NATURE AS AN ANTIDOTE TO MODERNITY
Introduction
The most dominant aspect of modernity is that human beings are striving to have and build their capabilities as individuals so that they can gain autonomy as individuals and be free from restrictions. The concept of modernity can be understood to be the period under which the world has experienced the vast influence of the religious legacy of the west. The advent of modernity has not been without its problems to the extent that in the process of a human being striving to increase their capabilities and gain autonomy and live a life without restrictions, they have experienced turmoil. This is because they have neglected the relationship that exists between humanity, modernity, and nature. Scholarly articles indicate that the physical world, in other words, nature has had a marginal treatment as far as the discourses in modernity are concerned even though human beings are reliant on the capital provided by nature. In fact, the natural processes and the relationship that human beings have with nature are a cornerstone of modernity. However, the way nature has been conceptualized is that it is an obstacle to be overcome if human beings are to attain modernity. This conceptualization has brought a myriad of problems in the perceived modern world. Amid these problems that have been brought about by modernity, nature has been seen to be a solution to some of them.Both Thomas Hardy and T.S Eliot employ Poetry in their literary works on aspects of modernity and nature. Thomas Hardy’s novel, the return of the Native published in 1878, tells a story of two young lovers who are trapped in an unfulfilling marriage because they married for wrong reasons. These texts illustrate the challenges of romantic idealism and how often human beings end up in unhealthy situations from the decisions that they make.In this paper, therefore, we are going to elucidate how nature can be seen to be an antidote to modernity through the eyes of philosophers Hardy and Eliot.
Nature as an Antidote of Modernity as Portrayed by Hardy and T.S Eliot.
The term nature, can have an assortment of meanings depending on the discipline under study and how stable and united these meanings are has varied over time. Shane (1992, P.385) postulate that the core feature of modernity is the changing problematic relationship that has been existing between nature and culture in that nature has been seen now to provide some of the solutions that have been brought about by modernity. The literary works of T.S Eliot and Hardy underscore this assertion that nature can be an antidote to the ills that have been propagated by modernity. As Rhee(2012, p.4) explains, the era that was referred to as modern was a period that was very influential, and it was deemed to have shaped western civilization. The poem by T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land, is a depiction of an image of the modern world through the eyes of a man who finds himself perturbed and confused about the condition of human society. The employment of nature by Eliot in passing his message is very apparent. Many scholars have complained about the obscure and complicated nature of the poem; however, critical analysis of the poem depicts that through its ostensible chaos and confusion, is a picture of a disjointed barren world that has been created by modernity. Indeed, nature has been used by Eliot as an antidote to the ills of modernity in the sense that, for instance, The Waste Land, through its allusive and fragmented nature, could illustrate the wasteland to be a metaphor of Europe. Through this illustration, the poem can prick the conscious of those in Europe when they are referred to as a wasteland to amend their ways and change Europe from being a wasteland to a productive place that exudes life(Rhee 2012, p.4).
An antidote is used to neutralize poison, which implies that modernity had poisoned society in many ways. Rhee (2012, p.5), points out that the era of modernity was significantly influenced during the period surrounding WWI (World War 1). During this period of WWI, the Europeans and other western civilizations were significantly disillusioned and confused after this war. Thisconfusion and disillusionment were caused by the fact that the Victorian values of social progress, industrialization, and advancement in science seemed to have faltered. The war had brought the effect of undermining humankind’s faith in the foundations of western culture and society. The world has neglected and rejected the previously held notions of order and security and order and thus the disillusionment. Therefore, the depiction of society and by Extension Europe as a wasteland Eliot wanted to contribute to correcting the problems that had been brought by modernity, especially the war. Rhee (2012, p.5) explains that writers and philosophers like Eliot were attempting to formulate a new perspective and offer a solution to the disillusionment that had been brought about by the effects of the war.
The poem The Waste Land uses two female characters to portray the nature of sexuality in modern-day life. The poet explains that self-destruction and disapproval of these sexual relationships were the way of life in modern societies because both men and women exhibit distinct characteristics in society. These characteristics expected of both men and women are not natural, but a product of society, and this explains why Eliot uses two female characters to portray specific roles attached to womenfolk by nature. In most cases, masculinity is seen as a positive development since it is used to challenge the social norms, and it is portrayed in the poem to restrict women to the beauty within. Thus, there is this message in the poem that he tries to challenge traditional images that cannot hold her own in society; hence Eliot conflicts this belief by saying that the modern woman should not be tied down to her looks and heightened femininity. The wasteland creates a juxtaposition between the past and the present indicating that the changes in society are not a positive development, he writes: “but at my back from time to time I hear the sound of horns and motors, which shall bring Sweeney to Mrs Porter in the spring” (the wasteland, verses 196-198). While, on the other hand, the beautiful image exhibited by traditional femininity is a contrast to the brutality and sordidness of modernity that has led to a change in the roles of men and women. Eliot says: “o the moon shone brightly on Mrs Porter and her daughter. They wash their feet in soda water.” (Poller 2019, p.22).
