Literature

The generation during the dawn and dusk of the First World War has been characterized by a great depression. This generation was marked by the depressed state of humanity which has been brought by the wrath and atrocity of the war. During this gloomy generation, the cultural ideals of love, peace and hope have been greatly challenged by the dreadful realities that the world faced. This saddening truth has been depicted in literature where a lot of authors creatively portrayed the destruction of humanity as well as the downfall of the values and ideals that were previously seen to change the world. During this part of the twentieth century, a lot of people relied on literature in enriching their consciousness and wisdom about the realities of life. This made the field of literature gain a considerable amount of power during that time. Authors became popular like celebrities, and people's inclination to novels and poetry became unequaled. One of the most renowned authors in the generation was Thomas Sterns Eliot who was eventually more popularly known as T. S. Eliot. His poems were observed to carry the truest yet also the most painful realities in the society. One of his most valued works throughout his entire career was The Wasteland (1922). This story has been regarded as one of Eliot's most important works and one of his most relevant masterpieces as it conveys and reflects the climate and environment during its time (Rai 1). In this story, Eliot was not just able to depict the destruction of the human consciousness as well as humanity, but he was also able to present clearly, what made literature so powerful during this era. This piece of literary work has become one of the most reviewed and  appraised novels during Eliot's time. Its themes that have explored on different aspects of humanity have been perceived to create dramatic implication in the 20th century society. But aside from depicting the saddening truth about the loss of humanity after the World War I, it was also observed how Eliot creatively portrayed the roles of women during that time. Aside from the destruction of values and morals, Eliot was also able to display the harsh and suppressive lives of women during the Victorian era. During this age, the implicative roles of gender and sexuality was realized through literary works like The Wasteland of T. S. Eliot. This work apparently served as an eye-opener about the realities of sexuality that, during that time, were intentionally taken for granted. Hence, after perceiving the considerable significance of Eliot's The Wasteland, this discussion shall delve on exploring the major themes and ideals presented in this work. This discussion shall also work on building up the claim that Eliot's The Wasteland is an appropriate exemplar of a piece of literature which presents the punishing and painful realities of women's life during the twentieth century, as well as their enslaved role during the repressive Victorian era.
An Analysis of The Waste land Through Ideologies, Themes and Characterizations Applied

The Waste Land: An Over View

In this endeavor of analyzing and exploring how Eliot's work depicted the roles of women during the twentieth century, it may appear important to understand the meaning and message poem first before going deep into the technical literary aspects. As a whole, Eliot's The Waste Land basically delves on the ideals of death, sex and unhappiness. In the first part, Eliot immediately counters the notion of Chaucer about the month of April. Instead of depicting this month as the season of life and regeneration, Eliot prefers presenting this month as the darkest, as what can be perceived in  his opening line which says, “April is the cruellest month” (Eliot 55). Some critics even  regard Eliot's depiction as a depiction of hell. Fernan Nuhn once remarked that “it may be useful to look upon The Waste Land as one of a series of poetic 'descents into hell''” (Nuhn, qtd. in Donker 164).What follows in this introductory chapter is the discussion of the natural cycle of death. In the succeeding parts of the poem, Eliot reveals how death can steal positivism away from the world. The author also depicts death in a lot of ways such as through work, war and unhappiness. As the poem runs along, the author then transits from the theme of death to sexuality. In this part of the poem, the author reveals the association of women to sex slavery. The author appears to empathize with women who were seen as mere sex objects during the repressive generation of the Victorian Era. There were also explicit  representations of loveless sexual intercourses that somehow present the painful reality that during those times, some women were just regarded as sex objects of men. Hopelessness and despair were also portrayed through phrases as “As a rat crept softly through the vegetation / Dragging its slimy belly on the bank” (61). From this part, Eliot then transits to images that depict sex, death and rape. And again, the gruesome torture and maltreatment on women as mere sex objects was portrayed. Basically, the poem presented a gloomy and distressing atmosphere. It was able to depict the depression caused by the war, as well as the depression which emanated from women who have been abused and maltreated during the repressive generation of the Victorian era.

