A JOURNEY TOWARD NOTHINGNESS IN SAMUEL BECKETT'S WATT (Pages 01-10) by in THE ENGLISH INDIA / ISSN: 2321-1172 (Online); 2347-2634 (Print)

The novel is divided into four uneven sections and the narrator, who is named Sam, briefly becomes a character in the story in the third section. We are told that he lives in the “mansion” (Watt 110) neighboring the one Watt works in, that they meet in the gardens and briefly become friends. In the first section of the novel, the narration of the story appears to be in the form of a straightforward third person. It begins with Watt’s unmotivated departure from Dublin, witnessed by Mr. Hachett, and goes on to the narration about his entrance to the house and speaking with the outgoing servant, Arsene. The second part refers to the Watt’s service on the ground floor, the people he has met, father and son, and the beginning of his mental collapse when the circumstances of the house obstinately remain outside of his rational explanation. In the third part, we are introduced to Watt’s fellow, Sam, in a mental asylum. How or when Watt arrived at this place is not elucidated by the author in this part of the novel.