Krapp’s Last Tape by Samuel Beckett. Short summary

5 seconds

The old Crapp listens to recordings he made when he was young. Many things he doesn’t remember, some moments he condemns, others he no longer understands. The old man can’t figure out when his best years are gone.

1 minute

A play with one actor. There is a table on the stage, and next to it is Crapp, the old man. He brings out from behind the scenes a box of reels. He turns on the tapes and listens attentively. The reels contain recordings of the hero’s monologues when he was young.

The young man talks about the best moments of his life. He talks about the black ball he gave to the dog, though he wanted to keep it for himself. About the girl he wanted to talk to, but she rejected him. Young Crapp spent a lot of time drinking and partying. Modern Crapp condemns such behavior.

At one point from the tape comes the story of how his mother died, after a long period of «widowhood.» The hero cannot remember the meaning of the word and turns to a reference book. This episode shows how selectively the human memory works, how it gets rid of unpleasant moments.

The tape ends, and the hero still can’t figure out if his best years are gone and which of the entries describe that time. Old Crapp once missed that very point of no return.