I will be closely reading Hysteria by T. S. Eliot to interpret the piece through the eye of an amateur New Critic. Through this reading technique that emphasizes focusing on the words on the page, I will give evidence to support that hysteria is an overwhelming state that consumes everyone in its path. Although it is the woman in the poem who is laughing hysterically, both men who surround her are consumed by the desire to make her stop. By showing the ambiguity, and tension found throughout this piece, I will demonstrate that the two characters (although not suffering from hysteria themselves) are greatly affected by the woman’s hysteria.
The definition of Ambiguity is “something that does not have a single clear meaning: something that is ambiguous” (Merriam-Webster) and is shown frequently throughout the poem. In the beginning of the piece one could believe that the narrator was happily intrigued by the laughter of the woman he was with. He states that he is “involved in her laughter and being a part of it” then continues to describe her teeth as “stars”, two seemingly positive statements. However, when the various meanings of the words found in this sentence are considered, one can begin to understand that his involvement in her laughter is one of discomfort.
The narrator becomes involved in the women’s laughter involuntarily, and when she gasps for air he hopes that this would lead to her recovery from hysteria. He describes the scene within her mouth as “accidental stars with a talent for squad-drill” which can be regarded as her teeth being bright white soldiers in line for drill, moving robotically under the command of the laughing woman. When the laughter does not cease, it is perceived so aggressively that he believes her throat is becoming bruised from the action.
The military imagery and aggressive connotation of her hysteria can lead the reader to interpret the man’s description as intimidated and unhappy. Ambiguous description continues as the waiter that is attending to the couple is described. He is trembling and in visual distress, repeating “If the lady and gentleman wish to take their tea in the garden”, however the cause of the distress is unclear. It could construed be that the waiter the reader has just met in the piece is a nervous person altogether, and his shaking and stuttering is nothing out of the ordinary for his personality.
Through consideration of the rest of the poem it can be determined that he is instead his shaking and stuttering manner is a direct result of his discomfort with woman’s hysterical action. Tensions are defined as “balanced opposites that can provide form and unity to a literary work of diverse components. ” (Literary Terms and Definitions) Composure and discomposure are two related opposites that are evident in T. S. Eliot’s Hysteria. It is clear that the woman’s laughter has led her to lose control of herself, as she leans back mouth open shaking manically.
The two men that are described in the piece are frantically attempting to regain control of the situation, however in this attempt revealing their own discomposure caused by the power of hysteria. The waiter who had been serving the couple has begun trembling and stuttering, insisting they move outside. It can be argued that he is attempting to move them out of the sight of public to regain a sense of decency where he works, but in his requests he is only drawing more attention to the situation. He is unable to contain his uneasiness and is therefore out of control of his body.
The same could be said for the narrator, unable to concentrate on anything except the woman. Had he continued the conversation, made a comment about her behaviour or even laughed along with her he would have regained a sense of discipline to direct them out of the public eye. Instead he just stares, first at her mouth and then at her breasts, remaining silent. He wishes for her to recover from her state of hysteria, not realizing how engulfed and useless he has become. While these men desire a state of composure to reappear in the cafe, their discomposure acts as a barrier to control.
Another significant tension found in Hysteria is how people can act in private versus public settings. In the cafe, the narrator finds that the woman’s laughter is ruining their time together and states to himself that “if the shaking of her breasts could be stopped, some of the fragments of the afternoon might be collected”. Laughter or to laugh is “to show that you are happy or that you think that something is funny by smiling and making a sound from your throat” (Merriam-Webster), it is a positive activity. The woman is clearly enjoying her time spent with the narrator, unworried about the opinions of others that are near her.
He on the other hand cannot get past the fact that she has seemingly given up her ideals of how to act like a lady such as being dainty and not drawing attention to herself. Her hysteria, instead of being appreciated for its positive nature, leads the narrator to a state of displeasure. Had the situation occurred in a private environment, the couple would have not been studied by onlookers and the narrator’s need for public approval would not have been overwhelming. He could have instead observed her happiness as endearing, acknowledging himself as the likely cause of it.
Hysteria “a state in which your emotions are so strong that you behave in an uncontrolled way” (Merriam-Webster) acts as the titles and overpowering theme throughout T. S. Eliot’s poem. By concentrating on the ambiguity and tensions found within the work, it can be concluded that the men lost control of their minds when they encountered a woman suffering from hysteria. From the beginning to end of the piece her laughter, however innocent and positive it may have been, proved that the men were unable to handle a woman unrestrained by the need for the approval of others. Hysteria got the best of the woman, and the worst of the men.
