Shoes

The opening scene of Waiting for Godot is a close up on Estragon’s boots. Meaning these boots are very important and perhaps have a strong symbolism. For Beckett shoes mean the basis of things. They hold whatever person wears them. He’s right, shoes are our what holds us strong. There isn’t anything more comfortable than a pair of good running shoes. They make me feel like I could jump to the moon. Their meaning in the book is realistic. We are used to having shoes and without we can’t wall, jump or even stand properly.

“There’s a man all over for you, blaming on his boots the faults of his feet.” (4.)

The film illustrates what Beckett meant much better than the written play, it shows emotion. The faces of struggle made by Estragon shows us how much work he’s putting into getting his boots off. Personally I can relate to how Godot feels. Having you feet hot or hurting because a little rock is caught up in your shoe can be annoying. But your willing to put all your effort into fixing whatever is bothering your feet. You may try to ignore it but after a while it will drive anyone crazy. In Waiting for Godot the serve as an introduction to the whole performance. The characters will do whatever they can to fix what’s bothering them, much like a shoe. I’ve also felt the same way when I wan to find something I’ve lost or getting something I really want. The feeling that you’re missing something you really need will haunt anyone. When barefoot no one likes running on rocks, we will do anything to avoid this strange feeling like taking long steps or remaining still. These desperate actions is what Waiting for Godot is. Instead of taking long steps to avoid the rocks Vladimir and Estragon discuss hanging themselves. And by Waiting for Godot they choose to remain still and wait for the answers to come but they never do.

This play is famous for it’s ambiguity and although I’ve come to understand it, the ending continues to elude me. I feel that Beckett leaves too many unanswered questions leaving readers with nothing. There is now reason other than reason itself towards why he would write this. Therefore the question will always be: why?