The irony of life! Of life in love! That he who has the time should lack the force, that she who has the force should lack the time! That a trifling and in all probability tractable obstruction of some endocrinal Bandusia, that a mere matter of forty-five or fifty minutes by the clock, should as effectively as death itself, or as the Hellespont, separate lovers.
Samuel Beckett Watt
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The passage reflects the profound irony present in love and life, highlighting how time and strength can be misaligned. It suggests that often those who have the time to dedicate to love do not possess the energy or will to act on it, while those who are full of vigor may find themselves constrained by a lack of time. This paradox creates a deep sense of frustration for lovers who wish to connect but are thwarted by life's circumstances.

Furthermore, it emphasizes the seemingly trivial yet significant barriers that can hinder relationships, likening these interruptions to death or substantial physical separations. A mere forty-five to fifty minutes can stand as an insurmountable challenge between lovers, illustrating how small moments can wield immense power over human connections. This nuanced exploration of love’s challenges unveils the deeper complexities of relationships in the context of time and personal limitations.

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Watt
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Samuel Beckett
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Other quotes in Watt

But he had hardly felt the absurdity of those things, on the one hand, and the necessity of those others, on the other {for it is rare that the feeling of absurdity is not followed by the feeling of necessity}, when he felt the the absurdity of those things of which he had just felt the necessity {for it is rare that the feeling of necessity is not followed by the feeling of absurdity}.
Samuel Beckett Watt
But he had hardly felt the absurdity of those things, on the one hand, and the necessity of those others, on the other {for it is rare that the feeling of absurdity is not followed by the feeling of necessity}, when he felt the the absurdity of those things of which he had just felt the necessity {for it is rare that the feeling of necessity is not followed by the feeling of absurdity}.
And is it not strange most strange that one says of a thing that it is full, when it is not full at all, but not of a thing that is empty, if it is not empty? And perhaps the reason for that is this, that when one fills, one seldom fills quite full, for that would not be convenient, whereas when one empties one empties completely, holding the vessel upside down, and rinsing it out with boiling water if necessary, with a kind of fury.
Samuel Beckett Watt
And is it not strange most strange that one says of a thing that it is full, when it is not full at all, but not of a thing that is empty, if it is not empty? And perhaps the reason for that is this, that when one fills, one seldom fills quite full, for that would not be convenient, whereas when one empties one empties completely, holding the vessel upside down, and rinsing it out with boiling water if necessary, with a kind of fury.
The irony of life! Of life in love! That he who has the time should lack the force, that she who has the force should lack the time! That a trifling and in all probability tractable obstruction of some endocrinal Bandusia, that a mere matter of forty-five or fifty minutes by the clock, should as effectively as death itself, or as the Hellespont, separate lovers.
Samuel Beckett Watt
The irony of life! Of life in love! That he who has the time should lack the force, that she who has the force should lack the time! That a trifling and in all probability tractable obstruction of some endocrinal Bandusia, that a mere matter of forty-five or fifty minutes by the clock, should as effectively as death itself, or as the Hellespont, separate lovers.
And he said also, by way of a rider, that even if he had the whole night before him, in which to rest, and grow warm, on a chair, in the kitchen, even then it would be a poor resting, and a mean warming, beside the rest and warmth that he remembered, the rest and warmth that he awaited, a very poor resting indeed, and a paltry warming, and so in any case very likely a source, in the long run, less of gratification, than of annoyance.
Samuel Beckett Watt
And he said also, by way of a rider, that even if he had the whole night before him, in which to rest, and grow warm, on a chair, in the kitchen, even then it would be a poor resting, and a mean warming, beside the rest and warmth that he remembered, the rest and warmth that he awaited, a very poor resting indeed, and a paltry warming, and so in any case very likely a source, in the long run, less of gratification, than of annoyance.
It is so easy to accept, so easy to refuse, when the call is heard, so easy, so easy. But to us, in our windowlessness, in our bloodheat, in our hush, to us who could not hear the wind, nor see the sun, what call could come, from the kind of weather we liked, but a call so faint as to mock acceptance, mock refusal?
Samuel Beckett Watt
It is so easy to accept, so easy to refuse, when the call is heard, so easy, so easy. But to us, in our windowlessness, in our bloodheat, in our hush, to us who could not hear the wind, nor see the sun, what call could come, from the kind of weather we liked, but a call so faint as to mock acceptance, mock refusal?
Think of that! He removes his hat without misgiving, he unbuttons his coat and sits down, proffered all pure and open to the long joys of being himself, like a basin to a vomit.
Samuel Beckett Watt
Think of that! He removes his hat without misgiving, he unbuttons his coat and sits down, proffered all pure and open to the long joys of being himself, like a basin to a vomit.
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