Beckett, Bion and waiting for God

Mary Farrell

doi:10.9791/ajpanz.2006.02

Mary Farrell

DOI: https://doi.org/10.9791/ajpanz.2006.02

Abstract

In 1948, Samuel Beckett's famous existential theatre masterpiece, 'Waiting for Godot' was written. This paper will make links between the dialogue in the play and Beckett's analytic work with the young Wilfred Bion in the early 1930s. The paper will be illustrated by extracts from the recent film version of 'Waiting for Godot'. Reference will be made to Bion's paper 'Attacks on Linking', showing the relevance of his ideas to Beckett's life history and to a patient whose persistent rejection of interpretation has characterised our work together.

Author Biography

Mary Farrell

As recorded in 2006.

Mary Farrell works as an intersubjective psychodynamic psychotherapist in private practice in Auckland, New Zealand. Her first career was as an actor, theatre director and lecturer in theatre studies in the UK. She completed her training as a psychotherapist sixteen years ago, immigrated to New Zealand in 1995, and has been a member of the New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists since 2000. She is also an author, and her stories, articles and poems have been published in various magazines and newspapers over the years, and broadcast on the BBC and National Radio. Her first full-length book "Acts of Trust - Making sense of risk, trust and betrayal in our Relationships" was published by Exisle in September 2005 and is widely available in leading bookshops in New Zealand and Australia.