Exploring the Dark Persona of Monday

Imagine Monday as a person. Would it be a cheerful, kind individual or something far more sinister? In this exploration, we delve into the dark and grim persona of Monday, drawing parallels to T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and a more nightmarish version of a typical Monday.

The Unwelcome Day Personified

Monday, if personified, would be a personification of dread and monotony. This entity resembles an asshole nobody likes, embodying all the things people dread the most about the first day of the week. Monday would be one of those individuals who believe they know everything, but their knowledge is either unreliable or misinterpreted. No genuine friends can be found in Monday’s company; only people who might have real friends if they stopped focusing on this interminable day.

Monday’s attempts to forge connections with Sunday and Saturday are met with cold and unyielding resistance. Saturday and Sunday have no interest in Monday, but he persists, driven by a relentless, almost obsessive, need to draw closer. Once a year, on Labor Day, he attempts to challenge the norm by taking a day off to spend time with Sunday, but his intentions are ultimately thwarted.

A Sketch of Monday Personified

Despite the dark and sinister personification of Monday, I decided to paint a more tender and kind-hearted image. My interpretation of Monday is a plump, kind-faced lady in her early thirties. She has a tiny mouth with thick, shapely lips and a cute button nose with a strong, wide bridge. Her round, loving greenish-blue eyes meet with tiny, happy eyebrows. Her heart-shaped face is framed by long, bright red hair that cascades past her shoulders in large curls. She wears a relaxed blouse over a slightly tight skirt, suggesting a balanced blend of comfort and professionalism.

Monday as a Malignant Force

From an introspective perspective, I find Monday to be a terrifying entity because it’s a clear reminder of a guaranteed future filled with routine and uneventfulness. Monday is an insane person who encapsulates the collective dread of a looming week. It’s paranoid, therapeutic, and occasionally vicious. Monday brings with it a sense of dread, as it’s the day everyone is talking about the end of the week.

Welcoming Friday is often met with fierce excitement, as it heralds an end to the doldrums of Monday. The arrival of Friday brings a sense of liberation and hope, contrasting sharply with the oppressive presence of Monday. The poem by T.S. Eliot, while initially introducing a bust of Pallas Athena, then the eerie presence of the raven, perfectly captures the dark and foreboding essence of a Monday. The raven, representing the dourness and bleakness, symbolizes Monday’s uncontrollable presence in our lives.

Quotes from the Poem

“Open here I flung the shutter, when with many a flirt and flutter In there stepped a tired raven of the dreaded days of yore.”

“Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into terror By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.”

“Tell me what thy lordly name is, on the Nights Plutonian shore! Quoth Monday.”

“Is there is balm in Saturday–tell me–tell me I implore!”

Conclusion

While we may often romanticize the first day of the week as a fresh start, Monday can be a far more ominous figure. It embodies the monotony, dread, and seemingly endless nature of a work week. Yet, in acknowledging its presence, we can also appreciate the fleeting enjoyment of weekends and the respite they bring. Whether personifying Monday as a nightmarish entity or a more tender, kind soul, the concept remains a critical aspect of the human experience.