Noli me Tangere: Haptic Certitude in Beckett’s Eh Joe and Nacht und Träume

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This paper examines the act of touch, real or imagined, in Beckett’s television plays Eh Joe and Nacht und Träume. The kinesis and soundscape of Eh Joe is structured around an absent (female) figure. The solitary body of this play is touched by the (absent) presence of an exterior, ghostly figure. In Nacht und Träume, there is a significant moment of touch; hands emerge from the darkness in the image dreamt by the lone figure. These hands also withdraw, and the dream fades. I argue that this reaching towards – and oftentimes failure – to make contact with the other is a key, ‘haptic’, element of Beckett’s aesthetic in these plays. Utilising the work of philosopher Jean-Luc Nancy, I connect these plays to wider cultural discourses, particularly that of the Christian narrative and the nature of embodiment. This exploration connects the act of touch as presented in these plays with its meaning in culture as a verifier of presence, human or divine.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)216-229
Number of pages14
JournalModern Drama
Publication statusPublished - 15 Jun 2012

Keywords

  • Beckett
  • Christianity
  • Haptics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Arts and Humanities

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