Abstract
This article analyses Beckett's unpublished and unperformed prison play ‘Mongrel Mime’, written for ex-San Quentin inmate Rick Cluchey in 1982–83. Drawing on Shane Weller's concept of Beckett's ‘anethics’, Dirk Van Hulle's model of authorial pentimenti and Anne Ubersfeld's semiotics of theatre space, it argues that close analyses of Beckett's manuscripts can give us a clearer picture of the politics of his work. While dominant models of Beckett's poetics focus on his ‘vaguening’ and ‘undoing’ of spatial detail, this article contends that Beckett's creative engagement with spaces of coercive confinement demonstrates a variety of working methods. The key role of carceral space in ‘Mongrel Mime’, an important though underexamined example of Beckett's use of confinement, presents a politics which is far from vague.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
