The Waste Land Sex Quotes

Eliot refers to the "Rape of Philomel" myth from Ovid's Metamorphoses to symbolize the way that popular culture has spoiled classical forms of beauty for everyone. After the rape takes place, Philomel kills Tereus' son and feeds the boy to Tereus. Therefore, pure physical lust actually leads to the destruction of future generations, even while sex is supposed to ensure the existence of these future generations. In this image, Eliot brings up the connection between sex and reproduction, and it seems that he's not quite sure if physical lust should have any place in sex, especially when rape seems to be the only example of it that he offers.

In this blunt statement, the woman in the pub tells her friend Lil that when it comes to sex and having children, she (Lil) doesn't really have any say in the matter. If her husband Albert wants to have sex, that's just the way it's going to be. In this passage, Eliot might actually express a bit of sympathy for Lil's situation. Although at the same time, he might also be suggesting that there's something wrong with her for not submitting more easily to her husband's sexual appetites. It's tough to tell with Eliot on this one, since he definitely doesn't let Lil off the hook for taking abortion pills. His prudish morality would never allow that.

In one of the most uncharming moves ever made, the young man carbuncular decides that he doesn't care if the typist wants to have sex with him. She doesn't say or do anything, so he just assumes he can go ahead and do what he wants. In fact, he hopes that the girl is indifferent. You probably couldn't pen a more dismal sex scene than this one, as Eliot shows us here that in the modern world, sex has become purely a matter of lust. There is no beauty in it, and there is nothing redeeming about it.