These are the major ideals and themes presented in the poem. These ideals can already present how women were portrayed during the twentieth century; however, this can still be further explicated by going into the ideologies and perspectives the author applied in this piece of literature.
Modernism and Gender in The Waste Land

Modernism can easily be associated to T. S. Eliot's works. This is because the height of his career can be perceived to be characterized by this genre. Modernism has been tried to define by several thinkers over the years. However, up to this date, there appears no concrete
definition of modernism. According to Peter Childs, who explicated on the ideal of modernism in his book, Modernism, this genre cannot be defined in a single view. According to Childs, there are several perspectives in defining this term. In talking under the time-bound perspective, modernism can be defined as a genre “located in the years 1890, 1930, with a wider acknowledgement that it develops from the mid-nineteenth century and begins to lose its influence in the mid-twentieth century” (Childs 18). Considering this definition, Eliot's work can easily be categorized as modernist piece of work as it falls under the time frame. Aside from this, Childs notes that the meaning of modernism can also be viewed according to the genre-bound perspective. In this view, “modernism is associated with innovation and novelty”, and is “stretched to include such British and Irish figures as John Donne, William Blake, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Laurence Sterne” (18). Although Eliot was not mentioned in this roster of popular modernists, his works nonetheless fall under the categories of innovation as it tackles some of the newest and most controversial issues that were not touched by popular literature during his time.

Modernism has been very dominant during Eliot's course of completing The Waste Land. This might have been the greatest factor which made him lean on such a genre during the completion of the poem. However, aside from this, it appears that the context of the poem, as well as the author's environment during that time also played important roles. Modernism was found to be greatly affected by humanism (Kirkham 15). This was observed not just in literature but also in arts and in architecture. Considering the generation when The Waste Land was published, it can be recalled that the society was filled with issues concerning humanism. During this period, a lot of issues on morality were realized. Since people were dealing with post-war days, it was inevitable that some people was not yet getting over the atrocity and violence the war brought. During this time, the society, especially the English and American societies have been clouded by gloom and hostility that gave way to serious societal predicaments such as crimes and corruption. People's minds have also been clouded evil and greed as people seek for resources that have been left after the war. However aside from this ideology, Eliot's leaning to gender issues has been apparent in his work. Over the years, issues on gender and sexuality seem to never grow old. It has been perceived as an embedded ideal in the patriarchal structure of the society especially during the earlier times (Bondi 245). Any literary work which depicts these issues seem to be regarded highly by the society despite the controversies and the perceived sensitivity of such topics. The world's introduction to gender issues has also been set in time with Eliot's ideation of The Waste Land. In 1990s, gender was officially explicated by a team of collaborators who worked on the ideals of both gender and modernism. In their study of gender, it has been explicated as,

“a category constructed through cultural and social systems. Unlike sex, it is not a biological fact determined as conception […] Gender is more fluid, flexible, and multiple in its options than the (so far) unchanging biological binary of male and female. In history, across cultures, and in the lifetime development of the individual, there are variations in what it means to be masculine, or feminine, in the availability of identifications such as asexual and androgynous, and in the social implications of lesbian, homosexual, and heterosexual orientations.” (Scott 1)
Considering this explication of what gender is, it can be observed through Eliot's work that he completely understood this concept. In The Waste Land, Eliot's consideration to homosexual issues were clearly depicted in the explicit desire of the character, Mr. Eugenides to have a homosexual affair with the poet. Eliot, unlike several poets from his generation, was never afraid to present such sensitive and crucial issues on gender. During the decade when this work was published, the society was not yet that tolerant on homosexual issues. But in his endeavor to encourage discourses on this subject matter, Eliot daringly explored on this aspect of gender alongside other sensitive issues that deal with gender discrimination and inequality.

It has indeed been apparent that Eliot never became disinclined in presenting sensitive societal issues such as homosexuality. However, as compared to this issue, it can be observed that the author delved more on the issue regarding the roles of women during the Victorian era. The Victorian era was characterized by the repressive nature of its society. This was the time when women were never granted the opportunities and privileges that were able to men enjoy education, freedom of expression and professional opportunities. This predicament has long been attributed to the traditional nature of this period; however, what makes this issue more problematic are the events abusive and discriminant treatments against women that caused several feminist movements. In The Wasteland, several depictions of maltreatment and abuse of women were depicted. In lines 96 to 104, the function of women as mere sex objects by men was portrayed, but in a rather symbolical manner:

“In which sad light a carved dolphin swam.

Above the antique mantel was displayed

As though a window gave upon the sylvan scene

The change of Philomel, by the barbarous king

So rudely forced; yet there the nightingale

Filled all the desert with inviolable vice

And still she cried, and still the world pursues

'Jug Jug' to dirty ears.

