It is a satire on modern man's, man's lifestyle, modern man's low income and problems that deal in Mr Bleaney Critical Analysis and Summary.It is a satire on modern man's, man's lifestyle, modern man's low income and problems that deal in Mr Bleaney Critical Analysis and Summary.

Mr Bleaney Critical Analysis and Summary


Mr Bleaney is one of the best characters in Larkin’s poetry because he tells about modern man’s dilemma.  Mr. Bleaney is treated in an ironic way, it seems that it is just the story of a layman but inwardly it is a satire on modern man’s, man’s lifestyle, modern man’s low income, problems no progressive attitude of modern man, he has no literary interest. Mr Bleaney Critical Analysis and Summary can be seen when the writer speaks about his lifestyle, his loneliness, his inactivity etc. As far as Mr. Bleaney’s character is concerned it is very vivid and clear, it deals with man’s loneliness, which is very common in Larkin’s poetry man’s detachment and man’s loneliness in his society.
Now, we will do Mr Bleaney’s poem in a critical analysis way as well as narrate its summary. If we analyse that then we find that Mr. Bleaney poem is dealt with in ironic as well as humorous ways. The poem starts in a light way, it seems that it is only a story that is narrated by the speaker, in fact, Larkin himself but having the whole read of the poem it becomes clear that it is not just a story of paying house guest rather it is told about modern man’s problems. It is Mr. Bleaney who is a labourer in some factory which prepares car’s bodies.

‘This was Mr Bleaney’s room. He stayed
The whole time he was at the Bodies, till
They moved him.’ Flowered curtains, thin and frayed,
Fall to within five inches of the sill,

Mr Bleaney critical analysis and summary narrate that the speaker suggests he takes on rent room by a woman who is aware of him about Mr . Bleaney who was the old rent payer in this house actually, we acknowledge that about Mr. Bleaney’s character in this poem through the speaker as well as the narrator. He describes the whole picture of his living style in this manner.

“That how we live measures our own nature,
And at his age having no more to show
Than one hired box should make him pretty sure
He warranted no better, I don’t know.”

How we live measures our own nature, His lifestyle is not impressive not luxurious rather he is passing a simple life, we may say that a life that is low, is the average life. His room condition declares that he is an ordinary person whose income is very much low and he is leading a tough and miserable life, he is facing economic pressure in this society.

Flowered curtains, thin and frayed,
Fall to within five inches of the sill

This is the main cause of his economic pressure due to World War 1 and World War II and these two wars were bring about his decline, unemployment, hunger, and poverty and these are the dark gifts of any war. In this era, the common man was disturbed very much by these wars. Mr Bleaney’s poem shows that modern man is vacant by heart as well as roomy items, he is alone in his room and at the same time he is too lonely by his heart because he has no other person who can feel his feelings and emotions that is why modern man keeps his emotions in his heart and that is the main cause of his loneliness and depression. We can be seen Mr. Bleaney’s feelings in this poem when we know that he has no blood relation, no son, no daughter, and no spouse, he is seen in this poem alone and as a stranger, if he has any relationship with someone that is not enough strong. He seldom visits Stoke where his sister lives.

“He kept on plugging at the four aways —
Likewise their yearly frame: the Frinton folk
Who put him up for summer holidays,
And Christmas at his sister’s house in Stoke.”

As far as his character is concerned he is alienated, he is a stranger to society, and it seems that he has no role in this society. Society is running without him, he is not part of the society and also seems that he is also not interested in society. His main concern is that only earns money for his living size. His thoughts are not very much Progressive, he is careless, non-progressive. He is slow-minded. All these above titles that have been given to Mr Bleaney can be shown with the help of his room condition.

“Whose window shows a strip of building land,
Tussocky, littered. ‘Mr Bleaney took
My bit of garden properly in hand.’
Bed, upright chair, sixty-watt bulb, no hook .”

His room condition is a clear-cut indication of the above details. When we meet him in his room that is very much dirty and shabby. He is not progressive can be seen, his curtains are old and not perfect for window size, he uses an ashtray and a grave tray, and he has no hock behind of door. He uses a 60-watt bulb without any holder, and all these things prove his non-progressive attitude, he does not want to bring any change in his life, and he lives as a room although the room demands change enough he still remains unchangeable.
The above discussion also represents the poverty in which he passes through yet. His poverty does not allow him any change in the room, it may be he wants to change all the things. If he has very much wealth in his possession but unfortunately he has nothing.

“Stuffing my ears with cotton-wool, to drown
The jabbering set he egged her on to buy.
I know his habits — what time he came down,
His preference for sauce to gravy, why


The above lines prove to be that modern man does not care for others, noise pollution is a huge problem but people do not care about it. On Mr. Bleaney’s behalf, the lady owner purchases a “Jabbering Radio’ which makes a noise at its running time . But the lady owner does not give any concentration, it may be the cause of noise pollution . Therefore, uses cotton wool for his ears.

“But if he stood and watched the frigid wind
Tousling the clouds, lay on the fusty bed
Telling himself that this was home, and grinned,
And shivered, without shaking off the dread”

His inactivity shows up in the above lines but the main thing is it is explained in an ironical way . The irony is that whenever Mr. Bleaney stands up before the window he sees only the sky and realizes the cool wind and beautiful could but never ever he looks at beneath the window, where there is a heap of dirt. As we know that we have discussed above Mr. Bleaney is very much shabby. He is very much passive rather than active.

Some critics believe that there is no more Mr. Bleaney while it is Larkin himself who is the speaker of the poem. But the question is that if it is who is Mr. Bleaney then he is not dissimilar to Mr. Bleaney rather he is similar to him . It is very vividly proven when the speaker speaks up  “So it happens that I lie Where Mr Bleaney lay, and stub my fags On the same saucer-souvenir, and try”.and tells us that he will lay on the same bed where Mr. Bleaney lied whenever. And he will also use the same saucer -souvenir and try. So, the irony once again comes up in the form of situational irony because there is no more difference between Mr. Bleaney .the more he is dirty and shabby the more he is dirty shabby and inactive. There is only one difference comes to see in this poem which literary taste, Mr.Bleaney has no literary taste whereas Larkin has. “Behind the door, no room for books or bags —‘I’ll take it.”

“That how we live measures our own nature,
And at his age having no more to show
Than one hired box should make him pretty sure
He warranted no better, I don’t know.”

As we know that a man is recognized by his living standard Mr Bleaney has no progressive attitude towards living style. It seems that he has no ambitions in his life. This can be measured by his room condition.

His character is delineated very ironic way when we know that he is tasteless in a literary manner because when Larkin takes rent room then he finds out there is no place for books. This is the main difference between Larkin and Mr Bleaney. So at the end of the discussion, it becomes clear that Mr Bleaney”s poem Critical Analysis and its Summary gives help us to know about him very minutely.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *