Student Essay on Old Leisure

Old Leisure Essay

Life in today's world is a lot different than it was many years ago. With the numerous advances in technology and science now, one cannot help but feel delighted to live in such an era. Every technological innovation brings with it a surge of eagerness and curiosity that anxious consumers cannot wait to quench. In the midst of all of this modern day excitement, the more serene lifestyle of the past has been replaced and rendered obsolete. In this passage, George Eliot presents her views on "old leisure," pertaining to life many years ago, and new leisure, pertaining to life as it is in her time. Through her use of personification, diction and imagery, Eliot contrasts the simple lifestyle of the past with the complex lifestyle of the present, and reveals her nostalgia towards Old Leisure.

Eliot uses personification in this passage to distinguish between the ways of life in the old leisure and in the new leisure. She displays the simplicity of old leisure life by addressing Old Leisure as a "gentleman" with "quiet perceptions." People of this time did not give much thought to their surroundings. They lacked a thirst for knowledge, and as a result, they did not question the world. They lived a carefree lifestyle, and were basically immune to outside influences. Eliot writes that Old Leisure "only read one newspaper," to convey the miniscule concern the citizens of the old leisure held for their communities. Furthermore, she states that Old Leisure "had an easy, jolly conscience," and was not "ashamed" of his thoughts and feelings. The people were very bold and honest, openly stating their opinions no matter how rational or foolish they were. People in the old leisure "slept the sleep of the irresponsible." They went to sleep and woke up when they wanted to, having few, if any, responsibilities to attend to. Eliot displays the completely different atmosphere of the new leisure, by stating that the new leisure is "prone to excursion." Traditional ways no longer suffice, in this time. There is a longing for change, and life is more open-ended, unlike the old leisure, where every aspect of life was basically routine. Even the modern steam engine "creates" room for "thought." Contemporary inventions such as this, stir up debate, at their arrival. People squander about, trying to decide how to use these new novelties, and whether or not they will carry out the functions they were designed for. In such a flustered state as this, even "idleness is... eager for amusement." There is so much commotion in the new leisure that any sign of inactivity will surely disappear. Through this eagerness, the new leisure longs for a shift in the way of life. It yearns for a lifestyle full of adventure and excitement. This kind of entertainment, however, is different from that of the old leisure. For instance, it requires concentration to read "periodical literature," or to "peep" through a microscope. The new leisure requires serious attention to almost every situation. Indeed life is much more chaotic and difficult in the new leisure, than it was during the old leisure.

Through her choice of words and phrases in this passage, Eliot demonstrates her nostalgic feelings towards old leisure. She states that "leisure is gone," in the beginning of the passage. By saying this, she conveys the fact that leisure during her own time is lost. She yearns for the days of the old leisure, the days when true leisure really did exist, to return. Eliot instructs the reader of the passage to not believe the "ingenious philosophers," who claim that modern day inventions "create leisure for mankind." She does not want the readers' minds to be clouded by this allegation. She believes that the technological advances of the new leisure just make life more complicated, and she wants the reader to feel the same way. Eliot says that the new leisure is very "eager." It is hard for the people of this time to relax, because they are constantly anxious for "amusement." Clearly, modern day leisure is fraudulent in that people have to actually try hard to relax. It is a corrupt version of the true leisure from the past. Eliot mentions that "life was not a task" to Old Leisure, "but a sinecure." Life during the old leisure was basically a paid vacation. The people had simple lives, and their jobs were anything but tedious. They basically received free money. In contrast, Eliot implies that life in the new leisure is more of a duty; something that is not necessarily enjoyable, but that has to be done. People of this time have to work hard for every cent they make. Their lives are full of stress, and there is hardly a moment when they can just sit and unwind. Eliot discusses the positive aspects of life from the old leisure with the negative aspects of life from the new leisure, to expose her fondness for the old leisure.

The images Eliot presents throughout the passage serve to display the purity of the old leisure and the corruption of the new leisure. She mentions that Old Leisure lived "chiefly in the country." This gives the reader the idea of how laid back life in the old leisure was. In the countryside, there is hardly any activity. The population is small and isolated, and life is relaxing. The new leisure is exactly the opposite. With relatively large populations and numerous businesses all scattered about, the opportunity is rare when a person can escape all the worries and hardships of life. Eliot describes how the old leisure had "pedlars, who brought bargains to the door on sunny afternoons." During this time, there was a sense of personal touch, among neighbors of a community. They were very open to one another, and looked out for each other, trying to promote the welfare of the entire community. In the new leisure, however, this sense of community interaction hardly exists. It is rare to see peddler or even a beggar on the streets of a neighborhood, in modern times. Neighbors are not as close to one another now, as they were in the past. It is unlikely that they will always respond kindly to a salesman knocking at their doors. Eliot states that true leisure is "gone where the spinning-wheels are gone, and the pack-horses, and the slow wagons." She conveys how pure leisure only exists when things are kept simple. On the contrary, modern day leisure is characterized by "exciting novels" and "scientific theorising." There is room for more scientific inquiry and speculation, and as a result, more time and effort is needed to live in this leisure. Surely, the new leisure is more thrilling than the old leisure, but it is also much more exhausting and demanding.

Through the rhetorical strategies Eliot uses in this passage, it is clear just how much she admires old leisure. The peaceful, natural air of the old leisure contrasts sharply with the artificial, humanistic aura of the new leisure. Indeed the new leisure is the way of the future- the role of technology in the world today is becoming more and more vital. However, there are times when one cannot help but sit back and reminisce over the more plain and simple ways of life of the old leisure.