“Umutsuzca” Absürtle Yüzleşmek: Harold Pinter’in Git-Gel Dolap Oyununda Sisifosçu Absürdite

Year 2024, Volume: 30 Issue: 120, 1165 - 1178, 01.11.2024

Mehmet Akif Balkaya

https://doi.org/10.22559/folklor.2601

Abstract

Harold Pinter’ın (1930-2008) the Dumb Waiter (Git-Gel Dolap: 1957) adlı oyunu,
iki tetikçi Ben ve Gus’ın etrafında, kapalı bir bodrumda bir sonraki emirlerini beklerken
yaşadıkları gerilimleri ana odağa alır. Oyun, bu kapalı alanın getirdiği baskı
ve bekleyişin psikolojik etkisini ele alır. Bu karakterlerin karmaşık etkileşimleri,
insan varlığının kayıtsız, absürt bir evrende ortaya çıkan varoluş kaygılarını temsil
eder. Pinter, bu eserinde karakterler arasındaki diyalog ve sessizlikleri kullanarak,
iletişim eksikliğini ve yabancılaşmayı vurgular. Bu tema, Albert Camus’nün
(1913-1960) the Myth of Sisyphus (Sisifos Söyleni: 1942) adlı eserinde de işlenir,
burada absürdite, intihar ve absürt adam gibi kavramlar açıklandıktan sonra
Sisifos’un sonsuz bir döngüde bir kayayı tepeye itip, tekrar aşağı yuvarlanmasını
izlemesi anlatılır. Camus, bu miti, insanın varoluşsal mücadelesinin bir metaforu
olarak kullanır. Her iki eser de bilinmeyen bir görevi beklemenin ve kayayı itmenin,
kayıtsız, tekrarlayan eylemlerle dolu absürt bir evrende insanlığın durmaksızın
çabası için bir metafor olarak işlev görür. Bu bağlamda, makale Pinter’ın the Dumb
Waiter oyununun, Camus’nün absürdizm ilkelerine uygun ve paralel olduğunu ve
Pinter’ın oyununun Camus’nün felsefesinin bir temsil yorumu olduğunu savunur.
Ayrıca, bu makale Camus tarafından tanımlanan ‘absürt adam’ kavramı ile Ben ve
Gus karakterlerinin nasıl uyumlu olduğunu da incelemektedir. Makale karakterlerin
eylemleri ve diyalogları üzerinden bu uyumu detaylandırır. Bu inceleme, her
iki eserin paralelliklerini ve insan varoluşunun anlam arayışı temalarını detaylı bir
şekilde ele alarak, Pinter ve Camus’nün eserlerinin, insanın absürt evrende yerini
ve anlam arayışını betimleyen güçlü örnekler olduğunu vurgular.

Keywords

Harold Pinter, Git-Gel Dolap, Albert Camus, Sisifos, varoşçuluk

Ethical Statement

Araştırma ve yayın etiği beyanı: Bu makale tamamıyla özgün bir araştırma olarak planlanmış, yürütülmüş ve sonuçları ile raporlaştırıldıktan sonra ilgili dergiye gönderilmiştir. Araştırma herhangi bir sempozyum, kongre vb. sunulmamış ya da başka bir dergiye değerlendirilmek üzere gönderilmemiştir. Yazarların makaleye katkı oranları: Bu makaledeki yazar %100 düzeyinde çalışmanın hazırlanması, veri toplanması, sonuçların yorumlanması ve makalenin yazılması aşamalarına katkı sağlamıştır. Etik komite onayı: Çalışmada etik kurul iznine gerek yoktur. Finansal destek: Çalışmada finansal destek alınmamıştır. Çıkar çatışması: Çalışmada potansiyel çıkar çatışması bulunmamaktadır.

Facing the Absurd “without Hope”: The Sisyphean Absurdity in Harold Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter

Abstract

Harold Pinter’s (1930-2008) The Dumb Waiter (1957) focuses on the tensions
experienced by two hitmen, Ben and Gus, as they wait for their next order in a closed
basement. The complex interactions of these characters represent the existential
anxieties emerging in an indifferent, and absurd universe of human existence. In
this work, Pinter emphasizes lack of communication and alienation through the
dialogues and silences between the characters. This theme is also explored in
Albert Camus’s (1913-1960) the Myth of Sisyphus (1942), where, after explaining
concepts such as absurdity, suicide, and the absurd man, the story of Sisyphus
endlessly rolling a rock up a hill, only to see it roll back down, is described. Camus
uses this myth as a metaphor for the existential struggle of humanity. Both works
serve as metaphors for the relentless human effort in an absurd universe filled
with indifferent, repetitive actions, exemplified by waiting for an unknown task
and pushing the rock. This in mind, this article argues that Pinter’s the Dumb
Waiter aligns with and parallels Camus’s principles of absurdism, as Pinter’s play
is examined as an interpretation of Camus’s philosophy. This article also explores
how Ben and Gus resonate with the concept of ‘absurd man’ defined by Camus.
The analysis emphasizes that both works, through their parallels and themes of
searching for meaning in human existence represent the place of humanity and
search for meaning in an absurd universe.

Keywords

Harold Pinter, the Dumb Waiter, Albert Camus, Sisyphus, existentialism

Ethical Statement

Research and publication ethics statement: This is a research article, containing original data, and it has not been previously published or submitted to any other outlet for publication. The author followed ethical principles and rules during the research process. In the study, informed consent was obtained from the volunteer participants and the privacy of the participants was protected. Contribution rates of authors to the article: The author in this article contributed to the 100% level of preparation of the study, data collection, and interpretation of the results and writing of the article. Financial support: The study received no financial support from any institution or project. Conflict of interest: The author declares no conflict of interest.

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