The Big Absurdity

Mom and I just finished watching THE BIG LEBOWSKI, which got me thinking about Theater of the Absurd. I wasn’t sure why, so I went looking. I found plenty of write-ups and discussions about it, but I think it’s fitting that I refer to the material I found at WiseDude.com.

According to Wisedude:

Theatre of the Absurd was a term used to refer to a set of plays written primarily in France from the mid-1940s through the 1950s. In these plays, the dramatists used illogical situations, unconventional dialogue and minimal plots to express the apparent absurdity of human existence. There existed no formal “absurdist movement” in the theatre. Dramatists whose works fell under the category had a pessimistic vision of humanity struggling vainly to find a purpose in life and to control its fate.

If you’ve seen LEBOWSKI, you know that it isn’t fully absurdist, and you know why. The rug really ties it all together. Since there is one element that the main character invests with meaning, it’s more of an existential work than an absurdist one.

I just went to the LebowskiFest website and signed up for their newsletter. I’m proud to say, as a native Louisvillian, that the ‘Fest started in Louisville. Next time, I hope to attend some of the festivities. Especially if beverages are involved.

WRITING PROMPT: Take a character bowling. Is he/she good at it? What emotions does it bring out? How does he or she deal with the noise, the smells, the closeness of other people oblivious of everyone outside their lanes?

MA

About

I was born in Louisville, Kentucky, but now live in the woods in southern Indiana. Though I only write fiction, I love to read non-fiction. The more I learn about this world, the more fantastic I see it is.

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