Grey Room Prosody

Rachel

                                             Grey Room Prosody

        In this essay, I will argue that time is a conceptual instrument used to manipulate the refusal of death. The concept of time and death are two paradigms that are interconnected. They are both formalities that are uncontrollable at large. As time inevitably passes, humanism diminishes and death ultimately transpires. The cycle of life despite the efforts of individuals to control it, will never be successful. The characters of Endgame exemplify their denial for death through their actions: the constant re-telling of nostalgic memories from the past, never leaving the vicinity of the grey room, and the failure to overcome the state of melancholia. The characters in the play attempt to capture and freeze time in the hopes of delaying the inescapable reality of death.

        The grey room setting is representative of both an archive and a crypt. The space posses an element of historical value that is timeless. It is the only space that is hidden, allowing for the characters to attempt in manipulating the time that is passing them outside of the walls of the room. This is demonstrated in the character of Hamm as he is addicted to the act of story telling. He is persistent on acknowledging the past, despite the lack of interest from his peers to listen. Hamm’s undying persistence in re-telling stories that have already been told before is a reflection of his fear for death. By re-telling the stories, he is able to re-live the time of the past in the present time. The act of remembering temporarily brings him to a place of the past, and thus in the moment, takes him further away from death and closer to the moment that he story tells about. For Hamm, story telling is his way of attempting to control time. For every time that he recollects the past, he is attempting to ignore the truth of death. Hamm asks Clov of what time it is everyday, and to his wishes is answered with the answer of “the same as usual”. The question is not proposed for the explicit answer to what the actual time is, but acts as a source of reassurance for Hamm. The time is always the same, creating the illusion that they are stuck in time and therefore will never die. Hamm also instructs Clov to bring him closer to the wall so that he could hug it. Due to his inability to see for himself, he must touch the walls of the room to confirm that they remain existent. This action represents the trust and alliance that he shares with the grey room. Levy states that, “for in this context, the emphasis on external vacancy signifies not the literal destruction of the outer world, but the inability or refusal of the mentality represented to acknowledge anything outside the concerns preoccupying its own interiority (2002). The space is important to Hamm as it serves a significant role in his attempts of controlling time. It allows for him to isolate himself from the outside world where time passes. For Hamm, the grey room is the only space that is capable of holding time. Additionally, the persistence of Hamm in taking his painkiller medication on time is another action that exemplifies his refusal for death. It is described in the play that Hamm, Clov, Negg, and Nell all posses bodies that are in rather poor conditions. This is evident as Hamm explicitly comments on the appearance of Clov’s body as ailing. Nell passes away due to her lack of regards for her health, and Nagg frequently asks for food which reflects the continual hunger of his frail body. Lastly, Hamm’s heavy reliance on Clov’s assistance for his everyday living is indicative of his physical well-being. It is evident that Hamm has a sallow complexion because he asks Clov if his face was white or not after being pushed to the window for the sunlight to hit his face. Hamm’s persistence in taking his medication on time is important to him not because he does not want to feel pain, but the feeling of such reminds him of reality. His deteriorating body produces the discomfort that he feels without his painkillers. The realization that his body is breaking itself down is an indication that he is approaching death, and therefore must take the medication to numb the pain and ignore the reality of his ageing despite his efforts of controlling time. Furthermore, Clov is instructed by Hamm to move him back to the centre of the room for every time that he leaves the initial spot. Hamm is determined to remain stationary both physically and in time.