Symbolism in Waiting For Godot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Symbolism in Waiting For Godot - Essay Example Although Godot does not arrive during the course of the play, his anticipation sets up the context for the musings and conversations of Estragon and Vladimir. Author Samuel Beckett creatively exploits this open ended plot structure to ponder over important questions about the human condition. Given that it was published in the aftermath of the Holocaust, it asks deep and compelling questions of the state of human civilization and the nature of our species. Such utterances from the two lead characters as â€Å"to hold the terrible silence at bay†, â€Å"Nothing to be done†, â€Å"We are saved!†, etc offer profound interpretive scope for the reflective reader. (Beckett, 1956) The most ostensible symbolisms in the play pertain to the existentialist philosophical framework. The first quote alludes to the acute existential crisis shadowing the period after the Second World War. Written as it was in the aftermath of the most devastating war in history, Beckett's preocc upations with the purpose of human life and how best to go about fulfilling it are in tune with the concerns and sentiments of the time. In this, the play is full of symbolisms of existence and its opposite state death - a pattern found in the works of other post-war intellectuals such as Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre. Waiting for Godot is a product of the author's affectations during the war and hence contains in it psychological and philosophical questions treated in the existentialist framework. It is for this reason that notions such as 'death', 'nothingness' and momentary crises of human existence are all symbolically expressed. The play can also be read with theological symbolisms in mind, especially that of the Christian doctrine. The choice of the name Godot (that contains 'God' in it) is perceived by critics to have religious connotations. This claim is vindicated by dialogues in the play that resonate with Christian concepts of salvation, rising from the dead, etc. For example, â€Å"We are saved!†, which is frequently uttered by Vladimir or Estragon can be taken as a reference to the notion of salvation. These two characters can also be seen as the two thieves crucified alongside Jesus Christ. Out of their boredom, every now and then Estragon and Vladimir contemplate committing suicide by hanging themselves from the only prominent tree in the setting. This is again a reference to the crucifixion, but albeit in a sense of parody. Vladimir's casual remark to Estragon in Act I, â€Å"Hope deferred maketh the something sick, who said that?" is again a parody of a Christian proverb of the same rhyme - â€Å"Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life." (Beckett, 1956) Hence, the religious symbolism is quite strong, but the tone is one of mockery and not reverence. Ontological questions are focused upon in the play, with the author giving special treatment to the concept of time, which links this work to anoth er path-breaking existentialist thesis, namely that of Martin Heidegger’s Being and Time. For example, the deliberate similarity between the first and second acts in the play and elements of repetition seen in them is symbolic of the rhythmic and periodic nature of human existence, with each passing day a mirror of the day gone by and so forth. Because the play is essentially devoid of a describable plot and narrative, it operates at a very high level of abstraction. At this level, it lends itself to

Physical effects of Mercosur & The Pacific Alliance Term Paper

Physical effects of Mercosur & The Pacific Alliance - Term Paper Example In a time of global business recession, many countries have entered into agreements to expand their business geographical coverage and to enhance business operations across their countries. The Pacific Alliance and Mercusor are examples of agreements that have been formed to liberalize the business market within the member nations. These agreements have gone way too far in defining the physical aspects of the global business. The Pacific Alliance is an agreement that was coined in 2012 to enhance the global business strategies of the member countries. When the Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica and Chile entered into this agreement, they had the intention to define an integrated business block that will allow them to overcome the pressures of the economic recession that they experienced during the 2008 and 2009 business recession period when America and European economies experienced a sluggish development (Dade and Meachan, 2013). The liberalization of trade in the business environm ent allows the member countries to make business operations easier and to enhance the physical aspects of the business. On the other hand, Mercusor was a political and economic agreement between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela that intended to create a cohesive common market between member countries (Pena, 2013). Although the two agreements have different business terms, they have played a key role in the development of global business. Both Mercusor and The Pacific Alliance have eliminated boundary barriers within the southern region to enhance business operability in this environment. The implication of this is that they have expanded the geographical business development as every country gain a new market to sell and buy goods. In essence, the member countries can export and import goods freely without any physical limitation. Consequently, the countries can be able to optimize their operation by increasing their export and import bulks and hence being able to increase their sales and reduce the cost of purchase. In addition, the treaties have considerably reduced the tax rates for the movement of goods to ensure that the countries can operate more freely in the new markets (Pena, 2013). This kind of business trend has had a great impact on the business operations in these economic blocks. The two agreements have also reduced the cost of transportation of goods and services across the borders of participating members. Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile and Mexico have strived to develop an effective transport and communication network to enhance the mechanics of the movement of goods in these geographically neighboring countries (Dade and Meachan, 2013). One fundamental element of the physical aspect of global business is the formation of the road networks. Countries that have efficient road networks connecting them considerably reduce the transportation cost and hence allow goods and services to reach their market at a cheaper price. Cons equently, it is feasible for the countries offer better market prices giving them a competitive advantage in the market. In turn, it becomes possible to increase the gross sales and the productivity of business within this synchronized region. In addition, the two treaties have had a great impact on the human movement across the boundaries of member countries. The Pacific Alliance eliminated the Visa requirement that previously was a prerequisite condition for the movement of persons from one region to the other (Dade and Meachan,