And other withered stumps of time.” (Eliot 58)
In these lines, a rape scenario can be observed through lines like “so rudely forced” which explicitly portrays an intimate act which is against the Philomel's will. In a lot of ways, this event represents the reality which is incontestable during that period of the Victorian era. During that time, hearing about cases of women being raped either by some unknown attacker or their own husbands do not seem like odd or surprising events. People have been used to hearing cases like this, and people were not enforced to act on such cases as if they were illegal or unjust. This presents a painful reality that there was really a time in the past when women do not have the right to protest whenever they were being forced into a sexual intercourse. In the context of today's law, this is popularly known as rape; however, back in the old times, this is but a case where a woman had to submit to whatever her husband commands, since she is bound to serve him. In a lot of ways, Eliot appeared very concerned about the painful realities of gender and sexuality during his time. As it appears, during the time when the entire society was being blinded by the unacceptable roles of women, Eliot was already aware that the situation does appear objectionable. Eliot was also able to present his thoughts on the perceived roles of women in a rather implicit manner. If today, women are already seen as independent and competent members of the society, during that time, Eliot witnessed a different thing. During those days, Eliot has been used to seeing women like slaved not just of their own husbands but also slaves of the torturous and maltreating society. These appear to be the main reasons why this work appears to be very expressive on the author's views on the issues regarding gender and sexuality. Apparently, the society during the Victorian era has been so repressive of women's rights that gender inequality and insensitivity was easily perceived. Aside from the apparent issues on morality from which the society is suffering during that time, Eliot preferred to capture one of the most sensitive issues which he thinks the society needs to address (Scott 113). Indeed, this explains why gender appears to be one of the most dominant themes in this work alongside modernism. Apparently, these ideals are the two most talked-about concepts during the time.
Perceived Significance of Eliot's Work

Eliot regards consistency in poetry as one of its most powerful features. With this he considers poets, like Shakespeare, as 'great' since they are able to create one single meaning out of their works. Eliot specifically notes,

“the whole of Shakespeare's work is one poem […] and it is the poetry of it in this sense, not the poetry of isolated lines and passages or the poetry of single figures which he created, that matters most […] one significant consistent and developing personality.” (Eliot, qtd. in Raine xix)
Considering this, Eliot must have also considered himself as 'great'. Although The Waste Land portrayed several issues and ideals of the twentieth century, it was nonetheless able to displace one single message. As it appears, Eliot's utmost concern was the moral stability of the society during the Victorian era. Considering the wrath and hostility that were brought by the war, a lot of people found it hard to bring back the positivity and pleasingness in their environment. Because of this several societal issues inevitably rose, such as issues on Gender and Sexuality. Gender inequality was just one of the major issues that branched out from the moral instability after the First World War. And Eliot's depiction of this issue can be considered as one of the major milestone which brought about the larger feminist movement which fought against gender inequality and discrimination.  Although critics have already tagged Eliot's poetic style as humorously vulgar and somewhat ribald (Chinitz 329), they were unable to defy the significance of this work in terms of reflecting the painful realities of the Victorian era. It was not denied that this work of Eliot has to be considered as one of the best portrayal of how grueling and absurd the roles of women have been during that period. Moreover, it can not also be denied that this work of Eliot touches several other issues which helped people be awakened about how bad the society has got. Considering this, the significance of this work by T. S. Eliot can indeed be regarded as one of his most valuable works. It proves the claim that literature during the Victorian era has indeed played a powerful and implicative role as his work, The Waste Land, was able to induce some positive effects on the general awareness on gender equality. This work has has also given birth to a lot of feminist movements that fought against gender discrimination, which is one concrete sign of how suggestive and relevant this work has been over the years.

After having read and analyzed Eliot's The Waste Land, it can be said that Eliot has been one of the most daring and fearless authors of the twentieth century. Considering how venturesome he was in depicting the most sensitive issues on morality and sexuality, Eliot's ability avant-garde nature appears incontestable. His ability to package his words in a stirring manner has also influenced “his poetry, drama, and critical ideas far more heavily than has been generally realized” (Hargrove 62). But above all this, what appears commendable in this work was the explicit representation of the reality on women's roles during the Victorian era. This work by Eliot undeniably serves as one of the best reflections on how repressive the Victorian was really like. Thus, it can be said that Eliot's The Wasteland serves as an appropriate exemplar of a piece of literature which presents the punishing and painful realities of women's life during the twentieth century, as well as their enslaved role during the repressive Victorian era.