I have prepared this presentation as part of my academic activity of M. A English and it's on the Importance of Trivia in Modern Literature.

1. ‘TRIVIA’ IN MODERN LITERATURE
Prepared by : Komal Shahedapuri
Roll No : 14
Paper – 9 : Modernist Literature
M.A (English) : Sem -3
Enrollment No : 2069108420170027
Batch : 2016-18
Email ID : komaltara1311@gmail.com
Submitted to : Smt .S. B Gardi ,
Department of English,
M . K Bhavnagar
University.

2. WHAT IS TRIVIA ?
 Trivia is unimportant facts or
details that are considered to
be amusing rather
than serious or useful.
 It is all about our routine
schedule, things which are
necessary but not important.
 It’s an anti-Aristotelian idea which
believe that great things/events are
basic canon of literature. Ex,
Hamlet but in Postmodernism, all
common/trivial things are basic
canon of literature.

3. TRIVIA IN THE BIRTHDAY PARTY
 The subject in both the play and
film seems to be ‘Trivia’, the
atmosphere of menace created
through trivial objects.
 Trivia magnified in movie more
than the play through the
camera language, magnification
techniques and sound & visual
effects.
 Harold Pinter’s purpose in both
film and play is to magnify trivia.

4. CONTINUE….
Trivial Objects
 Drum
 Newspaper
 Cooking
 Spectacles
 Mirror
 Doors
 Street Light
 Mess in Stanley’s room
 Chairs and Birds
 Window

5. CONTINUE…..
Trivial Dialogues like
 Meg : What is it Girl or Boy? I’d be sorry, I’d rather have
a little boy.
 Goldberg and McCann : Why did you kill your wife and
how? Why did you don’t marry her ? she is waiting in the
Church. Why did you change your name?
 Petey: Don’t let them tell you what to do.
 Interrogation and Birthday Party Scenes
 Blind man's Buff game is too common or normal but
have deep meaning.

6. WAITING FOR GODOT
 Samuel Beckett has also used
Triviality in his play ‘Waiting for
Godot’ to give deep and
important lessons of life.
 Most of the dialogues and
actions that happen between
two major characters Estragon
and Vladimir are almost trivial
but left the deep messages.
 By the use of triviality, author
wants to give deep and
significant message to the
audience.

7. CONTINUE…
 In essay ‘The Search for Self’, Martin Esslin said that
when play was performed in front of the prisoners in a jail ,
they can understand the deep message of the play
because they can relate their own situations with the play.
 But among the normal audience who don’t know anything
about the play or literary aspects, they can’t understand
play in a proper way that which meaning play wants to
convey to the audience.
 In play Breath, Beckett has also used trivial objects to
convey deeper meaning like mess of fruits, medical
objects etc with menacing sound.

8. Trivial Objects/Characters
 Boy as messenger
 Pozzo as a Master
 Lucky as a Slave
 Vladimir as Practical man
 Estragon as a Poet
 Country Road
 Hats & Boots
 Tree
 Debris
 Night & Moon

9.  Estragon : Nothing to be done..
 Estragon: Let's go.
 Vladimir: We can't.
 Estragon : Why not?
 Vladimir : We're waiting for
Godot.
 Estragon: Nothing happens,
nobody comes, nobody
goes, it's awful!
 ESTRAGON: What is it?
 VLADIMIR: I don't know. A
willow.
 ESTRAGON: Where are the
leaves?
 VLADIMIR: It must be dead.
 ESTRAGON: No more
weeping.
 VLADIMIR: Or perhaps it's
not the season.
 ESTRAGON: Looks to me
more like a bush.
 VLADIMIR: A shrub.
 ESTRAGON: A bush.
Trivial Dialogues

10. TO THE LIGHTHOUSE
 Simple plot not of great events
but routine lifestyle signify
important aspects of life.
Trivial Objects signify deep
meanings
 Cutting image of Refrigerator
 Boar’s Skull
 Painting
 Lighthouse
 Fisherman’s story

11. TRIVIAL BOLLYWOOD SONGS
Examples,
 Sooraj Dooba Hai from movie Roy
सूरज डूबा है यारों दो घूूँट नशे के मारो
रस्ते भुला दो सारे घरबार के
चले नह ीं, उड़े आसमाीं पे अभी
पता न हो, है जाना कहाूँ पे अभी
कक बेमींज़िलें, हो सब रास्ते
दुननया से हो िरा फासले
 Bezubaan from movie Piku
जीने की ये कै सी आदत लगी
बेमतलब किे चढ़ गए
हादसों से बच के जाते कहाूँ
सब रोते हूँसते सह गए

12. Thanks