Two Wolfe Comments

Alex David Groce · 28 Feb 1999, 18:51 · from urth-v0024.mbox · original

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From: "Alex David Groce" <adgroce at eos.ncsu.edu>
Subject: Re: Re: (urth) Two Wolfe Comments
Date: Sun, 28 Feb 1999 18:51:53
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On Feb 28,  5:25pm, CRCulver at aol.com wrote:
> Subject: Re:  Re: (urth) Two Wolfe Comments
> <<I couldn't agree that the message of "Prufrock" is "old age is a living
> death". If it's summed up anywhere, it's in the lines "Do I dare\Disturb =
the
> universe?" It's about a life wasted in hesitation and self-doubt>>
>=20
> I disagree. My English teacher and most of the literary criticsm about the
> poem think that "Prufrock" is about the an "embittered and horny old man"=
 (I
> can provide the source for this tomorrow once I get to the library) who
cannot
> accept his lack of power when it comes to seducing women. And so, without=
 the
> ability to propogate, his life begins to be without attraction.
> The poem, does, however, go on to a sort of nihilistic viewpoint in which=
 the
> lives of people, no matter how old they are, are basically pointless.
>=20
> I shall review the literary criticism tomorrow and prepare an explanation=
 of
> why I think the poem is applicable to PEACE.
>=20
> Christopher R. Culver <crculver at aol.com>
> President Pro-Tempore of USEJ
> Prezidanto Dumtempa de USEJ
> --------------------------------------------------
> http://ttt.esperanto.org/us/USEJ/welcome.html
>=20
> *More Wolfe info & archive of this list at http://www.urth.net/urth/
>=20
>-- End of excerpt from CRCulver at aol.com

	Well, I don't really think that Prufrock is about anything so Freudian
as inability to procreate or seduce--Prufrock's failure to declare his love=
 for
the "That is not what I meant at all" woman is merely symptomatic.  I think=
 the
epigraph from the Inferno is telling--this is a vision of Hell in life.
Prufrock is incapable of "disturbing the universe," of offering love, in
general of facing the transcendent--"I have seen the moment of my greatness
flicker,/ And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker,/An=
d in
short I was afraid."
	The poem is in the line that develops into "The Waste Land," a far more
complete vision of Hell in life, but with a hint of possible redemption, to=
 the
explicitly religious vision of "Four Quartets." =20
	As to relevance to PEACE, there's probably some in that Wolfe and Eliot
would have somewhat similar views of the theme of a man exploring his life,=
 but
beyond that I'm not convinced.  It seems to me that PEACE is not concerned
precisely with Weer's inability to act or love, but with something more
difficult to grasp--something about the way the story of his life is really
other people's story.  I also would say that PEACE offers more hope for the
repose of the soul of Weer than "Prufrock" does for poor Prufrock.
=09



--=20
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." - John 8:32
--
Alex David Groce (adgroce at eos.ncsu.edu)
Senior (Computer Science/Multidisciplinary Studies in Technology & Fiction)
'98-99 NCSU AITP Student Chapter President
608 Charleston Road, Apt. 1E (919)-233-7366
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~adgroce

*More Wolfe info & archive of this list at http://www.urth.net/urth/

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