; especially: marriage, cohabitation, or sexual intercourse between a white person and a member of another race. In the movie we can find the sexual relation between White colonizer Methwold with black skin Indian Poor lady and another sexual relationship with white Saleem with black skinned Parvati. So, in this way postcolonialist studies the mixture of identity and culture.

• Postcolonial Feminism: 

         In this movie we can see that Postcolonial theorist also studies the culture and literature with the feminist perspective.

                  In the beginning of the movie Doctor did not allow to examine Naseem's illness to see her body, there a curtain between doctor and Naseem and her father said that " You Europe returned chappies forget certain things. Doctor sahib, my daughter is a decent girl, it goes without saying. She does not flaunt her body under the noses of strange men. You will never understand that you can not be permitted to see her, no, no, not in any circumstances; accordingly. I have required her to be positioned behind that sheet. She stands there, like a good girl(Rushdie 2011)."

            Another examples is when Mumtaz, Saleem's mother got married with Ahemad Sinai, that time Ahemad gave her new name Amina. So, we can see the power of patriarchy in the movie and also a exploitation of poor Indian lady by Britisher Methwold.

Magic Realism:

             Magic realism also a part of postcolonial studies. Magic Realism is a narrative style which is add beauty to the historical representation in the movie otherwise it is boring to watch. The Midnight's Children were not ordinary kids but they have power, like, Saleem has power of sense of smell to feeling the different things and people whereas Parvati also has power like Abrakadabra to hide people or things in the basket.

       So, in this way we can see the movie with the various approaches like magic realism, Miscegenation, Hybridity in identity and in culture and also see with the postcolonial perspective.

• The Reluctant Fundamentalist:

             The Reluctant Fundamentalist a novel written by Pakistani Writer Mohsin Hamid and then adopted in film directed by Mira Nair in 2014. The story is about the young man Changez Khan who attracted to American Business culture. He was an intellectual and respected person in American wall street business company. 

        The Story Begun with the interview of American CIA  agent Bobby Lincoln for the abduction of American Professor in Pakistan. Bob was Taking interview of Changez Khan in the Coffee cafe in Lahor that he may be involved in this abduction or in the matter of 9/11. Here Mira Nair interestingly used the flashback technique which was move us from Pakistan to America in eye opening way. The title of the movie give us two different views one is that fundamentalist in terrorism and other business fundamentalist.

           The film started with the interview of Change Khan By Bobby in which Change Khan narrated his story about the his life in America. The hero of the novel was very young, intellectual, businessman and highly reputed. There he was living a good life with his beloved Erica, a very good artist in photography. But suddenly all the things changed  with Change after the attack on WTC tower. All people look towards him like he is terrorist, he insulted by FBI and many American fellows and abused him. Once, he loved America like his native land but after abusing and insulted her sincerity he came back to Pakistan as University professor.

        Furthermore, Bobby blamed that he is teaching terrorism in the university and has connection with Fazil a Muslim activist and Mujahid but that was not truth, without any kind of proof Bobby blamed him therefore his hatred towards America was increased but he don't believe in any kind of avenge. He lost his innocent fellow by the fire of American Agent then CIA agents realized that they made mistake and killed innocent man. But at the end of the movie Change wants to freedom from Mujaheddin and America's business culture and he wants to love peaceful life.

           The movie also used very good narrative technique like flashback technique to make movie very interesting, and also used very good camera focus when we see the scene of attack on WTC tower when camera on the face of Change rather on live telecast, to know the expression of Change towards it. Also a very good meaningful background musics are there to convey the nonverbal ideas like, In the kidnapping of the white professor Rainier there was a loud Sufi Music, and in the meeting of Change and Erica, where Change tries to convince Erica to forget everything, the lyrics of background songs matches very well, "I want you to be..". When Change was upset with the way he was treated in America and When he came back he had an arguments with his parents, and the background songs was "You say things to burn the heart, yet I must Smile." So, we can say that it is very intellectual movie thoroughly. 

