MODERN END OF THE WORLD.

FROM THE PENS OF T.S ELIOT AND W.B. YEATS

                 Virginia Woolf, arguably the most prominent female writer of the modern age, once wrote that, 'in or about . . . December 1910 human character changed. The change was not sudden or definite  but change there was nonetheless.' Her reflection was perhaps to the cultural shocks that gripped the continent of Europe at that time and its dire effect on the rest of the world. This age where famous poets like T. S. Eliot and W. B. Yeats wrote was therefore an age of contradiction and decadence widespread chaos and moral and spiritual degeneration. And it is this sense of fragmentation, loss and confusion that both these poets expressed best in the respective powerful, ingenious and apocalyptic poems: Hollow men by Eliot and Second Coming by Yeats.

                 T. S. Eliot in his Hollow Men (written in 1925, few years after the Great War) shows this emptiness of modern man and the dissatisfaction, passivity prevalent in his age. The poem begins with an epigraph from Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. 'Mistah Kurtz - he is dead', which is an indication that Mr. Kurtz with his focus on materialism is spiritually dead, a hollow man. The first verse indicate an emotional and spiritual hollowness with no sense of individuality found in men who have a 'head piece filled with straw', without thought causing them to be empty and futile. This is a reference to Guy Fawks, an Englishman who tried to blow up the Parliament. The extremely graphic imagery used by the poet to show the sense of nothingness in their ‘whispering’ which is ‘quiet and meaningless,’ reveals how they are morally and spiritually devoid of feelings or any affection. Mankind had torn each other apart. The second part of the poem reveals an array of contradiction ‘shape without form, shade without color,’ a blend of colorful oxymoron which portrays how the essential elements are missing. These ‘hollow men’, which is a reference to the men of his age (and no doubt to our age as well), is according to the poet in the very state of limbo described by Dante, in his sensational ‘Inferno,’ who never made to the land of the Kingdom, because they are those who due to their own apathy only deserves to ‘look and pass them by.’

These references used by Eliot shows the moral paralysis of modern man where religion and other institution had failed and the ‘eye’ of the hollow men, vague and insolent reveals this complacency. The fragmented lines used by the poet in the poem and in his other works such as the ‘Waste Land’ demonstrate the chaotic state of modern existence – ‘these fragments I have showed against my ruins.’ The poet also as the poem progresses calls the society he lived in a ‘dead land’ and a ‘cactus land’, an image of Waste land, lifelessness; an indication to what man have done to their land in the never ending rage and conflict. Further spiritual deterioration is seen in the lines ‘stone images are raised,’ worshiping false Gods, bereft of spirituality. The poet continuously stresses this sense of alienation in every angle even the prayers of Hollow men as blasphemous one, devoid of faith. Entire modern world according to T. S. Eliot was a spiritual wasteland.

            It is this decadence that is expressed in W. B. Yeats’ Second Coming as well. Though the title indicates the prophesied Second Coming of the Messiah, the poet skillfully projects a rather subverted angle of this coming. Written in 1919, immediately after the First World War, the first line itself ‘turning and turning in the widening gyre,’ is like a dooming prophecy of the state of the world in that chaotic time. The spiritual and moral vacuum found in the world is best expressed in the lines ‘the falcon’ – man ‘cannot hear the falconer’ – God. This is powerful outcry at the failure of organized religion to sustain values and morals. The poet in the first stanza describes the condition of the world, the sheer lawlessness - ‘mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,’ ‘things fall apart,’ is a powerful description of the apocalyptic state the world was heading to. This is a reflection on the destruction caused by the First World War, death, upheaval and revolutions that followed – ‘the blood dimmed tide’ drowning everything in its path. In such catastrophic times the lines from the second stanza, ‘Surely some revelation is at hands, surely some Second Coming is at hand,’ at first brings a sense of relief that there might be something that could stop the mayhem and madness in the world. But instead of Christ’s Second Coming he anticipates the arrival of a beast, with a body of a lion and head of a man – according to most critics, the Anti-Christ. This juxtaposition of the ‘lion body’ and the ‘head of a man’ indicate the strength and power of the intelligent creature but it is in its movement that he creates the terror. Words like ‘slow thighs, slouches’ indicates though it is slow it has a pervasive determination and it is inevitable. So when the gyre that the poet referred in the beginning collapses due to the moral and spiritual crisis of man it would not be for a future of salvation as the biblical prophecy goes, but rather for a greater terror. The rocking cradle of man’s civilization will hence give birth not to Christ, but a monster.

