The Anxious Self: Existence and Nothingness in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, Endgame, and Happy Days

Designed for scholars, students, and readers of literature, this book examines the philosophical underpinnings of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, Endgame, and Happy Days. Discover how the characters’ choices shape their existence in accord with Sartre’s existentialism. 

In Waiting for Godot, Vladimir and Estragon’s search for purpose takes center stage, reflecting Sartre’s notion that existence precedes essence. Endgame represents Sartrean existential pain, anxiety, and uncertainty. Happy Days presents characters interdependent on one another for meaning, poignantly illustrating the existential dilemma of needing companionship to navigate life without a predetermined essence.

This academic examination invites scholars, students, and literature enthusiasts to study the philosophical concerns of these plays, shedding new light on their timeless relevance and depth.