Samuel Beckett
Digital Manuscript Project
L'Innommable / The Unnamable

MS-HRC-SB-5-10

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Segment 1

[2322.4] who it's all about, that's all I know, no, I must know something
else, they must have taught me something, it's about him who
doesn't know anything, doesn't want anything, can't do any-
thing, if it's possible that you can't do anything when you
don't want anything, who can neither speak nor hear, who is I,
who cannot be I, of whom I can't speak, of whom I must speak,
that's all hypotheses, I said nothing, someone said nothing, it's not a question of hypotheses, it's a question

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Segment 2

[2322.4] of going on, it goes on, hypotheses are like everything else,
they help you on, as if there were need of help, that's right,
impersonally, as if there were any need of help to go on with
a thing that can't stop, and yet it will, it will stop, do you
hear, the voice says it will stop, some day, it says it will
stop and it says it will never stop, [2322.5] fortunately I have no opin-
ion, what would I have an opinion with, with my mouth perhaps,
if it's mine, I don't feel a mouth on me, that means nothing, if

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Segment 3

[2322.5] I could only feel a mouth on me, if I could only feel something
on me, I'll try, if I can, I know it's not I, that's all I know,
I say I, knowing it's not I, I am afar, that's all I know, afar,
what does that mean, afar, no need to be afar, perhaps he's here,
in my arms, my arms, I don't feel any arms on me, if I could only

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Segment 4

[2322.5] feel something on me, it would be a starting-point, a starting-
point, ah if I could only laugh, I know what it is, they must
have told me what it is, but I can't do it, they can't have shown
me how to do it, it must be one of those faculties that cannot be
acquired.

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Segment 5

[2323.1] The silence, a word on the silence, in the silence,
that's the worst, to speak of silence, then lock me up, lock some-
one up, that is to say, what is that to say, calm, calm, I'm
calm, I'm locked up, I'm in something, it isn't I, that's all I
know, no more about that, that is to say, make a place, a little

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Segment 6

[2323.1] world, it will be round, this time it will be round, it's not
certain, low of ceiling, thick of walls, why low, why thick, I
don't know, it isn't certain, it remains to be seen, all that
remains to be seen, a little world, try and [] find out what it's
like, try and guess, put someone in it, seek someone in it,

Transcription
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