Theater of the absurd?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>, <span word="particularly">particularly</span> “<span word="theater">theater</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="absurd">absurd</span>”:</p><p>“<span word="America">America</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="health">health</span> <span word="care">care</span> <span word="system">system</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>” — <span word="a">a</span> <span word="claim">claim</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="moves">moves</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="right">right</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="theater">theater</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="absurd">absurd</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="speaker">speaker</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="assertion">assertion</span> (<span word="that">that</span> <span word="America">America</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="health">health</span> <span word="care">care</span> <span word="system">system</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>) <span word="is">is</span> <span word="absurd">absurd</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="claim">claim</span> <span word="doesn">doesn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="belong">belong</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="realm">realm</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="reality">reality</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="realm">realm</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="theater">theater</span>, <span word="particularly">particularly</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="absurd">absurd</span>, <span word="illogical">illogical</span>, <span word="fanciful">fanciful</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="ridiculous">ridiculous</span>, <span word="etc">etc</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Theater">Theater</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="absurd">absurd</span>”, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="originally">originally</span> <span word="refers">refers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="theater">theater</span> <span word="plays">plays</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="absurdities">absurdities</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="life">life</span>, <span word="its">its</span> <span word="unreasonableness">unreasonableness</span>, <span word="meaningless">meaningless</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="forth">forth</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Critic">Critic</span> <span word="Martin">Martin</span> <span word="Esslin">Esslin</span> <span word="coined">coined</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="term">term</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="his">his</span> 1960 <span word="essay">essay</span> ‘<span word="Theatre">Theatre</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Absurd">Absurd</span>’”, <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</span>. “<span word="He">He</span> <span word="related">related</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="plays">plays</span> <span word="based">based</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="broad">broad</span> <span word="theme">theme</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Absurd">Absurd</span>, <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="Albert">Albert</span> <span word="Camus">Camus</span> <span word="uses">uses</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="term">term</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="his">his</span> 1942 <span word="essay">essay</span>, ‘<span word="The">The</span> <span word="Myth">Myth</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Sisyphus">Sisyphus</span>’.”</p><p><span word="Never">Never</span> <span word="mind">mind</span> <span word="Camus">Camus</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="particulars">particulars</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="moment">moment</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="everyday">everyday</span> <span word="parley">parley</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="theater">theater</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="absurd">absurd</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="absurd">absurd</span>.</p><p><span word="Well">Well</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="using">using</span> “<span word="theater">theater</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="absurd">absurd</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="everyday">everyday</span> <span word="conversation">conversation</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="thing">thing</span>. <span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="term">term</span> <span word="reserved">reserved</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="formal">formal</span> <span word="occasions">occasions</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="versed">versed</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="art">art</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="learned">learned</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="general">general</span> – <span word="or">or</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="sound">sound</span> <span word="learned">learned</span>.</p>
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