Samuel Beckett in Context

Provides a comprehensive exploration of Beckett's historical, cultural and philosophical contexts, offering new critical insights for scholars and general readers.

Anthony Uhlmann (Edited by)

9781107454002, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 17 December 2015

490 pages
23 x 15.3 x 2.8 cm, 0.74 kg

When Samuel Beckett first came to international prominence with the success of Waiting for Godot, many critics believed the play was divorced from any recognisable context. The two tramps, and the master and servant they encounter, seemed to represent no one and everyone. Today, critics challenge the assumption that Beckett aimed to break definitively with context, highlighting images, allusions and motifs that tether Beckett's writings to real people, places and issues in his life. This wide-ranging collection of essays from 37 renowned Beckett scholars reveals how extensively Beckett entered into dialogue with important literary traditions and the realities of his time. Drawing on his major works, as well as on a range of letters and theoretical notebooks, the essays are designed to complement each other, building a broad overview that will allow students and scholars to come away with a better sense of Beckett's life, writings and legacy.

Notes on contributors
Permissions and acknowledgements
Chronology
List of abbreviations
Introduction Anthony Uhlmann
Part I. Landscapes and Formation: 1. Childhood and Portora Russell Smith
2. Dublin and environs John Pilling
3. Trinity College Dublin S. E. Gontarski
4. L'Ecole Normale Anthony Cordingley
5. Paris, Roussillon, Ussy Jean-Michel Rabaté
Part II. Social and Political Contexts: 6. Ireland: 1906–45 Patrick Bixby
7. France: 1928–39 Garin Dowd
8. England: 1933–6 Peter Marks
9. Germany: c.1936–7 Mark Nixon
10. France: World War Two Lois Gordon
11. France, Europe, the world: 1945–62 Julian Murphet
Part III. Milieus and Movements: 12. Modernism: Dublin/Paris/London Paul Sheehan
13. The Joyce circle Sam Slote
14. Post-World War Two Paris Shane Weller
15. Staging plays Anthony Uhlmann
16. Working on radio Urlika Maude
17. Working on film and television Graley Herren
Part IV. 'The Humanities I Had': Literature: 18. Irish literature Seán Kennedy
19. English literature Mark Byron
20. French literature Angela Moorjani
21. Italian literature Daniela Caselli
Part V. 'The Humanities I Had': Arts: 22. Visual arts Nico Israel
23. Music Catherine Laws
24. Cinema Matthijs Engelberts
25. Popular culture Jane Goodall
Part VI. 'The Humanities I Had': Systems of Knowledge and Belief: 26. Philosophy Matthew Feldman
27. Psychology Laura Salisbury
28. The Bible Chris Ackerley
29. The occult Minako Okamuro
30. Science and mathematics Hugh Culik
Part VII. Language and Form: 31. Language and representation Daniel Katz
32. Self-translation Corinne Scheiner
33. Theatre forms Enoch Brater
Part VIII. Reception and Remains: 34. Initial reception James Gourley
35. Influence Michael D'Arcy
36. Notebooks and other manuscripts Dirk Van Hulle
37. Letters Lois Overbeck.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers [DSK], Literary studies: from c 1900 - [DSBH]