Scarica Essay about "Mal de Vivre" by referring to some literary works e più Tesine di Maturità in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! The expression “Mal de Vivre” dates back to the twentieth century. It refers to the malaise, the stifling and oppressive suffering that began when humans first sought to make sense of their existence. Absurdist writers have written about the concept extensively. Influenced by the existential perspective, they argue that human efforts to find meaning for rational explanation in the universe ultimately fail because no such meaning exists for human beings. First, in his famous work, Waiting for Godot, the absurdist writer Samuel Beckett examines the most basic foundations of life with exceedingly dark humor. Beckett's play is significantly influenced by post-World War Il sentiments. After the war, people were confronted with the prospect that all their core beliefs might be false. A general mood of grievance, disaffection, and emptiness prevailed. Becket writes about this climate in his play which became a cornerstone of the theater of the Absurd. This term is loosely applied to those dramatists who agree with the absurdist French philosopher Albert Camus’s assessment that the human condition is essentially absurd and devoid of purpose. Beckett's play is a “tragicomedy in two acts” and serves as a representation of the purposeless nature of human existence. The main characters, Vladimir and Estragon (Didi and Gogo) are tramps and outcasts who meet each day near a leafless tree; the tree represents the lack of vitality and meaning. They wait for the enigmatic Mr. Godot to save them from their wretched situation, yet he never comes. Through his play, Beckett offers a view of a world ruled by motionlessness, boredom, indifference, and loneliness. The idea that existence has no meaning makes communication fall apart. Vladimir and Estragon occasionally discuss committing suicide or simply living because there is “nothing to be done”, but they never act on these thoughts. Overall, this display of the preposterousness of human behavior depicts both the tragic and comedic aspects of the existential crisis. Furthermore, Beckett and his works came to be associated with the absurd and the likes of Albert Camus. Both authors convey the feeling of disorientation and anguish that flows from the profound disconnection between humans, their existence, and their purpose. By the same token, the German writer Franz Kafka argues that the entire human race is the product of one of “God's bad days”. Despite the similarities between Camus’ and Beckett's oeuvres, their conclusions are different. Camus’s characters are happy and fearlessly accept their fate, such as the character Meursault in L’Étranger who triumphs over society by making his existence meaningful. He comes to terms with himself as a constituent part of existence and thus lives authentically. In contrast, Beckett's characters are hopeless and helpless. Moreover, the characters in James Joyce's works are similarly described as apathetic and feeble, unable of making any change in their lives. These characters passively accept their