 The Black Prince :

    Edward of Woodstock, known to history as the Black Prince (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376).The year after Poitier, Edward returned to England.Prince Edward returned to England in 1371 and the next year resigned the principality of Aquitaine and Gascony. He led the commons in their attack upon the Lancastrian administration in 1376. 

Postcolonial Point of view:

           If we see this movie with the perspectives of the postcolonial studies so we have to apply Edward said's 'Orientalism' and also apply the race theory. We can say that why western countries and especially America looking towards Muslim countries as countries of terrorism? It is all about the illusion of america that every Muslim are terrorist. America Know that if we want be in power position so that we have to destroyed all Muslim countries in the name of terrorism.

                One may have question like Muslim countries are more in the number then other religion, then why they don't take action on America. But, actually, because of obsequiousness of Pakistan and Saudi Arab others countries unable to convince that all Muslims are not like that.

            In the movie also Change faced problem because he belong to Muslim country. All countries and their movies show the villains almost are Muslim. They succeeded to built this kind of stereotype in the mind of other religion's people. America only see their 3000 Americans died in this attack but they do not see that they killed billions of Muslims in Gulf war and in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria wars. If world want to make peace in the earth then all have to protest against America to stop terrorism because:
                   
                                    "America is the mother of terrorism."

Conclusion :

     Here we see about colonialism and post colonialism by movie review and the idea in the movie.these movie give idea about this things.

Girish Karnad:- Controversial Obituaries

Girish Karnad:- Controversial Obituaries
                                                 


Girish Karnad was an Indian actor, film director, Kannada writer and playwright who predominantly worked in South Indian cinema and Bollywood. He was known for his plays Tughlaq, Hayavadana and Yayati. As a result of his greatest contribution in literature he was fascinated Padma Bhusan, and Sahitya Akadami award as well as he was also a recipient of the 1998Janpith Award, the highest literary honour conferred in India. Girish Karnad – a well known literary figure always remains in controversies.


Mainly he was remained in controversies because of his actively supporting activity to leftist people in separatist movement.


Besides being an independent thinker he was well known figure in political world who strongly depicted the diversity of Indian culture.


Besides it he also criticized V.S.Naipaul for his “antipathy towards Indian Muslims” as equally also lashed out on organizer who honoured V.S.Naipaul with Lifetime achievement award. He also criticized Rabindranath Tagore by claiming that he was a great poet but a second playwright. His love for Western culture and hatred for his own culture can observe in his writing as in his well known play Tughlaq he portrayed a cruel Muhammad bin Tuglaq in such way that it seems as tughlaq has that saintly identity.


Because of his statement in November, 2019 in which he mentioned that Banglore International Airport should have been named after Tipu Sultan instead of Kempe Gowda. Because of his outspokenness , he was hatred by many people.As it also became a metaphor for the contradiction of the Nehruvian socialist Democratic utopia. His Me too Urban Naxal statement also remained a topic for great gossip.Even on his death Pm Narendra Modi also twitted about guts which can never be defeated...

August : Patriotism and Religious Fervour

Sunday reading : August; Patriotism and Religious Fervour; Shitala satam

Shitala Saatam – Religion Vs Science; Inoculations Vs Vaccination;non-acceptance of intellectuals

August:patriotism and religious Fervour

ShitalaSaatam–  A religious festival of India

Shitala is a folk diety, worshipped largely by many faith in the Indian subcontinent specially in North India, West Bengal, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. In Gujarat continent ShitalaSatam as religious festival is celebrated every year in Shravan month. The mythical story or faith behind this is that this goddess will prevent diseases of small pox.

In a religious country India, earlier it was necessary to connect scientific facts with religious beliefs for making them generalize among people. As a part of religion,everyone is ready to do whatever is being told to them. At that time perhaps it was appropriate but the complication is that even today also after a tremendous progress in the field of science and technology; we used to see ShiatalSatam as a religious festival which was generalized in our mind. Though society pretend to be a modern, but it still not able to rationalize their minds. On the many occasions we see the conflict between religion and science, ShitalaSatam is one of them.