It is this very sense of confusion and bitterness of a degenerated humanity that both these poets attack in their poems. While W.B. Yeats attack the status of modern man, by describing that the ‘best lacks conviction while the worst is full of passionate intensity,’ it is this lack of conviction that Eliot also notes and refer to as those who have ‘headpiece filled with straw.’ They are the hollow men. It is the inaction of good men which they both believe that had bought upon the triumph of evil in the world, a situation no different today as well. It is through the use of tone, visual imagery that both the poets paint a portrayal of a very apocalyptic world. This is also perhaps why both the poets are considered among the greatest modern poets of all time. The subversion of the Mulberry Bush by Eliot and the subversion of the Second Coming by Yeats are indication that both these poets feel that there is no positivity in future if mankind was to remain so complacent. It is a deliberate systematized creation of dystopia. Their prophecy of the end of the world is ‘not with a bang, but with a whimper’ – not as grand as conventions had promised but with suffering and chaos, not with the aid of a Messiah but at the hands of a ‘rough beast.’ This is because man has allowed the world that the God saved to deteriorate to this state and therefore they deserve not to expect a positive Second Coming. Although both the poems end with such negativity, there are critics who had seen a faint glimpse of hope in it. The fact that Second Coming ends with a question mark can be seen as a reflection of caution and also in Hollow Men, by painting such stark reality of complacent people, Eliot could be seen injecting a note of caution on what would happen if people continue being so, and it is this spiritual and moral chaos of man which makes both poets anticipate a future far more poignant and frightening than the present condition they lived in.

Pic: Deviantart.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

THE SOCIAL CRITIC: YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW

William Shakespeare, regarded as the most powerful English playwright and one of the most finest English poet, had written in his last play the Tempest - ‘O brave new world, That has such people in it!’ such people that today question his relevancy in the contemporary world. In his 36 plays and 154 sonnets, he left behind to all those who came after him the evidence of a prodigious mind, witty sense of humor, deep sensitivity to human emotions, and undeniably rich education that laid the very foundation of English literature as we know today. Therefore to question his pertinence in the modern world is also to question the significance of English literature in our lives. For those of us who believe Literature to be a source of mere entertainment or stepping stone for greater skill at language or familiarizing oneself with beat, meter, rhythm, Shakespeare’s importance might have dwindled in this rapidly changing world. But to those who view Literature itself to be a vehicle of social understanding an enriching eye opener, that not only makes one reflect but  also question, then there is much to learn from Shakespeare even today.  For it is undeniable that Shakespeare spoke profoundly of human condition in throes of societal injustice and prejudice. So while readily acknowledging the importance of Shakespeare as a playwright and a poet, one should also bear in mind that in his work lay a voice that addressed issues that cannot be negated in any society of any age.

SHAKESPEARE STEREOTYPED?

To undertake an analysis of Shakespeare’s relevance today, it is important to bring to light an issue that he dealt with in different forms, that which is most profoundly felt in these times as well. Discrimination. While Shakespeare’s role as a critic of discrimination has been widely subjected to criticism, thanks to the portrayal of Caliban as ‘a thing most brutish’ from a ‘vile race’ in Tempest and the unmistakable anti-Semitic villainy of Shylock in Merchant of Venice and the tragic fall of the ‘black Moor’ Othello, it is not so simple as it has made out to be. And yet his portrayals of these characters are not any far different from the portrayal of Jews and Blacks and even other marginalized minority in today’s times. This is not a justification of his actions but rather a rational understanding that even amongst those of us who claim to be ‘modern’ and ‘civilized’ such tone is evident. Therefore to judge Shakespeare to be racist, is to stereotype him as well. Perhaps by succumbing to the pressure of judging an English man writing at a time of colonial zenith, there could be possibility that many had overlooked the undertones of implied criticism in all these plays.

