Understanding Absurdist Theatre and Animal Farm's Allegory

The Theatre of the Absurd: Characteristics and Influences

The Theatre of the Absurd is characterized by an essential absence of a consistent plot. Little happens in these plays, and what does occur often makes no sense whatsoever. There is a notable lack of progress and resolution. Furthermore, these plays typically feature minimal characterization, offering no real description of the characters.

Innovative Styles and Comic Elements

Absurdist Theatre is also composed of an innovative combination of previous styles. A significant comic side is present in these plays, with much of their inspiration coming from silent film and comedy. Characters often resemble Charlie Chaplin in their clownish behavior. Depending on the production, the play might be more or less comic, but the dialogue is consistently characterized by short and direct exchanges between characters. Another influence is the tradition of verbal nonsense found in early sound film. The role of language is relatively secondary.

Influences from the European Avant-Garde

A direct and acknowledged influence on the Theatre of the Absurd is the 20th-century European avant-garde, particularly the Dadaists and the Surrealists. Dadaism can be defined as an artistic and literary movement reflecting a widespread nihilistic protest against all aspects of Western culture, especially against militarism during and after World War I (1914-1918). Dadaists frequently employed deliberately incomprehensible methods. Their theatrical performances were often designed to shock audiences, with the aim of making the public reconsider the accepted aesthetic values of the time.

Waiting for Godot: A Prime Example

The features mentioned above are clearly reflected in Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. In this play, the two main characters, Estragon and Vladimir, communicate using a rambling dialogue, and their actions are highly repetitive. Moreover, the setting is very minimalistic, as the characters simply wait on a country road by a tree, dressed like tramps and wearing bowler hats.

Themes of Existentialism and Absurdism

Furthermore, Waiting for Godot explores the search for meaning, a static situation, and an abandonment of rationality and logic. If there is a central theme in Waiting for Godot, it is the human condition. In other words, Beckett explores the philosophy of Existentialism in the play, hence the pervasive lack of meaning and purpose. The Theatre of the Absurd is also considered to have originated from the absurdist philosophy of Albert Camus. Absurdism itself is a branch of traditional existentialist assertions, stating that while inherent meaning might exist in the universe, human beings are incapable of finding it due to some form of mental or philosophical limitation. Thus, humanity is doomed to face the Absurd, or the absolute absurdity of existence in the absence of purpose. It depicts a world free of inherent beliefs.

Animal Farm: Literary Influences and Allegory

George Orwell's Animal Farm was influenced by several literary works, such as Thomas More's Utopia and Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. The idea of fairy tales is also present in Animal Farm, as the book is written in a simple style, reflecting how the ideals of Communism could not be practically implemented. However, the story does not have a happy ending, leading the book to be considered an ironic version of a fairy tale. Elements of the "Beast Fable" are also encountered, along with anthropomorphic characteristics. On the other hand, fables are typically less violent than Animal Farm, and there is usually an explicit moral lesson present toward the end of the story, a characteristic absent in Orwell's work. Finally, the book can also be considered a satire of political dictatorship.

The Allegory of the Soviet Union

It is also important to discuss a deeper meaning conveyed in the book: the allegory of the Soviet Union (1917-1943). Almost every character can be compared to a real figure from the Soviet Union, and the narrative serves as a powerful example of a totalitarian state.