Religion Vs Science

In the ancient time any kind of disease regarded as a punishment from deities, or the work of evil spirit as well as of an effect of a kind of supernatural power. In order to prevent themselves from diseases they believed in worshiping the deities.  As a part of so called tradition people still today also worshiping goddess Sitala by eating a food on previous day as called cold food. 

There is a belief that if anyone make a hot food on the day of ShitalaSatam, goddess Shitala(known to cure poxes) may become furious at them. When the vaccine against smallpox was already invented by Edwad Jenner, why still we have the same belief which was there before 70 years? Very surely everyone know that now because of vaccination diseases of small pox is under controlled yet even they are following the tradition of worshiping diety Shiatala. In south also this festival is organized annually in the month of Sharavan, the muslim community who do not believe in worshiping yet even they be a part of this practise as they were afraid of village god and goddesses as the Hindus.

Inoculation Vs Vaccination

Inoculation generally known as tikah was practised in 17^th century in India. This operation is performed by selected Brahmins only. When the small pox come to maturity, by taking a little pus and then dipping these in the point of a pretty large sharp needle. It was a quite painful as in this they did some puncture in order to get rid of bacterial infection even after the operation they do not allow to eat fish, milk and ghee for the one month from the day of inoculation. In order to succeed operation four collans of water were thrown on the patient early in the morning and was continued till the patient got fever. This traditional method of operation was continued but than even many people killed in India because of small pox.

At Calcutta in mid 18^th century, the yearly death rate from smallpox was around 12,000 per million. It was very common technical operation in India around 17^th century. But as soon as small pox vaccine was discovered in 1798 by Edward Jenner and  was introduced in India under the guidance of Lord Clive, technical inoculation operation was banned under the Bengal Presidency.

Today when we know that, prevention of smallpox is possible only because of vaccine, than even the scientific idea is not accepted very widely. Rather than to praising this scientific advancement still people is trying to connect the religious idea of Sitalasatam with various phenomenon. The new breed of nationalist have connected the idea of eating cold food as it was a practise to overcome deficiency of vitamin B12.

Only by eating a cold food on the day of SitalaSatam, how one can overcome deficiency of vitamin B12?

On the one side people go for vaccine yet even they believe in safeguard of diety Shitala. It showcases that we are not yet able to think rationally. By sticking to particular tradition we are still doing the same which people did at 70 years ago.

August: Patriotism and Religious Fervour

In the August month we have mingling celebration of religious festival and euphoria of 15^th August August is the month full of festivals such as Rakshabandhan, Janmashtmi, Pateti, Bakri-id, Molakat, Gauri Vrat, Divaso and also a deep pooja as it is the month of Shravan which considered as holy month in Hindu Cakander. Almost all the important religion festivals are celebrated in this month. In a way this year also August is full of festivals.

When thinking about Independence day it also reminds about partition which happen along with Independence day. Many controversial post colonial writer write about it in their work. In the Indian history 15^th August, 1947 was marked as Independence day but do it be a independence day in the real sense for Indians. Salman Rushdie highlighted this point in a great manner in his work Midnight's children. This is the day when we also shower our gratitude towards the freedom fighters. K.R.S.Iynger also wrote about it which showcases the real India even after these many years of independence day.

"Freedom had come indeed, but it was not exactly the freedom that our writers of yesterday had dreamed or sung about about or the freedom that generations of patriot had visualized and striven for.It was flawed freedom born in the hour of communal disturbances of unprecedented ferocity and unbelievable bestiality."

Partition by W.H.Auden

Unbiased at least he was when he arrived on his mission,
Having never set eyes on the land he was called to partition
Between two peoples fanatically at odds,
With their different diets and incompatible gods.
“Time,” they had briefed him in London, “is short. It’s too late
For mutual reconciliation or rational debate:
The only solution now lies in separation.
The Viceroy thinks, as you will see from his letter,
That the less you are seen in his company the better,
So we’ve arranged to provide you with other accommodation.
We can give you four judges, two Moslem and two Hindu,
To consult with, but the final decision must rest with you.”

