Department Chair
Ralph L. Wahlstrom, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chair of English
Date of Award
12-2007
Access Control
Campus-Only Access
Degree Name
English, M.A.
Department
English Department
Advisor
Karen Sands-O'Connor, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English
Department Home page
https://english.buffalostate.edu/
First Reader
Jennifer Ryan-Bryant, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of English
Abstract
Philip Larkin's work can largely be viewed as one man's attempt to reconcile his place in the world around him. This reconciliation proved quite difficult for Larkin and his struggle was reflected in his work. From his earliest novellas, written while he was still a student at Oxford, to his final poems, Larkin constantly questioned what was around him. He looked at much of the world with disdain and as a result became very much a loner. However, this "loner" or "outsider" status was something he struggled with very much. On the one hand he couldn't bear the strict suburban, social conventions that swept through post-war Britain; monogamy and family life both seemed completely unnatural to him. Yet on the other hand much of his work paints the picture of a very lonely man, one who wants to connect with what is around him but cannot.
Recommended Citation
Gangemi, John J., "An Arrogant Eternity: An Examination of Class and Society in the Works of Philip Larkin" (2007). English Theses. 27.
https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/english_theses/27
Note: To access this document you must have a Digital Commons account using a valid Buffalo State email address or be accessing the internet through the Buffalo State campus network.
COinS