MERCHANT OF VENICE:

In what is considered to be one his most famous Romantic Comedy, the portrayal of the Jew usurer Shylock as a blood thirsty villain had led many to condemn his plays as anti-Semitic. While the racist line is more easily discernible, the powerful speech made by Shylock that drives the plot to its dramatic and emotional peak can be seen as Shakespeare’s own rebuke at the Christians for their attitudes against the Jews. And this very famous sermon has unmistakable similarity to the pleas made by many oppressed minority today be it Jews, Muslims, Christians, or Hindus.

‘Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, heaped by the same means, warm'd and cooped by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. . . . The villainy you teach me, I will execute.’ (Act III, Scene I)

In this one speech there lies the timeless and universal claim of a common humanity and the sheer absurdity of propagating ethnocentric values in a quest to keep a group of people undermined. But what is striking the most is the lines, ‘The villainy you teach me, I will execute,’ a stark reminder of how violence sets in motion a cycle of bloodshed that leaves both sides paralyzed. Is this an unfamiliar, absurd concept in the modern day? One has to merely glance at the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict, or the Russian-Chechnian dispute or Hindu-Muslim skirmish. Shylock’s bloodthirsty cruelty is a result of the Venetians treatment of him much like many acts of terrorism so rampant today is undeniably a fire lit from years of suppression and marginalization. Shakespeare therefore through Shylock mirror images the concealed real nature of the authority, a powerful depiction of their hypocritical façade.

OTHELLO:
It is this same notion of discrimination but based on colour that  is reflected in his sensational tragedy Othello. While the conventional reading of the play involves the destruction of Othello because of his fatal flaw of jealousy, there is no denying that the completely driving power of the play is racism. The profound alienation of Othello despite arriving at his position by merit shows that he is destroyed by racism. His one flaw is harnessed by Iago, who though is seen as astute villain only because Othello is culturally and racially alien. This is best seen where Iago provoked Barbantio with the news of Othello and Desdemona’s elope. ‘Even now, now, very now, an old black ram Is tupping your white ewe’ (Othello, Act 1, Scene 1). Therefore it is safe to assume that Shakespeare reveals Iago as an extreme manifestation and instrument of that racially driven society. This is not to deny that Iago brings him down through jealousy but to bear in mind the social context that motivates Iago to do so. And this alienation of Othello from himself and society is not an unfamiliar subject. Many people all over the world, had attempted to integrate into a society that had marginalized them hoping for acceptance only to find that the majority would not allow them to assimilate or accept them as equals. Is this an alien notion in India? What has happened to the backward classes? When these messages that Shakespeare had sent centuries ago are evident today, to dismiss him as irrelevant would be to do great injustice.

It is therefore important to state that in these works of Shakespeare he addresses these social issues not as a social or political activist but with a level of subtlety and ambiguity that forces his audience to not only move emotionally but to think and understand.  He was not a social analyst, reformer and definitely not an activist. But at the end of the day he acknowledged and projected with delicate sensibility the society as it was and unfortunately how it is even today. The notable thing is that Shakespeare staunchly reflected the world view of his time with incomparable talent and ability, and yet focusing on essential human qualities, virtues and vices alike, which remains relevant to all times. But in the end all of this depends upon the perception with which we view it or view him for that matter. It is after all as he said. ‘There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.’ (Hamlet, Act II, Scene II)

Pic: http://rafkinswarning.deviantart.com/art/William-Shakespeare-196359841 

IT STOPS WHEN WE STOP!

Pic by: http://zenagirl21.deviantart.com/art/Rape-127137051

I know that such a post as this is rather a solemn and depressing way to begin the New Year but the most important lesson I learned over the years is the ignoring a persisting problem and living our life as if it does not matter to us because it is not inextricably linked to us personally is the most deluded thing we as humans do. That is why I thought my first post of 2013 will be one on what affects me the most, though it has not touched me personally, (but then again what happens to one of us should be as if happens to all of us, so I suppose it has affected me personally as well) is this never ending violence against women. 