Shut up in a lonely mansion, with police night and day
Patrolling the gardens to keep the assassins away,
He got down to work, to the task of settling the fate
Of millions. The maps at his disposal were out of date
And the Census Returns almost certainly incorrect,
But there was no time to check them, no time to inspect
Contested areas. The weather was frightfully hot,
And a bout of dysentery kept him constantly on the trot,
But in seven weeks it was done, the frontiers decided,
A continent for better or worse divided.

The next day he sailed for England, where he could quickly forget
The case, as a good lawyer must. Return he would not,
Afraid, as he told his Club, that he might get shot.

~W.H. Auden

W.H.Auden in his poem, “Partition” describes a British civil servant Cyril Radclife a man who drew a line which forever divided a country. He know very well that how to divide land in the Indian subcontinent between Muslims and Hindus who hate each other. In a way his poem alludes to the period in the late 1940s when Indians got freedom from Britain but it was not marked by peace of Independence. At that time half a millions paid their lives in the conflict of creating India and Pakistan as separate country.

Expert Lecture on Postcolonial Studies

Reflective blog on Postcolonial study by Dr.Balaji Rangnathan

Reflective blog on Post-colonial study by Dr.Balaji Rangnathan

Dr.DilipBarad sir has organized three days(19to 20 September) guest lecture of Dr.BalajiRangnathan sir from Central University of Gujrat,at department of English, in which sir discussed about various topics of postcolonial studies. During those three days of lactures, BalajiRangnathan has conversed about following mentioned topics;

     1. Black Skin and White mask by Frantz Fanon

     2.    Orientalism by Edward Said

     3.   A Tempest by Amie Cesaire

    4.   Imaginary Homelands by Salman Rushdie

My Understanding of Postcolonial study 

Postcolonialism or postcolonial studies is the academic study of the cultural legacy of colonialism and imperialism, focusing on the human consequences of the control and exploitation of colonized people and their lands.(Wikipedia)

Generally we define postcolonial is a period of time after colonialism and the literature produced during colonial period may be known as post colonialliterature.It may broadly defined as a study of colonialism on cultures and societies. But the term post colonialism is itself a difficult term, it just can not be defined  or understood as ending of colonialism or even by specific defination of term. Now when we are living in globalization era, the term post colonial is itself connected with globalization.

 What is the difference between state and nation?

In the very first lecture, while preparing us for post colonial study, BalajiRanganathan sir discussed about this question.  What we mean y state is that, it has a geographical limitation and is established by territory as well as the system of power is exercised within a territory. While the nation has not any particular meaning, the notion of nation keeps on coining. The state is reality while the nation is imagination.

Let’s have a look on above mentioned topics with the help of details provided to us in the lectures.

Black Skin and White mask by Frantz Fanon 

In this work Frantoz Fanon, a black man analysed the effects of white colonial laws as well as of social conditioning of black people living in the colonized West Indies. There are 8 chapters in book, in which he argued  that, the effect of colonialism was not only limited as poilitically or culturally damage of people but equally colonisation effect brought out the psychological damage into people because of subjugation.

1.The Negro and language

2.The Woman of colour & The White Man

3.The Man of colour & White Woman

4.The So Called Dependency Complex of the colonized

5.The Lived Experience of the Black Man

6.The Black Man and Psychopathology

7.The Black Man and Recognition

In the first chapter; The Black Man and Language, he argues about correspondence between language, culture, and race. Every culture has their own language which plays a vital role in entering into any culture. Furthermore, he explores how the language was used to bring out the sense of inferiority to black people. There is two reasons behind inferiority complex; Economical and Epidermalization.  

In the very second and third chapters he talks about desire of being a white in order to excess advantages and privileges which white people had already have. This can be shown through the black woman character Mayotte who has desire of whiteness and fairness which was lacking into her. The idea of hybrid identity was also presented through the character of Mayotte.To resist that neglectaion from society she was depended in white man. 

