Constant Motion

I'm really intrigued by the story, "Ding-Dong," in More Pricks than Kicks. As compared to other stories in the collection, such as "Fingal" or even "Dante and the Lobster," "Ding-Dong" moves at a near breakneck pace, refusing to sit idly and unfold in a (perhaps) more conventional way. The pacing of this story mirrors the constant movement of its subject, Belaqua, but begs for additional interpretation. Could this be a sign of Beckett's insatiable creative appetite?

I wonder how much it relates to Beckett himself because of the way we've chosen to attack his body of work. By starting at the end of his career, at his most experimental, we've spoiled the ending in a way. We know the outcome of his constant artistic output, now we must focus on the process of getting there. Thus, phrases such as "his anxiety to keep on the move and his distress at finding himself brought to a standstill" seem apropos to Beckett's perpetual creative motion.

Additionally, when the class read "Dante and the Lobster," we learned that Belaqua and Beckett share certain distinct characteristics. Therefore, could it be a fair assumption to say that More Pricks than Kicks is allegorical for Beckett's life as a writer? Is he constantly going down new roads, as Belaqua does, just to see what's there?

If we do allow ourselves such an author-centric interpretation, "Ding-Dong" seems to fit into the (narrow) framework we've created for Beckett thus far in class. I see shades of his stream-of-consciousness style creeping in during this story, especially during the second paragraph. If we do not allow ourselves such an author-centric interpretation, in what way do these moments with Belaqua exist within Beckett's oeuvre?