Self and Identity Concepts in Postmodernism: A Study of Samuel Beckett's "Not I"
Ansam Riyadh Abdulla Almaaroof
Tikrit University- College of Education for Women- English Department
Aseel Ahmed Jasim
Tikrit University- College of Education for Women- English Department
DOI: https://doi.org/10.25130/Lang.9.1.24
Keywords: Postmodernism, Fragmented Self, Identity, Samuel Beckett, “Not I”, Jean Baudrillard, Hyperreality, Simulation, Alienation
Abstract
The Fragmented Self and Identity in Postmodernism: An Analysis of Harris Through “Not I” by Samuel Beckett. Postmodernism is a deliberate distancing of the self with itself, leading to disintegration of coherent subjectivity The premise of this paper is that the identity of character is fragmented when we analyze the character of Harris in the play. This study argues that the play subverts the typical notions of identity and presents a fractured and unstable self that keeps up with the complexities of the postmodern condition. The goal of the research is to explore how Beckham's work disintegrates the notion of a unified self, including the psychological and existential impact of this fragmentation. Research questions of interest to the understanding of the play may include: How does the play represent the fracture of the self? What is the role of alienation and disconnection in the shaping of identity in the play? What does the performative quality in “Not I” do to highlight postmodern conceptualizations of selfhood? The method entails an analysis that is textual and performative minded, based on Jean Baudrillard's theory of simulation and hyperreality. It explores how the play creates a hyperreal experience in which identity breaks down into multiplicities—a space of fragmentation between the voice (as the character's imagined identity) and the body of the performer (as a bio-subject separate from the narrative as told). Through a close reading of Beckett’s spare language, non-linear story, and disembodied character, the paper demonstrates how the play creates a simulated identity that only lives in fragments, without a unitary centre. These findings show that the play illustrates Baudrillard’s notion of the hyperreal wherein what constitutes the self is rendered thereby a simulation, neither truly present but also not wholly vanished. By representing identity as a construct, perpetually subverted through the alienation of voice, language, and meaning, Beckett critiques a postmodern condition. Beckett’s play, the paper concludes, ultimately forces audiences to think about the existential void left after stable identity is stripped away.
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