I came across the play, ‘Waiting For Godot’ by Samuel Beckett, a few years ago. The original version was written in french between 1948 and 1949.
The drama follows two consecutive days, in the lives of two able bodied, old men who divert themselves as best they can while waiting expectantly for someone called Godot. They claim Godot to be an acquaintance but in fact hardly know him, admitting they wouldn’t recognize him if they saw him. To occupy themselves they eat, sleep, talk, argue, make up, sing, play games, exercise, swap hats, contemplate suicide ; anything so as “to hold the terrible silence at bay”. "Silence," says Beckett, "is pouring into this play like water into a sinking ship." There are in fact several extremely long pauses where communication breaks down completely. The play opens with Estragon struggling to remove his boot. He gives up for the moment. “Nothing to be done,” he says. Vladimir takes up the thought and muses on it identifying himself immediately as the more thoughtful of the pair. The implication here is that nothing is a thing that has to be done and this pair is going to have to spend the rest of the play doing it.
Of course, as with any significant literary work, it has been subjected to plenty of interpretations. I will be subscribing to the view that says it was written in the aftermath of the Great American Depression of the 1930s which lasted ten years-personal incomes were hard hit, prices of goods skyrocketed, taxes and profits all took a nose dive during this most excruciating period. In other words, a poor economy.
The impression I get from the play is, Godot is the Answer, their Messiah. He will show them what their lives are good for, he will provide their lack whatever it may be and satisfy all wants, he will quiet the discontent they feel and overpower the “terrible silence” of their lives-the purposelessness, the pain, that gaseous feeling of futility. He will bring prosperity, take away the heavy burden of personal responsibility and bring to them (or take them into) a ready made life much to their full liking and satisfaction. He will do all this for them free of charge and they won’t have to lift a finger. And this is the reality of my generation- the under 40s.
We are all waiting for Godot. Who he is, and how he will bring us into our own, we are not sure. But we just know there must be Godot somewhere, and we have different ideas: the government, our parents, our relatives, that man (husband), that woman, that job, that child, the cash money, that 419 scheme, that overseas education, that car, that church, that dress…
It goes on and on and on. You hear this idea expressed in modern day church sermons; its about to happen, your breakthrough is around the corner. Its never happening now-its always in the future. Its always someday, never today-this motivational blather is the stuff we use to encourage ourselves, to keep ourselves warm. “Someday”, we tell ourselves, “everything will be alright”.
The resultant effect is that we have become a generation that has sat still; we have wasted and squandered the opportunities we have, and could have had. Let me site a few examples: the thousands of ladies and young men in the University who have learning right in front of them, who do not understand the unique opportunity they have, to do the best with what they have-wasting their lives in cultism, quid pro quo relationships and just plain mopping. Yet we complain about the education system, how education outside Nigeria is heavenly and does all the work for you... this from people who don't understand algebra but want to take on calculus. So okay, what about those of us who have the opportunity to school in the heavenly realms? 90% of us come back with third class and pass degrees to pose and distort the job market. "I schooled at so and so in the UK...the US" is the only benefit we parted with all that money and calendar days for.
I know many young professionals and entrepreneurs who complain about the hours, bitch about the job and are always broke. We are looking for better jobs-those that pay more but demand less. In the meantime, our skill set atrophies and our self/knowledge development is very minimal-we learn, and do the minimum to get along. Our jobs are for posing. Oil companies, NGOs and the Telecom companies will be the salvation for us wearied souls.
Never mind that some of us have earned over 7 Million naira in two years but cannot boast of any solid investments. Never mind that some of our ventures have been very successful but instead of taking it to the next level, we promote ourselves big boys and girls. We have the hummers, new benzas, the wardrobe and accessories to prove it.
Girls waiting to bag the necessary degrees: B.sc, M.R.S. The first is some sort of prerequisite for the second-cram, cheat, lie, just do what you can to get it. The second is really the most important, and will more than make up any sacrifices for the first.
The young man will know how to treat her right to deliver from the miserable life she lives. They know how to prepare for the role of wife and mother…the position will make the woman.
I could continue. We are a generation that is tired before 30. Young men and women dragging their feet along life’s corridors with that victim’s stare in our eyes. So many chips on so many shoulders; so many things to prove to so many people.
We accuse the whole world of not knowing where they’re going, but we are not even moving. Bored middle class children take to seeking thrills: drugs, drink, smoke, armed robbery, pimping-prostitution, 419, cultism, bragging about nothing.
In the mean time, the bankrupt and corrupt baby boomer generation holds sway in almost everyway. They own and run business and finance, politics. They let you in willingly only up to a certain point, anything after that they try to shut you down; if they can’t, suddenly you become an enemy, a stubborn brat to be put down or ostracized. They hover over their children emotionally like a dark, angry rain cloud. This they do to breed guilt and a sense of being beholden so that one can never really take off. All they do, consciously and unconsciously, knowingly or ignorantly, is to make us dependent on them indefinitely. Independence is the enemy they battle in this generation.