Furthermore, Hardy asserted that Eliot made an ultimate aspect of modernity by trying to avoid traces of the traditional cultural memory, he thinks that maybe the modern folks could look beyond civilization and search for spiritual wisdom (Eliot, 1964, P. 33). This means that menfolk ought to drop the individual ego and to let go of the hunt for personal strength and instead focus on living a more compassionate and peaceful life. Hardy also uses female characters in this poem to portray their strengths and capabilities. For instance, Mrs Eyebright feels bad when Wildeve postpones his wedding, and to save his honour. She puts a lot of pressure on him to fulfil his commitment since she feels that her niece’s honour is at stake. This shows the degree to which nature has an influence on modernity.
According to Manimala (2010, p.109), understanding of insignificance existence that is firmly in place, the mind of the reader of The Waste Land can respond to the emotions that are redeeming and are being induced by the liberating, salt-laden and inspirational opening verses. Eliot says that the soul is ravaged, just like the boat, by struggling spiritually and or by the harsh weather conditions. He adds impartial correlatives that are taken form Christian prayer like ‘grace’ and by using stars as redemption symbols. Eliot also uses literary images of deliverance in the religious background like the phrase “given or lent” which suggest that there exists a state of recovery. Later, the urge to redeem and intensify is appealing, hence the understanding that is felt permits the highly involved metaphor of the boat to retreat and faith is directly acknowledged. This leads to the advancement of the protagonist as a pessimist to the advocate to take part in the process of redemption. The reference is in the following lines;
“This form, this face, this life
Living to live in a world of time beyond me, let me.
Resign my life, my speech for that unspoken…” (Lines 204-206).
Eliot concludes his poem with the reappearance of the first verse through with an important change in the language style he uses, and this is immediately noticeable. The metaphor of the boat gives us a direction upon which we see that the shore made of stone is not far w, but it is drawing closer. This implies that the soul is now ready to give up its presence that has been damaged even though it implies entering into a spiritual condition that is considered strange and is more demanding than the one left behind. Another change is seen in the nature of fog. Eliot points out that fog cannot be seen anymore since it has disappearedwhich signifies that the viewer has progressively attained better visualization (faith), as he is preparing to submit his soul to the saviour (as used in the Christian context). The mention of ‘daughter’ in the poem signifies the vulnerability of the earlier stages of spiritual growth. Marina miraculously recovers an idea that denotes that the hero has recovered his lost faith in an effort to live (Manimala 2010, p.243).
Hardy is able to identify, through the use of metaphor, the pattern and tone of his life with the heaths though he is seen to resist the suggestions of the ghost that are named ‘the thing’. This metaphor signifies that the blooming sunset foreshadows improved predictions for events yet to come. In Hardy’s voice, we identify that it is portrayed as that of the giant fairy tales whereby one has to wait a little while before he gets a breakthrough a metaphor that signifies fearlessness, pain, hopelessness.
Personification is inappropriately used when describing these narrative traits by describing the process by which the fairy tales is created in the poem. All-natural factors held constant, and one might say that human characteristics are related to inanimate beings as an abstract to an impersonal entity inhumanly terms. The Return of the Native does not portray Edgon as a clear cut to animate or inanimate popularity before it is being integrated to the other. These symbolic expressions used in the first chapter are rendered human immediately they are posited as literal, and it becomes the home of strange phantoms. He continues to use metaphor expressions of nature whereby he uses phrases like uninhabited regions of anonymity which are unclearly felt to be dreams of voyage and tragedy at midnight. These are never thought of after the dream until they are revisited by acts such as “without concluding his version of unconsciousness.” (Encyclopedia .com).
Return of the Native also uses metaphoric expressions that signify nature, just like what Eliot uses in his poem The Waste Land. Hardy uses literary expressions like the “movement of the storm/movement of the phantoms” that are phrases that postulate the moorland as the native exemplary dream landscapers. He uses metaphoric phrases like “the skirting pool” which represents Eustacia. This phrase is followed by “the path towards the rainbow, occasionally stumbling over twisted furze-roots, tufts of rushes and oozing lumps of fleshy fungi…” these statements are presented at a time when a season has laid scattered and bad lungs and liver of some colossal animal. All these are shown at a time when Eustacia is struggling towards her death. Here the heath is seen as a dismembered giant, neither human nor animate who is distributed spectacularly (encyclopedia.com).
