Absurd heroes as inspiration for life: revisiting becket‟s Vladimir and Marquez‟s colonel as absurd heroes
Date
2018
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of English
Abstract
The present thesis with the title “Absurd Heroes as Inspiration for Life:
Revisiting Becket‟s Vladimir and Marquez‟s Colonel as Absurd Heroes,” is an
attempt to explore the meaning of absurd heroes and their inspiration for life. The
study found its origin with the problem how Vladimir and Colonel present themselves
as absurd heroes and they act to inspire life. One the basis of this problem, the
hypothesis formulated was Vladimir and Colonel are the absurd heroes because they
do not surrender to suicide or leap of faith in spite of acknowledging meaninglessness
of life and universe, and they go on living defying other options and hope enjoying
life in the present situation. The study has come to the conclusion that these characters
have given the readers the message that life finds its meaning through struggle not
through hope. Vladimir and his friend Estragon wait for Mr. Godot to come for their
salvation and the Colonel waits for his pension to arrive, rooster to win the fight and
his supposedly dead son to come back to him. But none of these hopes become
fruitful however they go on waiting thinking that their wait will bring some meaning
to life. In this sense they are absurd heroes and their determination to continue life in
spite of absurd situation presents inspiration for life. Martin Esslin‟s „The theatre of
absurd‟ and Albert Camus‟s concept of „the absurd‟ hero have been used as the
theoretical framework for analysis.
Description
Keywords
Absurdist literature, Marquez portray