Thinking activity
Q1- What are your views on the following image after reading 'The Waste Land'? Do you think that Eliot is regressive as compared to Nietzche's views? or has Eliot achieved universality of thought by recalling ,mytho- historical answer to the contemporary malaise?
> Yes , Eliot is regressive not progressive as compared to Nietzche's views. It is true that there is universality of thoughts in Eliot's poem "The Wasteland" but in a regressive way. We find the same theme surrounded in the poem till the end. Whatever Myths. stories, historical answer Eliot takes, all are supposed to end with a similar theme. i.e. Sexual perversion and Spiritual decay.
There are so many illustrations from the text of the poem which supports the regressiveness of Eliot's thought. His thought becomes more deeper and deeper and moved in backward direction, rather than forward. There we cannot find solution of anything. The decay and rottenness was surrounded everywhere.
Illustrations:-
Again in the next lines from the second part of the Poem Eliot speaks about the Idea of nothingness. There is no meanings for existence. It draws our attention towards the concept of existentialism which was one of the characteristics of modern age. Its again steps back towards a less developed state.
Even if there are so many myths and stories, Eliot is not able to give the conclusion or the solution for the problem about which he speaks in entire poem. He wants that all human should deal with the idea of morality and should go towards the path of spirituality. But all mankind are going towards spiritual degradation and sexual perversion.
Hence Nietzsche idea of Ubermensch is more progressive and looks forward in dealing with problems of contemporary crisis.
Q2- Gustaf Hellstrom's remark in the following image:-
What are your views regarding these comments? Is it true that giving free vent to the repressed 'primitive instinct' lead us to happy nad satisfied life? Or do you agree with Eliot's view that 'salvation of man lies in the preservation of the cultural tradition'?
>As per my views the idea of Freud of primitive instinct is more appropriate than the Eliot's view. For Freud the cause of confusion lies in discomfort and uneasiness in the culture of modern man whereas Eliot speaks about the preservation of the cultural tradition. Freud's view is direct and it clearly speaks about the satisfaction of human needs through satisfying primitive things. For Example- Human beings are always hungry and lustful creature and they like to satisfy their hunger with the process of sexual act.
It is same as Osho's Idea about sex that if you like or desire for sexual pleasure then fulfills it without hesitation. Whatever human like he or she can do to overcome his/her hunger.
Even if human grows older the desire never gets old. This should always remains in conscious or subconcious state and whenever they want they fulfils it.
Hence Freud's Idea is more powerful. Eliot Idea about preservation, self control is not work in the present time. As human grows older he/she may learn to control over his/her feelings but only because of age they are controlling but inside there is same desire as found in the Young generation, but because of inability they couldn't fulfills it.
Eliot speaks about the conscious state that, when human was doing things consciously he/she can control his/her feelings or anything. But according to Freud there always the presence of subconscious state of mind that make us doing things which we can't imagine or never think of it directly.
Q3- Allusion to the Indian thoughts in 'The Wasteland'
In the entire poem there are lots of reference which describes the indian though indirectly. Some of them are:-
a) Three Da's
> Datta
>Damyata
> Dayadhvam
These are taken from Indian Brihadaranyaka upanishada. Dattta means the giver (Almighty God), Damyata means self control and Dayadhvam means sympathise. Eliot puts great force in these three Da's that we should follow to atains spirituality.
b) Shantih Shlok
The peace that passes beyond all understanding. We always get peace at the end. Similarly the poem also ends with the hope that one day everything should be redeemed.
c) Holy river Ganga
"Ganga was sunken, and the limp lives, waited for rain, while the black clouds, Gathered far distant, over Himavant....."
Eliot also used the reference of the Mythical Indian Holy river Ganga which was known for its purity.
Q4- Why Eliot refer Indian thoughts?
>There is very important reason of making the use of Indian thoughts in 'Wasteland'. Whenever foreigners think of India, they think of Spiritualistic value rather than materialistic. In a way Indian culture answers to the problems which was faced by the west. Whenever the west is rotten, the great poet of west looks at India to find solution, to attain spirituality. That is the thing which makes Indian people to feel pride.
Indian Idea of Spirituality always attracted the western people who came in India just to get peace which they were not found in any corner of the world. In India there are most of faithful and spiritual people living who with their positive wives affects and attracts the other.
There are so many examples of Spiritual and Philosophical Gurus in India
-Swami Vivekanad
-Ramkrishna Param hans
-Shri Aurobindo
-Osho Rajneesh
and many more
That is the only reason that why Eliot referred Indian Thoughts. Eliot finds sexual perversion, spiritual decay everywhere and with a hope to get solution he looks on the Indian Idea of spirituality to attain salvation. But he ended his poem with hope, even he is not sure that whether it could be done, achieved or not. Thats why Freaud's concept of ubermensch becomes more powerful beacuse it goes progressively and also oofers solution.
Q1- What are your views on the following image after reading 'The Waste Land'? Do you think that Eliot is regressive as compared to Nietzche's views? or has Eliot achieved universality of thought by recalling ,mytho- historical answer to the contemporary malaise?
