This thesis begins with an exploration of Samuel Beckett’s early essays on Joyce and Proust to see how they influenced Beckett’s first novel Dream of Fair to Middling Women. This was Beckett’s...Show moreThis thesis begins with an exploration of Samuel Beckett’s early essays on Joyce and Proust to see how they influenced Beckett’s first novel Dream of Fair to Middling Women. This was Beckett’s first extended literary novel and many of the themes and ideas within it are evident in his poetry and later work. The thesis concludes with a brief exploration of Krapp’s Last Tape, where Beckett returns to memories that have first been evoked in the fictional narrative. Beckett’s letters offer valuable insight into his creative imagination and when these are juxtaposed against his prose or dramatic work, it creates a dialogue between the various texts, and this adds to our understanding of Beckett’s creative process.Show less
