The Burning Parasol as a Symbol of Winnie’s Reliance Upon Repetition Alexandra Bayer College

Perhaps the most memorable scene from Happy Days by Samuel Beckett, the burning of Winnie’s parasol is chock-full of meaning. Specifically, it represents Winnie’s desire, if not necessity, for repetition. Right after the parasol goes up in smoke and/or flames, Winnie is quick to reassure herself that this must have happened before, even if she cannot remember it: “I presume this has occurred before, though I cannot recall it. [Pause.] Can you, Willie? [Pause. Cranes back to look at him.] Can you recall this having occurred before?” (Beckett 39). The reassurance of habit Winnie requires is continually repeated throughout the play. It is represented through the memories of her classics; Willie’s actions; her appreciation for the bell that wakes her and tells her to sleep again; and her possessions. Winnie relies on the repetition in her life to keep her sanity, and just as she expects the parasol back in her bag again the next day (40), Winnie believes, perhaps from experience, that everything in her purse is permanent: “Oh well what does it matter, that is what I always say, it will come back, that is what I find so wonderful, all comes back” (22). Repetition is what Winnie thrives on; but it is also what she requires, as we...