We need to stop waiting for Godot. He is not coming today, tomorrow or ever. We need to truly believe it. There is no magic wand to be waved over our situation to turn cotton into gold, to bring prosperity while we lie on a bed of ease and complacency. There is no instant solution for the myriad difficulties that we face. And yes, you may have been grievously wronged, but the whine of those who are possessed of the victim’s spirit irritates the ears and soul of even the most forbearing and understanding.
Godot is not coming.
Of course, as with any significant literary work, it has been subjected to plenty of interpretations. I will be subscribing to the view that says it was written in the aftermath of the Great American Depression of the 1930s which lasted ten years-personal incomes were hard hit, prices of goods skyrocketed, taxes and profits all took a nose dive during this most excruciating period. In other words, a poor economy.
The impression I get from the play is, Godot is the Answer, their Messiah. He will show them what their lives are good for, he will provide their lack whatever it may be and satisfy all wants, he will quiet the discontent they feel and overpower the “terrible silence” of their lives-the purposelessness, the pain, that gaseous feeling of futility. He will bring prosperity, take away the heavy burden of personal responsibility and bring to them (or take them into) a ready made life much to their full liking and satisfaction. He will do all this for them free of charge and they won’t have to lift a finger. And this is the reality of my generation- the under 40s.
We are all waiting for Godot. Who he is, and how he will bring us into our own, we are not sure. But we just know there must be Godot somewhere, and we have different ideas: the government, our parents, our relatives, that man (husband), that woman, that job, that child, the cash money, that 419 scheme, that overseas education, that car, that church, that dress…
It goes on and on and on. You hear this idea expressed in modern day church sermons; its about to happen, your breakthrough is around the corner. Its never happening now-its always in the future. Its always someday, never today-this motivational blather is the stuff we use to encourage ourselves, to keep ourselves warm. “Someday”, we tell ourselves, “everything will be alright”.
The resultant effect is that we have become a generation that has sat still; we have wasted and squandered the opportunities we have, and could have had. Let me site a few examples: the thousands of ladies and young men in the University who have learning right in front of them, who do not understand the unique opportunity they have, to do the best with what they have-wasting their lives in cultism, quid pro quo relationships and just plain mopping. Yet we complain about the education system, how education outside Nigeria is heavenly and does all the work for you... this from people who don't understand algebra but want to take on calculus. So okay, what about those of us who have the opportunity to school in the heavenly realms? 90% of us come back with third class and pass degrees to pose and distort the job market. "I schooled at so and so in the UK...the US" is the only benefit we parted with all that money and calendar days for.
I know many young professionals and entrepreneurs who complain about the hours, bitch about the job and are always broke. We are looking for better jobs-those that pay more but demand less. In the meantime, our skill set atrophies and our self/knowledge development is very minimal-we learn, and do the minimum to get along. Our jobs are for posing. Oil companies, NGOs and the Telecom companies will be the salvation for us wearied souls.
Never mind that some of us have earned over 7 Million naira in two years but cannot boast of any solid investments. Never mind that some of our ventures have been very successful but instead of taking it to the next level, we promote ourselves big boys and girls. We have the hummers, new benzas, the wardrobe and accessories to prove it.
Girls waiting to bag the necessary degrees: B.sc, M.R.S. The first is some sort of prerequisite for the second-cram, cheat, lie, just do what you can to get it. The second is really the most important, and will more than make up any sacrifices for the first.
The young man will know how to treat her right to deliver from the miserable life she lives. They know how to prepare for the role of wife and mother…the position will make the woman.
I could continue. We are a generation that is tired before 30. Young men and women dragging their feet along life’s corridors with that victim’s stare in our eyes. So many chips on so many shoulders; so many things to prove to so many people.
We accuse the whole world of not knowing where they’re going, but we are not even moving. Bored middle class children take to seeking thrills: drugs, drink, smoke, armed robbery, pimping-prostitution, 419, cultism, bragging about nothing.
In the mean time, the bankrupt and corrupt baby boomer generation holds sway in almost everyway. They own and run business and finance, politics. They let you in willingly only up to a certain point, anything after that they try to shut you down; if they can’t, suddenly you become an enemy, a stubborn brat to be put down or ostracized. They hover over their children emotionally like a dark, angry rain cloud. This they do to breed guilt and a sense of being beholden so that one can never really take off. All they do, consciously and unconsciously, knowingly or ignorantly, is to make us dependent on them indefinitely. Independence is the enemy they battle in this generation.
We need to stop waiting for Godot. He is not coming today, tomorrow or ever. We need to truly believe it. There is no magic wand to be waved over our situation to turn cotton into gold, to bring prosperity while we lie on a bed of ease and complacency. There is no instant solution for the myriad difficulties that we face. And yes, you may have been grievously wronged, but the whine of those who are possessed of the victim’s spirit irritates the ears and soul of even the most forbearing and understanding.
Godot is not coming.
(With quotes from Wikipedia)
