The Mundane Existence of the Western Cultural Society

The Western culture is unique in its individuality. It prides itself in distinguishing that it is one of a kind whether it is through clothing, vocalizing against the majority, or becoming an extremist in whatever one is passionate in…the more socially unacceptable, the better. We like structure. We like the routine of having a stable job, feeding the kids, quick caffeine boosts like Starbucks, and easy meals like McDonalds. We have gone from producers to consumers. The American Dream is no longer working your whole life to achieve greatness from scratch…it is who can get rich the fastest doing the least amount of work as possible. America is lazy. Pop culture is God. Fashion is more important than monogamy and dogs have gone from pets to accessories. Waiting For Godot has been characterized as a strong voice of the Western Cultural milieu of the 20th century because of laziness, routine, gullibility, and quick fix nation.

Pozzo is the American Dream. He wants everything done for him no matter what the cost or who he hurts to compensate for his lazziness. In the play, Pozzo’s servant is Lucky. When Pozzo is blind in Act II and cannot get up, Pozzo instructs Vladimir and Estragon how to get lucky up to do Pozzo’s work by saying on page 100, “Well to begin with, he should pull on the rope, as hard as he likes as long as he doesn’t strangle him. He usually responds to that. If not he should give him a taste of his boot, in the face and the privates as far as possible.” So that is a great example of Pozzo going to any extreme to get what he wants and not considering the pain he is inflicting on unfortunate lucky. Pozzo is the American Dream of laziness.

Routine is Vladimir and Estragon who go through this monotonous cycle of waiting for Godot. On page 107 the reader sees their endlessness continue with the repetitive conversation of Vladimir and Estragon saying,

VLADIMIR: We have to come back to-morrow.

ESTRAGON: What for?

VLADIMIR: To wait for Godot.

They are making a mockery of the Western Society by showing the extreme version of what we do. But, instead of us waiting for Godot, we sleep, got to work, eat breakfast and lunch and dinner, go to school, etc. That is our routine and ultimately we are all waiting for Godot, but just passing the time differently.

Gullibility is Estragon. He greatly symbolizes Americans. He listens to what Vladimir says and takes it as truth without finding out for sure. In Act II on page 67, Vladimir and Estragon have a conversation that demonstrates Estragon’s gullibility. It reads,

VLADIMIR: The tree, look at the tree.

ESTRAGON: Was it not there yesterday?

VLADIMIR: Yes of course it was there. Do you not remember?
We nearly hanged ourselves from it. But you wouldn’t.
Do you not remember?

ESTRAGON: You dreamt it.

VLADIMIR: Is it possible you have forgotten already?


Estragon doesn’t check evidence or go with what his gut says happened. He only blindly follows what Vladimir says. That is the American way. We don’t check statistics. We go by hearsay. We once believed that an electrical pad that one attaches to their stomach could elicit a six pack. Estragon is also only following Vladimir with waiting for Godot. Estragon wants to leave, but believes that because Vladimir says that Godot will come tonight that he will come even though every other night Godot hasn’t.

Quick fix nation is the idea of suicide. Americans look for quicker ways to do almost everything from drive through pharmacies to the IPASS to using pills instead of therapy to fix their problems. In Act I, Estragon and Vladimir toy with the idea of hanging themselves on page 12. Their conversation reads,

VLADIMIR: What do we do now?

ESTRAGON: Wait.

VLADIMIR: Yes, but while we are waiting.

ESTRAGON: What about hanging ourselves?

VLADIMIR: Hmm. It’d give us an erection.

ESTRAGON: An erection!

VLADIMIR: Let’s hang ourselves immediately!

Suicide is a quick fix. Instead of trying to work out one’s problems and deal with the hardship of digging deep and rationalizing…suicide is the answer. Then in Act II, Estragon actually tries to use his belt to hang himself from the tree but is unsuccessful because of the belt’s short length and the trees inability to hold his weight.

All in all, Waiting for Godot was a huge metaphor for the lives of the Western Culture. Vladimir and Estragon spend their entire lives waiting for Godot which is ultimately death or God depending on one’s belief. They spend their whole days waiting for death to come and relieve them of their routines. Vladimir and Estragon try to spice matters up by running into Pozzo and Lucky which symbolizes memorable events such as marriage, birth of children, graduation…anything that marks a significant event in one’s life to change the monotony, but ultimately even after, they are left with the identical routine after their brief detour.