Samuel Beckett’s ‘The Way’ and Stirrings Still: Analysing the Self from ‘Schopenhauerian Buddhist’ Perspective

The article discusses the idea of the self in Samuel Beckett’s late short prose writings. The nature of the self, presented in disintegrated and essenceless form in Beckett’s works, responds powerfully to the category of world literature through their crossing of cultural boundaries. Beckett read th...

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Main Author: Pavneet Kaur
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Boibhashik 2017-10-01
Series:Sanglap: Journal of Literary and Cultural Inquiry
Online Access:http://sanglap-journal.in/index.php/sanglap/article/view/160
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author Pavneet Kaur
author_facet Pavneet Kaur
author_sort Pavneet Kaur
collection DOAJ
description The article discusses the idea of the self in Samuel Beckett’s late short prose writings. The nature of the self, presented in disintegrated and essenceless form in Beckett’s works, responds powerfully to the category of world literature through their crossing of cultural boundaries. Beckett read the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer and Schopenhauer in turn, was influenced by the Eastern philosophies of Buddhism and the Vedas. The essential characteristic of the presentation of the self in Beckett’s writings, when filtered through Schopenhauer’s understanding of the Eastern philosophy, leads to what Beckett called ‘an intellectual justification of unhappiness’ and the understanding of the ‘veil of Maya.’   Keywords: Buddhism; Veil of Maya; Arthur Schopenhauer; Emptiness; Self; Phenomena
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spelling doaj.art-5d274c3a030543b4822d56bbb8bffe022022-12-22T02:40:47ZengBoibhashikSanglap: Journal of Literary and Cultural Inquiry2349-80642017-10-01416979158Samuel Beckett’s ‘The Way’ and Stirrings Still: Analysing the Self from ‘Schopenhauerian Buddhist’ PerspectivePavneet Kaur0University of NorthamptonThe article discusses the idea of the self in Samuel Beckett’s late short prose writings. The nature of the self, presented in disintegrated and essenceless form in Beckett’s works, responds powerfully to the category of world literature through their crossing of cultural boundaries. Beckett read the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer and Schopenhauer in turn, was influenced by the Eastern philosophies of Buddhism and the Vedas. The essential characteristic of the presentation of the self in Beckett’s writings, when filtered through Schopenhauer’s understanding of the Eastern philosophy, leads to what Beckett called ‘an intellectual justification of unhappiness’ and the understanding of the ‘veil of Maya.’   Keywords: Buddhism; Veil of Maya; Arthur Schopenhauer; Emptiness; Self; Phenomenahttp://sanglap-journal.in/index.php/sanglap/article/view/160
spellingShingle Pavneet Kaur
Samuel Beckett’s ‘The Way’ and Stirrings Still: Analysing the Self from ‘Schopenhauerian Buddhist’ Perspective
Sanglap: Journal of Literary and Cultural Inquiry
title Samuel Beckett’s ‘The Way’ and Stirrings Still: Analysing the Self from ‘Schopenhauerian Buddhist’ Perspective
title_full Samuel Beckett’s ‘The Way’ and Stirrings Still: Analysing the Self from ‘Schopenhauerian Buddhist’ Perspective
title_fullStr Samuel Beckett’s ‘The Way’ and Stirrings Still: Analysing the Self from ‘Schopenhauerian Buddhist’ Perspective
title_full_unstemmed Samuel Beckett’s ‘The Way’ and Stirrings Still: Analysing the Self from ‘Schopenhauerian Buddhist’ Perspective
title_short Samuel Beckett’s ‘The Way’ and Stirrings Still: Analysing the Self from ‘Schopenhauerian Buddhist’ Perspective
title_sort samuel beckett s the way and stirrings still analysing the self from schopenhauerian buddhist perspective
url http://sanglap-journal.in/index.php/sanglap/article/view/160
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