The Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, and poet Samuel Beckett (1906–1989) is identified as one of the most full-size writers of the twentieth century. His works are recognized for their existentialist philosophy, absurdist subjects, and minimalist aesthetic. Oe Kenzaburo, a Japanese novelist, and essayist who was born in 1935, on the other hand, gained the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1994. His writings discover problems of identity and alienation, and they impact nuclear weapons and combat on human beings and civilizations. As part of the Manhattan Project, the US created the atomic bomb, an adverse weapon during World War II. The first atomic bomb was once launched on Hiroshima, Japan, by the US on August 6, 1945. Radiation sickness brought on an estimated 140,000 deaths right now and within a few months. A second atomic bomb was detonated in Nagasaki through the US three days later, killing an estimated 74,000 people. We shall look at Samuel Beckett and Oe Kenzaburo’s responses to the atomic bomb in their respective literary works in this essay. We will observe the various viewpoints and strategies they employed to portray the atomic bomb’s physical and psychological implications on humans and society and their criticisms of the political and societal structures that prompted the introduction and deployment of such a lethal weapon. By doing this, we will analyze more about how literature might also be a skill of introspection, resistance, and recovery in the wake of a horrific match like the atomic bomb.
Irish author Samuel Beckett is renowned for his contributions to current literature. His artwork often explores existential troubles and the human condition, emphasizing life’s absurdity and meaninglessness. His best-known works encompass Krapp’s Last Tape, Endgame, and Waiting for Godot. During World War II, Samuel Beckett participated in the French Resistance, which profoundly impacted his work and worldview. His exposure to the devastation of combat and the loss of innocent lives during warfare influenced how he reacted to the atomic bomb.
Godot’s forWaiting The play Waiting for Godot explores the absurdity and meaninglessness of human existence. The play should be viewed as a response to the bomb’s aftermath, even if it does not expressly point out the atomic bomb. The characters are stranded in a bleak place while they wait for an unknown person or object. The play’s portrayal of pessimism and despair reflects how many human beings felt in the years following the loss of the atomic bomb (Pancho, p. 3). Another drama using Samuel Beckett that examines the country of humanity in a post-apocalyptic society is Endgame. Four characters in the drama are limited to a bunker and unable to depart the wreckage of the outer world. The protagonists’ lives have no means or cause, deteriorating bodily and mentally. The piece can be interpreted as declaring how pointless lifestyles are after a horrible occurrence. In the one-act play Krapp’s Last Audio, an aged man displays his lifestyle via various audio recordings. The subject matters of memory, regret, and the passage of time are all explored during the play (Pancho, p. 46). The play should be viewed as a response to the bomb’s aftermath, even if it would not expressly point out the atomic bomb. The character’s mindset of sorrow and hopelessness is a consultant of how many humans felt in the years following the dropping of the atomic bomb.
The response of Samuel Beckett to the atomic bomb is specific in that he does not mainly point out the incident in any of his works. Instead, the post-apocalyptic world and existential issues are the fundamental subjects of his writings. Other literary responses to the atomic bomb, which include Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five and John Hersey’s Hiroshima, take an extra direct stance towards the tournament and its effects. Samuel Beckett’s response to the atomic bomb is, in general, a reflection of his worldview and his experiences in World War II. His works supply a somber but transferring commentary on the pointlessness and futility of human existence in the wake of a horrible occurrence.
A Japanese novelist and essayist, Oe Kenzaburo, won the 1994 Nobel Prize for Literature. He has written about various subjects in his literary works, such as societal change, political oppression, and one’s own identity. He was strongly impacted by the Hiroshima bombing when he was born in 1935 and has written about its effects in his literary works.
Oe and his family were profoundly affected by the destruction caused by the atomic bomb in Hiroshima while he was a little child. After treating bombing victims, Oe’s father was later diagnosed with radiation sickness, which had a major effect on the family. Oe’s writings have been influenced by his firsthand knowledge of the atomic bomb and its effects.
Notes on Hiroshima Oe’s collection of essays from the immediate aftermath of the atomic explosion is titled Hiroshima Notes. He investigates the effects of the bombing on Japanese society and culture in these pieces. According to Oe, the bombing significantly traumatized the Japanese people and impacted their collective psyche (Schleijpen, p. 5). In his book The Day He Shall Wipe My Tears Away, Oe narrates the tale of a man who was touched by the atomic bomb. The story examines the survivors of the bombings’ psychological and emotional anguish and how the incident affected Japanese society. Oe’s book A Personal Matter depicts the tale of a young father who finds it difficult to accept the birth of his deformed son. The book details Oe’s encounter with the atomic bomb and his attempts to deal with the upsetting circumstances.
