The Ways in Which Eliot’s poetry and Hemingway’s Paris Narrative Portray a World of Alienation Edward Deng 11th Grade

Hemingway’s Paris described in ‘Fiesta’ is one of significant perversion from the pure beauty that should be expected of it. Masked by a façade of magnificence, grandeur and colour lurks the debauchery and indulgence that fills its streets in the forms of parties and prostitutes, and these are the tribulations that Jake Barnes seems to be constantly confronted with. As a result, a sense of loneliness and disconnection is continually at the forefront of Jake’s mind, especially during his time spent in Paris despite the indulgence commonly exhibited, which is reflected in his actions and interactions with other characters, and his stream of consciousness which Hemingway so efficiently employs. Alienation, whether from one’s self and emotions or the world around, is a theme that is prevalent throughout and Jake is seen to feel this in multiple regards, and this is equally communicated throughout T.S Eliot’s poetry. Famously, the speaker in ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ is unable to convey his emotions to a would-be lover and instead simply accepts the distance separating him from the world. Similarly, themes of unfulfillment and a monotonous way of life are common in poems such as ‘Rhapsody on a Windy Night’ and ‘Portrait...