Comparing Hardy with Eliot, He also seems to hold the view that there is a conflict between nature and modernity and if human beings could embrace nature, many ills that have been orchestrated by modernity can actually be solved. In the novel The Return of the Native, Hardy articulates the problems that have been brought about by modernity. For instance, we see the pre-Christian knowledge of life being challenged and shaken the new form of life that is existing outside the Egdon Heath. It should be understood that Egdon Heath is a symbol of a community that is traditional and therefore, in this postmodern world, all the notions of meaning and truth that have been established are now sceptically viewed. In the Return of the Native, there is a feeling that Hardy is ambivalent towards the old stable culture and the new one that is emerging. Hardy postulates that he is certain of the strength of the olden culture, however there exist enough tensions that exist between the two forms of life. These tensions are clearly expressed by Clym’s modernist tendencies and the craving of these modernist tendencies by Eustacia (shodhganga).
Like Eliot, Hardy seems to be preoccupied withdrawing the attention of the readers to the fact that the old way of way where people lived in harmony with nature may be a solution to the turmoil that has been caused by modernity. For instance, despite being conscious of the crisis of culture, which is the central focus of the novel, Hardy is very certain and particular about the valued that Egdon community embodied. We see Hardy be insistently drawn to the primitive vitality that the rural community embodied. However, since he is aware of the changes that are happening around him, he is constantly being compelled to consider the possibilities of a new world. The novel seems to be an analysis of the traditional natural world and the modern one (shodhganga).
As a proponent of nature, Hardy creates a character in the novel know as Eustacia Vye. Through her, Hardy seems to be celebrating the vitality of the natural forms of living. Another character is known as Clym Yeobright, alternates between the modern and traditional life and when Yeobright finally returns to the traditional Egdon Heath community, seems to be subjecting the new civilization to new scrutiny. Philip (2020, p.) argues that the fact that Yeobright comes back to the traditional life at Egdon is an indication that there must have been hardships that he may have experienced and therefore the only place he could find solace is in the village where people lived in harmony with nature. It is therefore very clear that the novel seems to articulate that tension that exists between old and new (Hardy 1999, p.26).
Further, through Eustacia, Hardy seems to favour nature against modernity in the sense that even though Hardy is in the side of Eustacia in her battle against the universal forces, he does not support Eustacia in her rebellion against the traditional community of Egdon. According to Hardy, Eustacia should not crave for a world that Clym is already disillusioned with. She is not settled because she is seeking to be fulfilled in places that are outside, the natural station of life. Through these illustrations, nature then can be seen be an antidote to the problems that modernity brings. This is clearly evidenced by the characters in the novel, especially Clym who seems to be disillusioned by the modern way of life (shodhganga).
Hardy also seems to put forth an argument that the natural traditional way of life is better than the modern way of life. The novel seems to be creating a conflict between dream and reality where nature is the representation of reality and modernity represents a dream. The ultimate impression in the novel that Hardy seems to leave is that the values of ancient culture are enduring and if there is a conflict between the traditional values of nature and those of modernity, then the ancient cultural values should prevail. Hardy seems to be putting forth an argument that the problems of modernity can be solved by humanity retracing its steps back to their former way of living (Hardy 1999, p.86)
Through the novel The Return of the Native, Hardy seems to be evaluating the traditional and the natural way of life. Through the character Eustacia, Hardy brings out the disturbances that are caused by civilization. In the novel, Eustacia is portrayed as the most powerful character since she is always moving against the grain. Hardy admires Eustacia because of her capacity to instinctive feeling; however, he argues that her tragedy lies in her inability to reconcile herself to the natural community. If she had reconciled herself to the natural community, then most of the problems that she had experienced would have been solved (shodhganga).
References
Rhee, S., 2012. Post-War Europe: The Waste Land as a Metaphor.
Eliot, T.S., 1964. The Waste Land 1922. Grolier Club.
Poller, J., 2019. Aldous Huxley (1894–1963). In Aldous Huxley and Alternative Spirituality (pp. 13-40). Brill.
The Return of the Native.” Novels for Students” Retrieved April 20, 2020, from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/return- native
Hardy, T., 1999. The return of the native. Penguin.
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