> Yes , Eliot is regressive not progressive as compared to Nietzche's views. It is true that there is universality of thoughts in Eliot's poem "The Wasteland" but in a regressive way. We find the same theme surrounded in the poem till the end. Whatever Myths. stories, historical answer Eliot takes, all are supposed to end with a similar theme. i.e. Sexual perversion and Spiritual decay.
There are so many illustrations from the text of the poem which supports the regressiveness of Eliot's thought. His thought becomes more deeper and deeper and moved in backward direction, rather than forward. There we cannot find solution of anything. The decay and rottenness was surrounded everywhere.
Illustrations:-
"April is the cruellest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain" (The burial of the dead)
"What shall I do now? What shall I do?", I shall rush out as I am, and walk the street, "with my hair down, so. What shall we do to-morrow?"(A Game of Chess)In the above lines, there is regressiveness of thoughts. We can see that Eliot in the first two lines from the first part of Wasteland "The Burial of the dead" described about the cruelty of April month. Normally poets goes with describing the beauty of april, like in Canterbury tales by Chaucer April is the month of shower. but here things are different. In this way Eliot not only breaking the metaphor but also moveing towards regressive state. To a less developed state.
Again in the next lines from the second part of the Poem Eliot speaks about the Idea of nothingness. There is no meanings for existence. It draws our attention towards the concept of existentialism which was one of the characteristics of modern age. Its again steps back towards a less developed state.
Even if there are so many myths and stories, Eliot is not able to give the conclusion or the solution for the problem about which he speaks in entire poem. He wants that all human should deal with the idea of morality and should go towards the path of spirituality. But all mankind are going towards spiritual degradation and sexual perversion.
Hence Nietzsche idea of Ubermensch is more progressive and looks forward in dealing with problems of contemporary crisis.
Q2- Gustaf Hellstrom's remark in the following image:-
What are your views regarding these comments? Is it true that giving free vent to the repressed 'primitive instinct' lead us to happy nad satisfied life? Or do you agree with Eliot's view that 'salvation of man lies in the preservation of the cultural tradition'?
>As per my views the idea of Freud of primitive instinct is more appropriate than the Eliot's view. For Freud the cause of confusion lies in discomfort and uneasiness in the culture of modern man whereas Eliot speaks about the preservation of the cultural tradition. Freud's view is direct and it clearly speaks about the satisfaction of human needs through satisfying primitive things. For Example- Human beings are always hungry and lustful creature and they like to satisfy their hunger with the process of sexual act.
It is same as Osho's Idea about sex that if you like or desire for sexual pleasure then fulfills it without hesitation. Whatever human like he or she can do to overcome his/her hunger.
Even if human grows older the desire never gets old. This should always remains in conscious or subconcious state and whenever they want they fulfils it.
Hence Freud's Idea is more powerful. Eliot Idea about preservation, self control is not work in the present time. As human grows older he/she may learn to control over his/her feelings but only because of age they are controlling but inside there is same desire as found in the Young generation, but because of inability they couldn't fulfills it.
Eliot speaks about the conscious state that, when human was doing things consciously he/she can control his/her feelings or anything. But according to Freud there always the presence of subconscious state of mind that make us doing things which we can't imagine or never think of it directly.
Q3- Allusion to the Indian thoughts in 'The Wasteland'
In the entire poem there are lots of reference which describes the indian though indirectly. Some of them are:-
a) Three Da's
> Datta
>Damyata
> Dayadhvam
These are taken from Indian Brihadaranyaka upanishada. Dattta means the giver (Almighty God), Damyata means self control and Dayadhvam means sympathise. Eliot puts great force in these three Da's that we should follow to atains spirituality.
b) Shantih Shlok
The peace that passes beyond all understanding. We always get peace at the end. Similarly the poem also ends with the hope that one day everything should be redeemed.
c) Holy river Ganga
"Ganga was sunken, and the limp lives, waited for rain, while the black clouds, Gathered far distant, over Himavant....."
Eliot also used the reference of the Mythical Indian Holy river Ganga which was known for its purity.
Q4- Why Eliot refer Indian thoughts?
>There is very important reason of making the use of Indian thoughts in 'Wasteland'. Whenever foreigners think of India, they think of Spiritualistic value rather than materialistic. In a way Indian culture answers to the problems which was faced by the west. Whenever the west is rotten, the great poet of west looks at India to find solution, to attain spirituality. That is the thing which makes Indian people to feel pride.
Indian Idea of Spirituality always attracted the western people who came in India just to get peace which they were not found in any corner of the world. In India there are most of faithful and spiritual people living who with their positive wives affects and attracts the other.
There are so many examples of Spiritual and Philosophical Gurus in India
-Swami Vivekanad
-Ramkrishna Param hans
-Shri Aurobindo
-Osho Rajneesh
and many more
That is the only reason that why Eliot referred Indian Thoughts. Eliot finds sexual perversion, spiritual decay everywhere and with a hope to get solution he looks on the Indian Idea of spirituality to attain salvation. But he ended his poem with hope, even he is not sure that whether it could be done, achieved or not. Thats why Freaud's concept of ubermensch becomes more powerful beacuse it goes progressively and also oofers solution.
No comments:
Post a Comment