It also showcases that sexuality can not be defined in any particular biological term rather it remains free in universal aspect.Moving towards chapters 4 and 5, in these he argues about racism and inferiority.  Inferiority complex did not naturally arise in black people rather it was imposed in their mind by rascism.In the 6 chapter, he presents the lens thorough which European society used to see black people as animalistic personality as well the blackness was associated with biological idea of reproduction.In the final chapter he ponders on in which way black people were depicted as inferior which brought out the feeling of inferiority as well.

Ode on Oneness literature

Ode on oneness literature

     Hello here I am Share my view on OD On Oneness.So,Lets Discuss in Detail about this thing.

            All literature part of our new idea.It is try to connect each other to us. The oneness of literature is because the writers write it on the base of historical sense and writers also shows their's  own feelings,emotions and problems with various types of archetypal symbols.  Northorpe Frye also talks about the oneness of the world' all literature in his essay 'The Archetypal criticism '. He want to say that DNA of all literature is same.

                                         So, we can say that it is only physical attraction towards opposite gender and it is lust, not love. The lines of Marie's cousin,'hold me tight', is show the lust and sexually attraction. So, in the poem and short story, we find oneness or similarities of literature. 

                                                                        

                So, in short we can say as per Northorpe Frye's essay on 'Archetypal Criticism' about oneness of literature,  that the symbols,emotions, conditions, feelings etc. made literature similar, because writers write on base of historical sense and that's why we find oneness of world's all literature.

Breath

       This Blog is a part of thinking activity given by professor in which students have to interpret the 30 second play 'Breath' by Samuel Beckett.

https://youtu.be/K25ZpAQ4-4M

Here is link you can watch video 

The duration of the play is 30 second only but very worth 30 second to give overall idea of the life. As we all know that 20th century had two world wars and also in the field of literature writers broke the traditional way and gave various theories like Nihilism, Existentialism, dadaism, etc. There are many thinkers who gave the theories of absurdity in the life and among them Samuel Beckett, one who wrote the works on absurdity in life. So, in this short play we can interpret the points like:

• Meaningless Life and death
• Influence of World war
• Philosophical suicide

• Meaningless Life and Death: In the Video we can interpret the breaths with life and death. In the other adopted version we see the light and darkness, so we can connect the light with life and darkness with death. In addition, we can say that life is meaningless like the garbage. rational thinkers have question that what is the meaning of life, why we here, what is the ultimate goal of the life, our existence only to get jobs and earning money or travelling? hence everything is absurd in life, life is meaningless it is spend like the 30 second. People come and go but nothing is permanent.

• Influence of World War:  As we all know that Samuel Beckett wrote the play Waiting for Godot after world war-2, and also many thinkers gave the theory of absurdity to give message that how same people bloodshed and destroyed each other through dangerous weapon. So, in this play we can find that everything lie here and there and destroyed like a garbage. In this way we can connect with the wars in which many countries were destroyed. Hence, we can say that what is the meaning of life if people are doing this kind of thing.

• Philosophical Suicide: I connect this points with the medicine which are showing in the play, many medicine bottle lie here and there almost in every videos. So, we can say that thinkers think that our body is full of disease and without medicine our body does not work then what is the  role of divine power? Therefore, I connected the medicine with the tools of suicide that Existentialist sometime commit philosophical suicide.

Waiting for Godot

Waiting for Godot

 "Waiting For Godot" written by Samuel Beckett in which students task is to watch movie and write their understanding of the movie of the given points by the professor. 

The movie "Waiting for Godot" is directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. In this 2001 movie, Barry McGovern and Johnny Murphy played Vladimir and Estragon, where as Lucky and Pozzo were performed by Alan Standford and Stephan Brennan, respectively.

Q. What connection do you see in the setting("A country road. A tree. Evening.) of the play and these paintings.

Ans. The setting of the play is inspired by two paintings by Caspar David Friedrich. The title of this painting is 'longing', here longing means deep desire for something. Waiting is connected with longing. In the painting two person see towards sunrise and sunset, it stand for bright hope and despair and in the play we find similar things.

Q. 2 The tree is the only important 'thing' in the setting. What is the importance of tree in both acts? Why does Beckett grow a few leaves in Act 2 on the barren tree- The tree has four or five leaves?

