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Defence Mechanism and T.S Eliot's Pessimism

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Defence Mechanism and T.S Eliot's Pessimism International Journal of Research and Review www.ijrrjournal.com E-ISSN: 2349-9788; P-ISSN: 2454-2237 Review Article A Million Dollar Hope for the Practical People: Defence Mechanismand T.S Eliot's Pessimism Malay Saha Research Scholar, Dept. of English, Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University, Raghunathganj, Murshidabad, India. Received: 19/06/2015 Revised: 10/07/2015 Accepted: 16/07/2015 ABSTRACT Most of Eliot's readers look upon his protagonists as somewhat lost in the mire of materialism and sexual passion, swinging in between decision and indecision and groping in utter hopelessness. The belief is so firm that they look upon Eliot as a pessimistic poet and his protagonists as 'hollowmen'- spectres, invalid people or people cut off from the spring of life. Apparently, those characters being lifeless and inactive invent various psychological methods of 'projections' and 'defence mechanisms' to face the tribulations of life. But what we fail to take into account is the fact that those 'projections' and 'defence mechanisms' are kinds of reality checks that are practical and pragmatic and does not merely reveal the pessimistic mind- set of the people. Key Words: Psychological, projections, defence mechanisms, pessimism, hope. 1. INTRODUCTION Prufrock wants to open his heart to the lady It must be clear in the mind that Eliot's but he fears that the girls might taunt him protagonists are not the inhabitants of an and in that case he would be no better than a absurd world. His Prufrock or Gerontion are worm wriggling and pinned onto the wall. not Vladimir, Estrgon or a Davies willing Thus the mere action of proposing becomes every moment to call it a day. They do not an 'overwhelming question' of life. Prufrock grope in the dark for nothing or wait knows in the heart of his heart that for a bald eternally under a leafless tree .They are man like him, there is little chance of rather the product of their own kind with success in marital relationship with the their own inhibitions. They are afraid of women of the higher strata of society. The failure. That is the reason they procrastinate. women, on the other hand, are no better than But they are not heroic or tragic like Prufrock. They are frivolous and Hamlet. They are rather Polonius- verbose lighthearted. That is why they talk like and ostentious. Michaelangelo and are compared to a 'taxi throbbing waiting'. All lack courage and try a) Fear of Failure and Disillusionment: to substantiate their position by employing In "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" various defence mechanisms. the protagonist Prufrock finds proposing to In "The Hollow men" the hollow the lady of his liking as uphill a task as men are the inactive men who do not want murdering a man or disturbing the universe. to encounter the eyes of men of action like International Journal of Research & Review (www.gkpublication.in) 461 Vol.2; Issue: 7; July 2015 Beatrice or Charon. They love to remain in world is the only possible answer to recover shell, in their own death's dream kingdom. lost grace and simplicity. That is the subject In Gerontion we find a postwar modern man matter of most of his poems including "The who is totally disillusioned about life. He Waste Land”," Gerontion", and" Ash has achieved nothing in life. That is why he Wednesday". But in order to climb the is disillusioned. In Eliot's "The Waste Land" spiritual ladder, one has to combat the forces we have a bunch of souls lost in the mire of of evil. In "Purgatory", Dante had to materialism and sexual perversion. They struggle to ascend the steps of sincerity, have" Fear in a handful of dust" ("The penance and love to reach the spiritual Waste Land") all their life. But still they can mansion. nurture hope of resurrection only if they can In Eliot, the evils are doubt faithlessness give, sympathize and control: and sexual passion and one has to fight those “Datta Dayadhvam Damayata evils away. Shantih shantih shantih.” (Eliot, "The d) Communication Gap: Waste Land") One of the tragedies of the modern time is b) Boredom, Enuie and Paranoia: that we never have the feeling of empathy in If the characters in Eliot’s poems seem the suffering of others. The reason is pessimistic, it is because they suffer from a perhaps the communication gaps that lie kind of restlessness that is the product of a before us. Guided by selfish motives we fail devitalized society consumed by the fire of to take others into confidence. Instead of sexual passion. With nothing worthwhile to purity and simplicity in relationships, we do, they spend their life in boredom, sterility