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Dantean Influence on the Pairs in Beckett's Trilogy: Molloy, Malone

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Dantean Influence on the Pairs in Beckett's Trilogy: Molloy, Malone Dantean Influence on the Pairs in Beckett’s Trilogy: Molloy, Malone Dies, and The Unnamable Name: Barbara Pennock Student number: 12423033 MA: Literature, Culture and Society (English Track) Humanities: Literature Studies First Reader: Prof. De Rooij Second Reader: Dr. S. M. E. Van Wesemael University of Amsterdam (UvA) Year: 2018-2019 Date: 10-8-2019 Dantean Influence on Pairs in Beckett’s Trilogy i Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Dante Alighieri & The Divine Comedy ............................................................................................... 1 Beckett and His Oeuvre, the Trilogy ................................................................................................... 2 The Works ........................................................................................................................................... 4 The Significance of the Couple ........................................................................................................... 5 Thesis Layout ...................................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 1: Beckett and Dante .................................................................................................................. 6 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 6 1.2 The Beckett-Dante Connection ..................................................................................................... 6 1.3 Dante Studies in the English Language ......................................................................................... 6 1.4 Multiple Dantes in English and Irish Literature ............................................................................ 7 1.5 Overview of Beckett and Dante Studies ........................................................................................ 8 1.5.1 Beckett Research .................................................................................................................... 8 1.5.2 Beckett-Dante Research ....................................................................................................... 10 1.6 Methodology ............................................................................................................................... 14 1.7 Summary ..................................................................................................................................... 15 Chapter 2: The Themes in Beckett Studies ........................................................................................... 16 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 16 2.2 The Themes in the Field .............................................................................................................. 16 2.2.1 Dante characters used by Beckett ......................................................................................... 16 2.2.2 Identity Research in Beckett ................................................................................................. 18 2.2.3 Textuality in Beckett ............................................................................................................ 18 2.3 Reflection .................................................................................................................................... 19 2.4 The Necessity of Exploring the Couples in Beckett’s Trilogy .................................................... 19 Chapter 3: Analysis of the Couples in the selected works of Beckett and Dante .................................. 20 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 20 3.2 General Dantean influences in Beckett’s works .......................................................................... 20 3.3 Analysis of the Couples ............................................................................................................... 22 3.3.1 Analysis of the couples in the trilogy ................................................................................... 22 3.3.2 The analyses of the Divine Comedy ..................................................................................... 23 3.4 Macmann and Moll ..................................................................................................................... 24 Dantean Influence on Pairs in Beckett’s Trilogy ii 3.5 Molloy and Moran ....................................................................................................................... 27 3.6 Unlikely Couples ......................................................................................................................... 29 3.7 The Results in Context of Beckett Studies .................................................................................. 32 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 34 Aims and Results ............................................................................................................................... 34 Limitations ........................................................................................................................................ 34 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................. 35 Works’ Cited ......................................................................................................................................... 36 Primary Sources ................................................................................................................................ 36 Secondary Sources ............................................................................................................................ 36 Performance....................................................................................................................................... 37 Dantean Influence on Pairs in Beckett’s Trilogy 1 Introduction To an unfamiliar reader the work of Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) and Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) may appear to contrast; wherein Dante’s Comedy there is no room for salvation, in Beckett one is confronted with seemingly unprogressive dialogues (see En Attendant Godot, Endgame). There is a common interest that both authors shared – namely, to become a better author than their literary idol, to whom they looked upon as an expert in the craft. For Dante, this author was Virgil1, and his Comedy may be taken as his improved version of The Aeneid. For Beckett, Dante was his source of inspiration ever since he studied the Comedy at University (Ferrini 13)2. Another similarity between Dante and Beckett/the authors is the presence of pairs3 that can be found in the Comedy as/and the trilogy (as some minor studies have touched upon, see Carrière, Caselli). Some scholars (Caselli, Haughton) have noted Beckett’s ability to adapt ‘Dantean elements’ or characters such as Belacqua4 and appropriate them into his writing. Therefore, this thesis approaches the topic from the perspective of Beckett and aligns with Dante to discover if any patterns or similar developments can be discerned in the usage of the couple in the selected works: Dante’s Comedy (1307-1321) and Beckett’s trilogy – Molloy (1951), Malone Dies (1951), The Unnamable (1953). The selected works were chosen because they share a common denominator: both consist of three parts that belong together and combined form a unit. If one were to follow this thought, one might perceive the epic as a sort of trilogy, despite the difference in their format types (Beckett’s are novels whereas Alighieri’s is a three-part epic)5. This thesis aims to produce an overview of the concept of the couple in Dante’s Comedy and Beckett’s trilogy through textual analysis. In doing so, it uses Daniela Caselli’s Beckett’s Dantes (2005) as a case study and for its intertextual framework.6 Dante Alighieri & The Divine Comedy Dante may be the only author that is better known by his first name than his last name. His popularity has continued through the centuries7. He also wrote The Vita Nuova, inspired by his love 1 The importance of Virgil as a literary mentor throughout Dante’s life and example role the Aeneid had for Dante is described by Hollander (2000), ‘It was Virgil’s Aeneid (…) which served as model for the poem; it was Virgil who, more than any other author, helped to make Dante Dante’ (Introduction, xxxv). 2 Ferrini in Dante et Beckett (13). 3 For a denotation of the concept and interpretation of the pair or couple, see my methodology section in Chapter 1 (14). 4 For a textual analysis of Beckett’s Belacqua see Caselli (Beckett’s Dantes ). 5 The definition of an epic is described in the Norton Essential Literary Terms (2007) as: ‘a long narrative poem on a serious and exhalted subject’ (Hamilton 13). 6 This book, Beckett’s Dantes (2005) will be discussed in more detail in the literature review included in Chapter 1. 7 For a chronologic overview of Dante’s popularity through the centuries see Nick Havely ‘Chronology of Significant Events
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