Violence affects the lives of millions of women worldwide, in all socio-economic classes. It cuts across cultural and religious barriers, impeding the right of women to participate fully in society. It has become the most notorious problem the world had faced from the beginning of the existence of mankind. And although it is a universal dilemma which needs to be universally condemned, the problem continues to grow. It also takes a dismaying variety of forms, from domestic abuse and rape to child marriages. While all are violations of the most fundamental human rights, the surprising truth about this is that instead of decreasing the number of such activities, it has tended to grow. Some women fall prey to violence before they are born, when expectant parents abort their unborn daughters hoping for son instead, and sometimes they are killed or buried alive after they are born due to their desire to have sons. This form of violence was seem in ancient Arabia and is still apparent in rural India. The problem of son preference is present in many other countries as well. And though daughters are not buried alive or subjected to foeticide in these countries, this petty 'son preference' has made the girl child to be subjected to such negligence and suppression that it is as if the parents are saying I have "one boy and all mistakes."

In other societies, girls are subjected to such traditional practices as circumcision, which leave them maimed and traumatized. One cannot even comprehend the pain and agony they would have to live with for the rest of their lives. In other places, they are compelled to marry in an early age, before they are physically, mentally or emotionally mature. Child marriages, whatsoever the religious or ethnic background, with or without the consent of the girl, is another form of human rights violation. A girl of just 20, with two children and enormous workload had told me, “It was the worst mistake of my life to get married when I was 16. But there were problems at home and pressures from parents and I simply had to get away.” Consenting to marriage to escape the hardship of everyday life shows the state of ignorance of the girl involved, and the social problems of the society that compel her to take such actions. And such tales are quite common everywhere.

The most common type of violence (and perhaps the most publicized) against women is rape, which is still being used as a weapon of war and form of domestic violence as well. Rape has been in the past and continues to be so today, a strategy used to subjugate and terrify entire communities of women especially during wars and it is indeed true that more women today suffers directly from the effects of rape than any other form violence. Although rape in armed conflicts has been declared a war crime, and in some circumstances could be considered as genocide, hardly anything had been done at the grass root levels to improve the conditions of those in countries like Chechnya, Sudan etc. And the problem with rape is just not that. Rape can occur everywhere; not only in war conflicts and refugee camps but also at home and family, where it takes the form of marital rape or incestual rape. It occurs in ALL communities irrespective of whatever religion or culture involved. The issue is not less common in the West although the courage of coming out about it, especially if it is taking place in a family, is more widespread than in the East. One of the major obstacles in assisting the victim in family rape is sometimes women themselves. Some daughters tell their mothers about what is happening to them and finds them accused of lying or even worse, prompting. A rather absurd thing to claim for any woman who can rationalize will understand that there need not be any prompting for a girl to get raped. How else can the rape happening in Saudi Arabia where women are covered with layers of black clothing be explained? Women therefore due to the fear of being accused as the prompter silently suffers. Here it is important for the mothers and other women involved, to accept, understand and help the victim rather than subject them to senseless humiliation.

It must be mentioned here that such violence against women occurs in developing and developed countries alike. The problem in Asia and Middle East, is that it is considered as a private matter by the those that ought to be taking an action – neighbors, friends and even the government. As a result these private incidents become public tragedies. Many kids turn to drugs and alcohol watching their mothers gets beaten around by their dads. The consequences of our own actions - to overlook as ‘just a private matter’ to shrug off our responsibility, is more dangerous than what we can ever imagine. The Delhi Gang Rape Case that took place last December is a perfect example of this kind of negligence. The fact that both the victims were persistently ignored by the passersby as they lay naked and abused on the road, just so that they (passerby) dont want to be hassled with the administrative problems and court cases, speaks a lot about the community we live in. It is important to protect the victims of such abuse by providing them with the help that they need without fear and taking action to punish perpetrators, whether it is father, brother or even mother.

Sexual harassment in the workplace is also growing concern for women. We tend to see employers abuse their authority by seeking sexual favors from their female subordinates, sometimes promising promotions or other form of advancement. As a consequence women who refuse to give in to such unwanted sexual advances often run the risk of demotion and dismissal. It also signifies a more disturbing form of sex discrimination. It reinforces and reflects the idea of non professionalism on the part of women workers who are regarded as less able to perform than their male colleagues. Nevertheless we do see a positive sign in the recent years as more women are coming forward to report such practices. Moreover many women are forced into prostitution either by their parents, husbands or boyfriend, or as a result of a socio-economic complexity they find themselves in, especially drug use. Since prostitution is illegal in many countries, it is difficult for prostitutes to come forward and ask for protection if they become victims of rape or want to escape from it. Customers, on the other hand, are rarely the object of penal laws. Once they are caught up in the system there is practically no way out, and they find themselves in a very vulnerable situation. So it becomes the role of the society and the government of course to help and encourage them to abandon the practice.