Ans. The tree is a symbol in the play. Many time tree symbolically presented in the play when Vladimir and Estragon try to be hebetate like tree. So, leaves stand for hope and despair. In first scene tree was destroyed so we can interpret and connect it with world war-2 because this play written just after war and in second act this tree have leaves so it stand for hope and also we can say it is changing nature.

3) In both acts, evening falls into night and moon rises. How would you like to interpret this 'Coming for night and moon' when actually they are Waiting For Godot?

Ans. We can interpret this moon as brightness in the night so, I think Beckett want to convey through this moon's brightness in the night means though the darkness of night there is somewhat hope like the brightness of the moon. So, we should not lost our hope, every day is new day.

4) The director feels the setting with some debris. Can you read any meaning in the contours of debris in the setting of the play?

Ans. The director used debris in the setting. So, it can be the influence of the World war-2 in the material world. Therefore, we can say that the meaninglessness of material world that keep on destroying, nothing is permanent in the life.

5) The play begins with the dialogue "Nothing to be done". how does the theme of 'nothingness' recurs in the play? 

Ans.  "Nothing to be done" reflects the Existentialism. This theory shows that the life is meaningless, whatever you do it has no ultimate meaning. this play starts with this idea of nothingness. Vladimir and Estragon waiting for Godot without knowing that he will come or not, is he exist or not, who is he? unclear theme shows the nothingness of the play.

6) Do you agree: "The play (Waiting for Godot), we agreed, was a positive play, not negative, not pessimistic. As I saw it, with my blood and skin and eyes, the philosophy is: 'No matter what- atom bombs, hydrogen bombs, anything- life goes on. You can kill yourself, but you can't kill life."(E.G. Marshal who played Vladimir in original Broadway production 1950s)?

Ans. Yes, I agree to the point of E.G Marshal that the play waiting for Godot is positive play in the sense of life is goes on we can not stop or kill the time. If we commit suicide or stop our breath it doesn't matter for life. We kill ourselves not the life, it must go on. So, we can say that life is meaningless though we have to live life, this lesson make us positive.

7) How are the props like hat and boots used in the play? What is the symbolical significance of these props?

Ans. Samuel Beckett used many symbols in this play in which Hat and Boot are interesting symbols. We can say that hat represented the intellectual, mental ability and thinking and boot represent lower and physical appearance.

8) Do you think that the obedience of Lucky is extremely irritating and Nauseatic? Even when the master Pozzo is blind, he obediently hands the whip in his hand. Do you think that such a capacity of slavishness is unbelievable?

Ans. Sometimes we can get chance to be free from some constructed situation though we can not grab the opportunity because we are habituated with that constructed situation, it can not permit us to think beyond. Lucky knows well that his master has no power to see anything yet he do not go away from him and serving him without the question of real freedom. It is unbelievable as rational thinker but those who living sheeple's kind of life, they can be driven with the flow without questioning. 

9) Who according to you is Godot? God? An object of desire? Death? Goal? Success? or...

Ans. This play has many way of interpretation. We can interpret this play with every given points. But, according to me Godot is God because when we read the dialogue between boy and Vladimir that time Vladimir asked to the boy that Godot is white? then the boy said yes, so we can say that they talk about Christ. Another interpretation is based on political reading in which we can say that Godot means Hitler because when Vladimir asked to the boy that he is beating or not? then boy replied yes. So, we can connect with the Hitler that he was beating many countries in world war-2.

10) "The subject of the play is not Godot but 'waiting' (Esslin, A search for the self). Do you agree? How can you justify your answer?

Ans. Yes, I agree with the Esslin's point of view in 'A search for the self' that the subject and the main theme of the play is 'waiting' not the Godot. We can see that in the play nothing happen except the meaningless waiting. there is  no one come and go, all the characters only waiting for someone but no one come. So, we can say the heart of the play is waiting not Godot.

11) Do you think plays like this can better be 'read' than 'viewed' as it requires a lot of thinking on the part of readers, while viewing, the torrent of dialogues does not give ample time and space to 'think'? Or is it that the audio- visuals help in better understanding of the play?

