Modernism and "The Wasteland"

[ofcatslives]

I should first warn everyone that I wrote the majority of this post Monday after the lecture, so there will be some discrepancies in my references to the day seeing as how I am posting this entry today and not Monday (as I had initially intended). Here it goes

Comments

[meag_o]

Oh my goodness Janice that is a super good question about Hermann Hesse. Hopefully the Prof Kuin can answer that one, because I'd love to know if the two authors are connected. I'm a huge fan of Hesse's "Steppenwolf", but I haven't read "Siddhartha". Ooo. Ooo that is so going on the summer reading list.

[may_posa1]

Hi Janice,
Eliot making reference to Buddha threw me off as well, I mean isn't one aspect of the modern period the disbelief in 'GOD'? I mean WWI was not the crusades, it was fought for people. I know 'god is dead'..but that occurs later on, and then postmodernism arrives with 'the author is dead', and aren't we now in a postmodern time, so then...who is alive? I say just look down south to the Bush land, God apparently rules, and determines politics, for example, he makes abortions a crime (I believe it is illegal to abort in South Carolina now, no exceptions to rape and incest are alllowed).
Back to the Waste Land, no more Bush rant, why does everyone like this poem? I like it in pieces, the thrid section is the best, the others....ah not so much to my liking..which section was your faveorite and why?
-Lesley-Anne

[ofcatslives]

Wow, that was a loaded comment, I am going to reply in stages

[meag_o]

Hey Girls

[ofcatslives]

Wow, thanks for all the clarification Meg. You are correct about Buddhism, I am actually also a Religious Studies major, so I know a bit about Buddhism and what you have about the goal of this Eastern tradition is accurate and yes, Modernists and the youth of today are very attrated to this (although I am not).

Janice

[kgore]

Hey, long time no see! I've been....well, a bad one for the attendence. Anyway, I decided to take a look at your livejournal, I'm having a hard time with The Wasteland (i.e. I dispise it with a passion and I'm having a bit of difficulty in voicing my hatred in a scholarly manner) and your post cleared a few things up for me. Hopefully I'll see you in class soon!

[ofcatslives]

Hello, good to hear from you. My livejournal welcomes you and please feel free to come back anytime. Also, I am so pleased that I have been able to help you in any way.

Take care,
Janice

[elephamus]

Thanks for compiling a list on modernism. I find it helpful. And I think I can see everything on your list in The Wasteland. I wasn't sure about "determinism" (still am not), but in terms of pscyhology, I think the "middle-style" section with the woman whose "nerves are bad tonight" in line 111 demonstrates psychological exploration

I found this website about T.S. Eliot and Herman Hesse. I'm not sure how the quality of its scholarship is, but it's interesting. http://world.std.com/~raparker/exploring/tseliot/people/hesse.html

I'd be interested in learning about whether there was a heightened interest in Buddhist and Hindu doctrine/philosophy during Eliot's time. I really don't know. It wouldn't surprise me; as you note this was a time of experimentation and discovering "new" things (even if they were thousands of years old).

[ofcatslives]

Hey Sarah,

I am pleased my list has helped you and thank you for the link, it seems Hesse and Eliot knew one another, how exciting!

[tricia_stewart]

Wonderful post Janice, it cleared some things up for me about 'The Wasteland'. Although I still don't completely understand it nor do I know the answers to your questions but if I didn't have an essay waiting for me I would look them up. Great job! :)