In the context of T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land," what does the repeated invocation of water symbolize, considering New Criticism's focus on the text itself?
1
A symbol of rebirth and spiritual cleansing.
2
Simply a geographic and physical element without symbolic significance.
3
A representation of the modern world's economic disparities.
4
An emblem of drought and despair leading to cultural desolation.
5
Question Not Attempted