Samuel Beckett: The Body Matters

Inspired by the body discourse in contemporary literary studies and cultural studies, especially the theories of the body by Michel Foucault and Elaine Scarry, this dissertation makes a tentative effort to study the presentation and representation of the body in Samuel Beckett's dramatic works. The author argues that while challenging the usual expectations and epistemological complacency of the reader and the spectator by using unconventional theatrical devices that usually appear grotesque and absurd, Beckett guides them to the multi-dimensional significance of the body in contemporary society by radicalized treatment of the bodies of both the dramatic personae and the actors—a comprehensive and profound examination of the corporeal body in terms of philosophy, phenomenology, sociology, politics and cultural critique.The structure of the dissertation is as follows.Introduction, which is the first part, provides background information on the selection of the topic and the theoretical framework of the dissertation, presents a literature review, announces the thesis and major arguments, and explains the layout of the dissertation.Chapter One starts with the Cartesian mind-body split, a strong area in the tradition of Beckett criticism, and moves on to the technologization problem of the actor's body in Beckett's drama in order to examine the philosophical significance of existence of the corporeal body.Chapter Two begins with the physiological matters of the body, such as birth, the body in decay, the body with infirmities, and death. Through phenomenological as well as sociological perspectives, this chapter aims to look deeper into the underlying motives of Beckett's presentation of the astoundingly grotesque forms of the natural body on his stage.Chapter Three interprets issues like gender difference, sexuality, sexual ambiguity, lack of human productivity in Beckett's dramatic works—a weak area in Beckett's criticism—in an attempt to show that for Beckett the body is a social construct saturated with profuse social and cultural messages.Chapter Four aims to disclose power, power relations as well as socio-political control of the body by studying incarceration, beating, torture and pain imposed on the body; surveillance, disciplining and punishment of the characters in Beckett's dramatic world; and the awareness of the spectator to participate in Beckett's politicized metatheater.The last part, which is Conclusion, aims at revealing the significance of the present study. It is the author's hope that the present interdisciplinary study of Beckett's dramatic works can connect close reading of the texts to the vast landscape of culture for a profound and multidimensional assessment of Beckett's dramatic works in the coordinates made up of a historical background and a cultural context.