Introduction to the Poem:
"A Game of Chess" is a device used by Middleton in the play entitled “Women beware Women” where this game is played to hide the seduction of a young girl by a noble man. In this section the poet indicates the failure of sex - relationship in the modern world. Sex has become a purely physical kind of entertainment and has lost its moral and social purpose. Sex perversities both in high and low life, have become a matter of mechanical routine.
This section of the poem is the Second Movement of the Waste Land. It first describes the private room of a neurotic fine lady of the present day and her quarrel with an almost silent figure, her visitor. Then it describes a conversation in which the main speaker is a woman.
Who is the fine lady and who is her visitor? In the first movement, Madame Sosostris tells Tiresias to inform Mrs. Equitone that she (Madame Sosostris) will herself bring her horoscope. Hence, the fine lady is Mrs. Equitone, and her visitor is Tiresias. He visits her at night. Then he leaves her and goes out to a restaurant. There he takes seat and overhears the conversation in which May talks of Lil and her husband. Thus, the second movement consists of what Tiresias ‘sees’, that is, takes notice of, hears, and says to the fine lady.
Summary of the Second Section of the Poem:
The main theme of “A Game of Chess” is sterility and meaninglessness of life without love in Waste Land and presented through the portrayal of two modern women under two social circumstances and these scenes present the contrast between life in rich and magnificent setting and life in low and vulgar setting. The first life of the women starts with the conversation with male. The Lady of the Rocks (Belladonna) sat in a royal chair which looked a polished throne. The reflection of the chair could be seen on the marble floor. The looking glass was supported by pillars which had the designs of fruits and grapes carved on them. A golden image of Cupid could be seen peeping out behind the wing of the golden Cupid. The flames of the seven candles burning in the Chandlier were reflected in the mirror. The double reflection appeared on the shining table which the glitter of the jewels of the lady which stood in their satin boxes, added to their brilliance. There were also small bottles of ivory and coloured glass which had synthetic perfumes mixed with ointment powder or liquid and were drowsing the mind with sweet smell with the air coming from the ceiling windows and these perfumes had thickened the thin candle light.
The frame of the fire place was made of coloured stone and huge pieces of wood were burning and were pushed regularly with rods of copper and the flames of fire looked orange and green because of the coloured stone around the fire place. There was an old fashioned mantle piece on an ornamental structure engraved with figure of dolphin and seemed to be floating in the light flame and above the mantle piece there hung a huge painting of Desert scene. It was a square window which represented the transformation of Phelomela into nightingale as a consequent of sorrowful cries after she was raped by a king rudely and cruelly. In the painting nightingale filled the desert with virtuous cries and she cried after being raped. The modern world pursues the path of rapists and to make the modern man ear dirty, the nightingale keeps on crying producing the sound ‘jug – jug’.
Many other carved figures and decorations dealing with the stories and myths of the past could be seen hanging on the walls of the drawing room, staring images, and carving leaned out from the walls. The room appeared quite hushed and silent. Suddenly there was a sound of footsteps which indicated that some visitor was about to enter the drawing room. The lady sitting in that room got a little excited and with the light of the fire started looking for her brush in order to keep her hair in form. She brushed her hair, which were spread out in fiery points indicating her excitement. The visitor came and seated. Then she told him that her nerves were bad at night. The visitor looked at her and replied that she was certainly suffering from nerves. She wanted the visitor to stay night with her. He kept quiet and she replied why he never spoke to her heartily but the visitor was lost in his thoughts and she asked him about the thought, the man replied that he was thinking that they were living in a narrow street of rats where the spiritual dead lived and died.
Next there is the story of the married life of Lil and Albert. Their relations are not quite happy on account of sex perversion. When Lil's husband was to be released from the army, her lady friend met her in the pub and told her that now Albert was coming back from the army, she (Lil) should make herself a little smart and be attractive for him. Albert had been in the army for four years and now that he was free, he wanted a good time. The lady warned Lil if she did not give a good time (sex - indulgence) to him, there were other women who would be glad to be so.
The bar - maid at this time cries out that the pub is about to close and her voice could be heard in spite of conversation between the two ladies. Therefore, they had to hurry up to finish their food - stuffs and drinks. Lil felt ashamed to look old although she was thirty one and replied she looked old because of pills she had taken to get rid of pregnancy and she was nearly to die when her son George was delivered and the chemist had assured her that she would soon take her youth after abortion. But she could not regain health. May then asked to Lil why she married to Albert if she did not want the child. There was again the warning of restaurant manager to hurry up. Then she replied that Albert came house on Sunday. But before May could complete her statement then came to the final warning So they stood up and the women bade good - night to Bill and Louis and they also bade good - night in return and they bade bye - bye to one another.
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