Some words to describe Eloisa that did NOT come up in discussion today, but did emerge on the in-class writing exercises:
"weak, because she cannot decide who she wants to love more"
"insane"
"moderately scary"
"merely believe[s] in God because that's what everyone tells her to do"
These assessments portray a less sympathetic Eloisa than the one who emerged from class discussion today.
Which is right? Is Eloisa (as portrayed by Pope) a passionate if conflicted woman thwarted by circumstance, or is she confused and indecisive to the point of insanity and incoherence?
Deadline: start of class Friday (10/16).
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7 comments:
I believe that Eloisa is neither strong or weak. Pope is simply trying to portray the internal conflict that is occurring within her mind. Pope, unaware of the terms "Id" and "Superego", is depicting the struggle between Eloisa's Id (Destructive and desiring) and Superego (Rational and logical). Pope writes "Give all thou canst--and let me dream the rest. / Ah no! instruct me other joys to prize" (2659). Eloisa's Id tempts her into craving Abelard, while her superego quickly instills her with shame and embarrassment for imagining such sinful desires. Furthermore, it seems as though at the very conclusion of the poem that Eloisa's Ego balances both her barbaric Id and her extremely rational Superego. Eloisa's Ego compromises between the love for Abelard and God by saying "May one kind grave unite each hapless name, / And graft my love immortal on thy fame" (2663).
I agree with Alonzo, yet deviate from his Freudian analysis of Pope's work. My explanation is simpler (and, perhaps, wrong.) However, I feel that Pope's portrayal of Eloisa as a "passionate if conflicted woman thwarted by circumstance" is closer to the mark. Our notions of her possible insanity seem to stem from the fact that, as it is with most poetry, Pope perhaps over-dramatizes a bit in order to emphasize the conflict that she experiences. It would not be worth reading a work in which lines like "Alas how changed! what sudden horrors rise! A naked lover bound and bleeding lies!" (lines 99-100)instead read "We were together, and it was great, but now we're not and it sucks." Yet I also don't want to over-trivialize the fate of our sad lovers: after all, poor Abelard was castrated, and both were forced to live out their days in solitary monastic fashion. Eloisa's life has fallen in around her, with poor prospects for her future; her wavering faith and general confusion seem simply natural.
Both posts by Alonzo and Cameron have offered interesting insights. I would have to side more with Cameron even though the Freudian aspect does seem promising. I believe Eloisa is passionate and conflicted because of two possible faiths. She has good reason to be torn between religion and love. Both offer support, love and a relationship. Therefore I wouldn't say she is insane. She is expressing her feelings in this poem to work through her inner struggle. Some of the lines we discussed in class on Wednesday attest to the inner conflict as Eloisa goes between God and Abelard from stanza to stanza on page 2662. For instance: "I waste my matin lamp in sighs for thee, Thy image steals between my God and me, Thy voice I seem in ev'ry hymn to hear, With ev'ry bead I drop too soft a tear" to then "Forget, renounce me, hate whate'er was mine." Eloisa goes back and forth and it make look insane written out but in her mind, it's the natural progression of thoughts.
All points being discussed here have a good foundation for argument. The only thing I see unfit though is the warrant that is present in Cameron's argument. It simply isn't strong enough to tie his claim directly to his logical basis . Cameron how does the quotation you chose assist in the argument you are making against Eloisa being insane? The fact that the piece would not be "as interesting" if it were over simplified has no direct correlation to Eloisa actually being insane or showing signs of insanity. Pope's writing in my opinion, is a direct representation of Eloisa's personality, and it is in that sense the reader obtains the notion that Eloisa is having faint insanity symptoms. The fact that she jumps in and out of the internal conflict, like Alonzo was saying, definitely shows that there is an issue in her thought process. I agree with what you are saying about Eloisa being confused Cameron, and it is natural to be confused, but not to the extent by which Eloisa is showing us in this piece. Dramatic it is indeed, but I take that dramatization as the step beyond confusion, and label it as a sign of developing insanity.
I tend to agree with Lauren. I believe that Eloisa is just conflicted, she is not insane. She has an inner struggle with whom she loves more: God or Abelard. "Now warm in love, now with'ring in thy bloom, Lost in a convent's solitary gloom! There stern religion quenched th' unwilling flame, There died the best of passions, love and fame" (37-40).
I see Eloisa as desperatly seeking to end her torment of having rekindled an illegal passion. And in doing so I think she made have been driven mad - she hers faint voices calling her, is this a hallucination? "'Come, sister come!'(it said, or seemed to say)..." She finds some sort of peace by having a mental lapse - hearing a voice (from God?).
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