have ostentations and lust. That results in and frustration. Indeed the waste land is a disease. Prufrock failed in love because he barren place where there are people whom was too much conscious about himself and the contemporary society provides a “heap not the ladylove. The ladies too are misled of broken images' and 'fear in a handful of by their showism and pretentions. They are dust'. The typist girl, the lady of the much more interested in art and fashion than situation, Lil all suffer from some kind of life. We have communication gaps in mental illness or neurosis resulting from the Albert-Lil relationship, in the relationship complexities of modern life. If the Eliotean between the typist girl and her lover and characters seem negative or pessimistic, it is many relationships in found in Eliot's because they are neurotic, schizophrenic or poems. paranoid. e) A Practical set of People: c) Complexities of modern life: What may be argued in favour of the If the characters of Eliot are difficult to Eliotean characters is that they are a understand it is because of the complexities practical set of people who know how to live of modern life. The World War, in the modern world. Perhaps they ways industrialization, rapid urbanization and they act are the best among the possible evolution of a consumer society has rapidly ways. All of them know their limitations and eroded the moral fabrics and value culture of strength and accordingly take a forward the society. Instead of faith, there is doubt march or backtrack. This is revealed as and disbelief. Shorn of faith, they find it much in "A Portrait of a Lady" as in "The difficult to attain to spiritual grace. Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.' Disillusioned, they seek sexual gratification f) Rationalism: to remain in oblivion. Complete detachment Modern people are so scientifically from materialism and Renunciation of this tempered that complete surrender to Faith or International Journal of Research & Review (www.gkpublication.in) 462 Vol.2; Issue: 7; July 2015 God is not possible. In the poem that straightens up the ruffled feathers. "Gerontion", the old man feels sorry for his Though the protagonist in the poem finds loss of faith in Christianity and God, but he the present situation sordid and pitiable, it is also feels that faith itself has become the past days of childhood and the vision of adulterated and cannot provide any a better future -a life in Heaven that keeps consolation. him loving life. g) Life in the Squalor: k) Faith in Religion: The world of Eliot stinks of sex, filth and Though Eliot had written poems like fishy smell. But we know that life emerges "Gerontion" in which we find unmitigated even out of this squalor. In "Rhapsody on a gloom and stifling blackness, he also Windy Night" we see a prostitute inviting thundered in "The Waste Land" and rained the drunk night -walker and customers, a cat in "Ash Wednesday"." Ash Wednesday" devouring stale butter and the moon walking begins with the enunciation of blessed faith like an old prostitute. This not only presents and the voice of his beloved and is the bleakness or sordidness of the situation, ultimately followed by the vision of spiritual but also presents life as it is and proves that birth presided by Virgin Mary. life is not always available in its purest form; that purest love emerges even out of 2. CONCLUSION the mire of passion. We may, therefore, come to the h) Sex and the City: conclusion that all Eliotean characters were Eliot's world is narrow. His world is not lost souls as are supposed to be. If they confined to city and more precisely to red ponder a little bit and defer their actions, light areas and brothels. Most of the people those are ploys to counter possible failure. are prostitutes, spinsters, pimps or people looking for pay-sex. What the Eliote and REFERENCES heroes seek is not the basic needs for 1. Mayer, John T."T. S. Eliot's Silent survival like food and clothing, but sex and voices". New York: Oxford University the sex-stimulant. But this is not the Press.1989. universal human situation. There is a world 2. Matthiessen, Francis Otto. "The beyond the brothel-house and sex Achievement of T.S.Eliot: An Essay on i) Aged World: the Nature of Poetry". New York.1958. Eliot presents a bunch of devitalized senile 3. Ackroyd, Peter. "T.S.Eliot: A Life". people in most of his poems. There is an New York: Simon & Schuster.1984. elderly woman in "Portrait of a Lady", an 4. Eliot, T.S. "Prufrock and Other old man in "Gerontion" or a bald-headed Observatisons." London:"Egoist".1917. man in “The Love Song of J. Alfred 5. Eliot, T.S. "The Waste Land". New Prufrock". So their mourning and York: Boni & Live right.1930 hopelessness are not of the same as the 6.
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