Beckett: On the Borderline

Too much has been written about Samuel Beckett's works without reference to the man. With the publication of Deirdre Bair's (1978) excellent biography it is now possible to study Beckett's literary output in its human context and without attributing false intentions to the author. Ms. Bair's insightful study leaves no doubt that Beckett's writings can be understood in all their richness only by reference to his complex and difficult personality. There is no boundary between art and inner life in Beckett's highly original, idiosyncratic writings. These are the cathartic outpourings of a truly tormented man with vast literary gifts. As I will try to show, Beckett's work, with its morbid obsessions, its pessimism, its stylistic innovations, and its universal implications, is partly by design and partly a by-product of severe pathology. I do not mean to diminish Beckett in any way. My intention is to demonstrate that, in Beckett's case, at least, artistic creation of the highest order is inconceivable without the impetus of intense anxiety, rage, and despair. I also wish to show that willfulness and its reciprocal, obsessive doubt, as seen in Beckett's work, are symptoms of a character disorder marked by extreme rigidity and self-centeredness.

It is difficult to determine if Beckett experienced psychotic episodes at various points in his life. Bair's biography makes it clear that for his first 4-0 years, if not longer, Beckett showed serious ego defects. As a result, he was unable to cope effectively with even the minimal demands of life. Until the unexpected success of Waiting for Godot in 1952, when Beckett was 46, transformed his life overnight, Beckett had been unable to support himself, had remained tied to his mother in an ambivalent relationship, and had been unable to interact with others in a socialized way due to his hostility and egocentricity. Moreover, Beckett suffered from recurring illnesses diagnosed as