Alienation in 20th Century Literature

T.S. Eliot

Modern religious drama, Eliot believed, “should be able to hold the interest, to arouse the excitement, of people who are not religious.” Redemption is the theme of all of his plays, a theme explored on different levels.

In almost all of his plays, Eliot presents characters on a continuum of spiritual understanding, including the martyr or saint figure, the “guardians” (the spiritual advisers), the common folk (capable of limited perception or at least of accommodation), and the uncomprehending (Browne, 41).

Eliot interpreted literary production in ways that seemed original and fresh. His most notable critical concepts were ...