Humility, Self-Awareness, and Religious Ambivalence

What is it about?

In the 1934, Samuel Beckett reviewed a book of poems written by his friend Thomas MacGreevy. While the two men were close, they were also separated by religion: MacGreevy was a Catholic, Beckett was an agnostic with a Protestant background. In this article, I examine how Beckett tries to find common ground with his friend via an artistic vision based on humility and self-awareness.

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Why is it important?

Beckett's review is a difficult read. It contains many references to other works of literature, ideas in theology and philosophy, foreign language terms, and difficult syntax. My article seeks to explain what Beckett meant throughout. I also argue that a previous study of the review by Sean Kennedy dwells too much on the religious differences between Beckett and MacGreevy, and not enough on the temperaments that united them.