1. ‘Fare Forward, Voyagers': Arriving at Posthumanism in T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets.
- Author
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Saito, Nozomi
- Subjects
- *
POSTHUMANISM , *HUMANISM in literature , *POSTMODERNISM (Philosophy) - Abstract
The term posthumanism does not come readily to mind in discussions of the modernist writer T.S. Eliot, but the present article argues that applying a posthumanist lens to readings of Eliot might offer up new ways of approaching his work. Critiques of humanism, the de-centering of the human, the notion of the subject as an empty center, and the re-configuration of consciousness are thematic axes where posthumanism and Eliot's Four Quartets can be seen to converge. These convergences show how Eliot might be considered as anticipating certain aspects of posthumanist thought. This paper argues that these posthumanist strategies serve the broader scope of Eliot's project in Four Quartets, by pointing the way toward the creation of a morally and socially responsible consciousness. It is this consciousness, envisioned by Eliot in response to the devastations of war and social unrest, that, I argue, could be applied to addressing the social upheavals of our own present-day global society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016