This section of T.S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land' is a meditation on the inevitability of death and the transient nature of life. Phlebas the Phoenician, a figure who has died, is described as having forgotten the sounds and movements of the world, symbolizing the finality of death. The sea, often a symbol of life and rebirth, here becomes a force that strips Phlebas of his identity and past, emphasizing the theme of decay and the passage of time. The mention of 'Gentile or Jew' suggests a universal message, urging all people, regardless of background, to reflect on their mortality. The poem warns against the hubris of those who 'turn the wheel', a metaphor for those who control or direct life, reminding them that they too are subject to the same fate as Phlebas. The imagery of the whirlpool suggests the cyclical nature of life and death, reinforcing the idea that life is a series of stages that ultimately lead to the same end.