Ans. According to me the reading and viewing both can be beneficial and required of the play. Because if you only watch the movie then it can be bore. Because it has the continous dialogues and less action. For the understanding of the deeper philosophy one has to read the play. Only reading also makes you boring because you will not be able to imagine Vladimir and Estragon and their useless action. We have to done both the things in the class which enriched our understanding of the play.

12) Which of the following sequence you liked the most:

•  Vladimir-Estragon killing time in questions and conversationa while waiting
• Pozzo-Lucky episode in both acts
• Conversation of Vladimir with the boy

Ans. I liked the most the conversation of Vladimir with the boy because except this all are boring and meaningless in some extent, while the conversation with the feel the energy and curiosity in the play because that boy was the messenger of Godot and also that boy frightened Vladimir for telling about Godot. So, first conversation with the boy was the hope for Vladimir and second conversation somewhat despair and revealed Vladimir's selfishness.

13)  Did you feel the effect of existential crisis or meaninglessness of human existence in the irrational and indifference Universe during screening of the movie? Where and when exactly that feeling was felt, if ever it was?

Ans. yes, we feel the effect of Existetial crisis or meaninglessness of human existence in the irrational and indifference Universe when Vladimir asked to the boy about Godot and he asked that Godot will come today or not? That time boy replied that Godot will come tomorrow but Godot never come throughout the play so we can find the meaningless waiting for Godot. And other meaninglessness we find in the character of Lucky that when his master go blind though he doing slavery like sheeple. Hemce, we can say that life is meaningless for Lucky because they even don't think about freedom.

14)  Vladimir and Estragon talks about ‘hanging’ themselves and commit suicide, but they do not do so. How do you read this idea of suicide in Existentialism?

Ans. We can find the suicide is an art in existentialism. We watched one of the video it talks about the philosophical suicide but in the play Vladimir is a strong believer of Christianity and suicide is the sin in Christianity and we also can say that Estragon and Vladimir avoid suicide because they have hope for Godot.


15) Can we do any political reading of the play if we see European nations represented by the 'names' of the characters (Vladimir - Russia; Estragon - France; Pozzo - Italy and Lucky - England)? What interpretation can be inferred from the play written just after World War II? Which country stands for 'Godot'?

So far as Pozzo and Lucky [master and slave] are concerned, we have to remember that Beckett was a disciple of Joyce and that Joyce hated England. Beckett meant Pozzo to be England, and Lucky to be Ireland." (Bert Lahr who played Estragon in Broadway production). Does this reading make any sense? Why? How? What?

Ans. Yes, we can interpret the political reading in which Vladimir stand for Russia, Pozzo stand for Italy, Lucky stand for England and Estragon stand for France. So, we can connect this to the world war in which these all countries destroyed by Godot means Germany that is why Vladimir asked to the boy that is Godot beating? Then boy replied yes. So we connect Godot with Germany means Hitler, who destroyed many countries and killed thousands of people. And other interpretation of Pozzo and Lucky master and slave in which we connect Pozzo with England and Lucky with Ireland, so in this matter Ireland struggling a lot with England and recently we have seen Brexit pact.

16) The more the things change, the more it remains similar. There seems to have no change in Act I and Act II of the play. Even the conversation between Vladimir and the Boy sounds almost similar. But there is one major change. In Act I, in reply to Boy;s question, Vladimir says: 

"BOY: What am I to tell Mr. Godot, Sir?

VLADIMIR: 

 Tell him . . . (he hesitates) . . . tell him you saw us. (Pause.) You did see us, didn't you?

How does this conversation go in Act II? Is there any change in seeming similar situation and conversation? If so, what is it? What does it signify?

Ans. Yes, there is change in both acts. In act1 Vladimir told to the boy that tell Godot that you saw us. So, here Vladimir taked about both Vladimir and Estragon while in second act Vladimir told the boy that tell Godot that you saw me, so here Vkadimir talked about his self he does not mention the name of Estragon. So, in act 2 Vladimir seems selfish.