The waste land by T.S. Eliot
The poem “The Waste Land” written by the legendary British literary expert T.S. Eliot is by all standards a masterpiece that is rich in a language consumed by timeless philosophical thoughts, imagery and symbolic language. Essentially, the poem talks about sorrow expressed in four main sections—the feminine gender, nature, memories and seasons. The element of sorrow is poignantly expressed by the recurrent reference to decay and dead matter. Another central feature of the poem’s reference to wastefulness lies in the analogy of the devastating and ravaging relics of the First World War coupled with its attendant effects of despair and disillusionment brought upon the human race without regard for geographical boundaries. However, the thrust of this essay will be hinged on the role of women within the framework of their role as a major character in their poem to be linked up with Zora Neale Hurston’s novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God” to reach an inferential conclusion that will seek to understand the socio-cultural positioned carved out and occupied by contemporary women.
Each of the three feminine characters described in “The Waste Land” though remotely disconnected still shared a common feature. Their individual differences notwithstanding, they all had being plagued with an unspeakable level of sorrow and sadness expressed in the manner in which they all recall their past experiences which were all had definite pinches of bitterness.
Going by the sequential manner in which the author introduces the characters, Marie appears first. The first impression gotten from her is the gloom and bewilderment she has to contend with, in view of the fact that the winter is over and the month of April has come. According to Marie, “April is the cruelest month.. Winter kept us warm, covering Earth in forgetful snow…” Marie’s gloom stems from the reality that she is missing the warmth of the gone winter. Still within the discourse, the character suddenly makes mention of a buried corpse somewhere in the garden, which leaves her asking if that buried corpse will ever grow. One begins to wonder the reason behind the introduction of the corpse and its particular relevance to the story. In one breadth the mention of the corpse in the story can be interpreted as a channel through which Marie chooses to sooth her sorrow, partly, it can also be said that there is no mention of any form of comfort that she is receiving. In the next breadth it can be a way of throwing up her hands in despair in other words she may be descending a path of fatalism.
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