In five pages Chandler's novel and Eliot's poem are contrasted and compared in terms of thematic elements.
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a mystery, and one is mystery. It would be nice if it were settled that easily, wouldnt it? But not nearly so much fun, as if we
see what other elements might tie these diverse appearing works together. BBeliotC.doc THEMATIC SIMILARITIES: T.S. Eliot - The Wasteland. R. Chandler - The Long Goodbe. Written by
B. Bryan Babcock for the Paperstore, Inc., December 2000 Introduction Sometimes the things unite two works of fiction are the most obvious, and so we do not
even consider them. Such may be the case with Raymond Chandlers, The Long Goodbye and T.S. Eliots poem The Wasteland: one is about a mystery, and one is
mystery. It would be nice if it were settled that easily, wouldnt it but not nearly so much fun, as if we see what other elements might tie these
diverse appearing works together. The Wasteland There are some who feel that this poem by Eliot is one of the most difficult literary pieces in the English language. It
is a word mosaic, made of bits and fragments of other cultures and other times that birthed, mutated and transformed itself into its own entity, all at the same time
and all through the power of words. Eliot doesnt start slowly as his first four lines parody the first four lines of Chaucers fifteen century, Canterbury Tales. Chaucers
is in old English, Eliot begins with, "April is the cruelest month breeding, Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and Desire, stirring Dullroots with spring rain." So
to start us off, we have a poem title that is talking about "waste," contrasted with the image of the anticipation, but not the reality of beginning spring. In lines