Although the many countries including Maldives have adopted a positive attitude towards educating and enlightening the society of these problems women face, it is also true that most laws have failed to protect victims and punish the guilty. Light sentences in violence against women cases send the wrong message to perpetrators and to the public at large: that female sexual victimization is inconsequential. It will be tolerated and they will get away with it. Any approach designed to battle violence must be twofold, addressing the root causes of the problem and treating its manifestations. And to do so what is most important is to change our mentality about women and challenge the way that gender roles and power relations are articulated in the society. Some societies tend to think women are inferior and there is a strong belief that men are superior to women and they own them. And what is worse is that they derive this notion from religions asserting how God has made women inferior to men. If they pick and choose verses from scriptures and other holy anecdotes, to support their claim are we to negate the same scriptures and anecdotes that claim equality and respect to women.
             Is it not there in the Quran -  "Whoever commits a sin is requited for just that, and whoever works righteousness - male or female - while believing,  will enter Paradise wherein they receive provisions without any limits." - Surat Ghafir [40:40]

"O people, we created you from the same male and female, and rendered you distinct peoples and tribes, that you may recognize one another. The best among you in the sight of GOD is the most righteous. GOD is Omniscient, Cognizant." - Surat Al Hujurat [49:13]

And has Prophet Muhammad not said: 'A person who is blessed with a daughter or daughters and makes no discrimination between them and his sons and brings them up with kindness and affection, will be as close to me in Paradise as my forefinger and middle finger are to each other.’ (Muslim II, Section  Beneficence)

Is it not there in Bible: "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." - Galatians 3: 26-28

Is it not there in Hinduism: “Where women are honored, there the Gods are pleased.  But where they are not honored, no sacred rite yields rewards.”  Manu Smriti 3.56

 If we are to pick and choose, why cant we pick and choose what calls for equality in all religions and those lines and verses that promote peace and unity rather than discrimination and ethnocentrism? 

 These are things we as individuals, have a responsibility to think about for the good of the society we live in. Although there is advancement in every sector and there is a rise of female emancipation and feminism, it is tragic that the modernization the world has seen has not changed the conservative attitude of mankind. We entered the new year with a tragic well publicized crime against one woman in Delhi, but the truth is it serves as a slap on all our faces (all of us who pride ourselves as modern, walk with our head high claiming to be educated and intelligent and all of us  who believe that we have certain unalienable rights – right, liberty and pursuit of happiness); it is a slap that indicate to us that there is a deeper more sinister social problem that has long been neglected and needs addressing immediately. In our fervor to provide justice for this one girl, we should also remember that, in the same country there is a woman who has been fasting for the last 12 years in protest, against the sexual victimization of thousands of women in Manipur and other parts of North Eastern India by the Indian Paramilitary Forces stationed there. This ‘Iron Lady of Manipur’ Irom Sharmilla, has now become the longest hunger striker in the world, but with no commendable result. Her sacrifice and protest is falling on to deaf ears for no one is bothered about the violence inflicted on these women. Is there nothing to think about in this? Where is justice for all these women? 

And all those who dismiss this with a wave of hand on the grounds ‘its not our problem’ need a reminder that this happens to ALL people. It happens to strangers and to people who we know by people we know as well. A very dejected female friend of mine told me, 'Lets just stop talking about it? It wont stop no matter what we do.' I guess I only have one thing to say: we must only stop, when people like you and me stop the violence against women. It stops when we stop thinking a particular gender is inferior so we can do whatever we want to them, or that it is our right to own them. Slavery stopped when people stopped thinking a particular race was created to serve us. It stopped when we stopped it. It is a collective responsibility. Changing people’s attitudes and mentality towards women will take a long time, but is essential if the violence against women ought to stop. That is the first step. It is vital to educate boys and men and women too to view women as valuable partners in life, in the development of our society and that of the world.