Oe’s literary response to the atomic bomb is exceptional in focusing on the survivors’ psychological and emotional pain and the explosion’s effects on Japanese society. Oe’s writings stand out for their depth of understanding of the cultural and psychological ramifications of the event, even though other literary works have also examined the effects of the atomic bomb.
The answers to the atomic bomb by Oe Kenzaburo and Samuel Beckett share several commonalities. They consist of the following:
- The personal experiences of both authors had an impact on their responses.
- In the wake of the atomic bomb, both authors used their writings to ponder the folly and pointlessness of human existence.
- The psychological and physical impacts of the bomb on people and society were a concern for both authors.
The comments from Oe Kenzaburo and Samuel Beckett differ in several ways. They are as follows:
- Oe Kenzaburo’s answer was more concerned with the physical and social repercussions of the bomb. In contrast, Samuel Beckett’s response was more concerned with the existential and philosophical concerns brought by the atomic bomb.
- While Oe Kenzaburo’s works frequently exude a sense of hope and resiliency, Samuel Beckett’s works frequently portray a broader sense of sorrow and hopelessness.
- Oe Kenzaburo’s response was more practical and tangible than Samuel Beckett’s, which was more symbolic and abstract.
Samuel Beckett and Oe Kenzaburo’s answers to the atomic bomb are comparable and dissimilar, highlighting the complexity and diversity of literary responses to this historical catastrophe. The fact that the atomic bomb had a similar effect on two writers from distinct cultural and literary traditions implies that the bomb had a significant and widespread effect on human awareness. The variations in their replies also serve to emphasize the various ways that the atomic bomb affected various people and cultures. Readers are encouraged to analyze the larger cultural and historical settings in which these works were produced and to reflect on the enduring significance of the atomic bomb to current global concerns by comparing their responses.
The reactions to the atomic bomb by Samuel Beckett and Oe Kenzaburo depict the terror and sorrow brought on by this horrific occurrence and highlight the value of writing in conveying the traumatic experience of humans. This essay has examined Oe Kenzaburo and Samuel Beckett’s reactions to the atomic bomb. We briefly introduced the authors’ backgrounds and the atomic bomb’s historical setting in the first section. The second part of the discussion focused on Samuel Beckett’s depictions of the aftermath of the atomic bomb and how his experiences in World War II inspired his writing. In the third session, we looked at Oe Kenzaburo’s artworks that depict how the atomic bomb affected Japan and spoke about how his own life inspired his response. The comments of the two authors were contrasted in the fourth part, stressing their parallels and differences. The significance of the two authors’ reactions to the atomic bomb and its implications for future research was covered in the last section.
The reactions of Oe Kenzaburo and Samuel Beckett to the atomic bomb are noteworthy in several respects. They begin by providing a stirring and intimate description of the terrible consequences of nuclear bombs on human life. Second, they shed light on the psychological and emotional damage that people go through in the wake of such a terrible incident. Thirdly, they show the effectiveness of literature in conveying the trauma that people suffer and the necessity of bearing witness to historical events.
Future research could be fruitfully conducted on Samuel Beckett’s and Oe Kenzaburo’s reactions to the atomic bomb. The effects of the atomic bomb on these two authors and their different communities can be further studied by academics. They can also consider how other writers’ interpretations of the atomic explosion influenced their works. Finally, they might look into how the responses of these two authors have influenced modern literature and cultural perceptions of nuclear weapons.
Works Cited
Pancho, Aaron. THE POST-APOCALYPTIC, the CYBORG, and the PASSAGE of TIME: A READING of the PARALLELS of SCIENCE FICTION and the WORKS of SAMUEL BECKETT. 2011.
Schleijpen, M. A. From Hiroshima to Godzilla: Japanese views on the Americanization of Japan after the Second World War in cinema and literature. BS thesis. 2017. https://studenttheses.uu.nl/bitstream/handle/20.500.12932/28588/Scriptie%20Max%20Schleijpen%204120078.pdf?sequence=2
write