The title comes from the myth in Jessie Weston’s
From Ritual to Romance. In this myth, the genitals of the Fisher
King are wounded. This affects his fertility and then affects the kingdom, which becomes
a wasteland. The kingdom can not regenerate itself. It is static and
infertile. From Ritual to Romance is an examination of the lore of
the quest for the Holy Grail. So, the title also refers to the archetypal myth that a
hero must go on a quest to rescue the kingdom. Elliot incorporated different languages
as well as different religions, myths and symbols. This myth of the quest is common to
many cultures and this was his point. Christ, King Arthur, Mohammed all go on quests to
inspire, preserve or resurrect their kingdom.
The waste
land itself symbolizes the post-World War I era. Elliot was commenting on moral and
physical decay. The possibility of restoration refers to Eliot’s glimmer of hope for his
era, but also the hope of the Fisher King in Weston’s From Ritual to
Romance.
Using intertextuality and all these
different cultural and religious myths, Eliot illustrates that restoration will occur
through our common humanity. This is in response to that moral decay he experienced in
the wake of World War I.
No comments:
Post a Comment