In his verse form Eliot paints the image of an insecure adult male looking for his topographic point in society. Prufrock has fallen in with the times. and places a batch of load on societal position and category to find his individualism. He is ashamed of his personal visual aspect and looks towards societal promotion as a manner to guarantee himself and those around him of his value and set up who he is. Through out the verse form “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” . T. S. Eliot explores Prufrock’s struggle with society. love and ego.
The issue of Prufrock’s topographic point in society leads to an “overwhelming question…” ( 10 ) . which is ne’er identified. asked. or answered in the verse form. This “question” is someway associated with his societal position. but both its ambiguity and Prufrock’s denial to even inquire. “What is it? ” ( 11 ) gives some penetration into his province of internal convulsion.
Prufrock is get downing to experience particularly detached from society and burdened by his consciousness of it. He thinks “I should hold been a brace of ragged claws/ Scuttling across the floors of soundless seas. ” ( 73-74 ) Prufrock wants alternatively that he could be a mindless crab. scampering around the underside of the ocean ; another illustration of Prufrock’s feeling of his place in society. seldom comparing himself to existent people. In fact. in his dream sequence at the terminal when he imagines how his life might stop up. he sees himself as an ocean animal. surrounded by mermaids “Till human voices wake us. and we drown. ” ( 131 ) . Eliot non merely uses imagination here to make a image of a headless crab scurrying about at the underside of the ocean. but he uses the signifier of the verse form itself to assist stress his point here. The caput is detached from the crab. and the lines are detached from the verse form in their ain stanza. much like Prufrock wishes his self-consciousness would merely detach itself. These images represent Prufrock’s desire to be rid of his uneasiness and perchance some suicidal inclinations which can be tied into merely about all of the equivocal inquiries Prufrock asks of himself throughout the verse form.
Another illustration of Prufrock’s struggle with society is Prufrock’s dissatisfaction with his personal visual aspect. Not merely is he unhappy with the manner he looks. holding “To prepare a face to run into the faces that you meet ; ” but he is invariably afraid of what others will hold to state about him: “ ( They will state: ‘How his hair is turning thin! ’ ) ” ( 41 ) And “ ( … ‘But how his weaponries and legs are thin! ’ ) ” ( 44 ) . Prufrock’s compulsion with looks illustrate to us how much he wants to suit into society and how much his individuality is rooted in what others think of him. Prufrock is insecure and frightened of peoples’ reactions to his balding caput and slim. aging organic structure. Unfortunately. his deficiency of assurance isn’t limited to his expressions.
Through out the verse form you can see Prufrock’s trouble in pass oning with other people – non surprising sing his utmost deficiency of assurance in his visual aspect. He is indecisive and unsuccessful in his efforts to pass on with other people. reiterating “visions and revisions” ( 33 ) and “decisions and revisions…” ( 48 ) . Eliot uses repeat here to stress the construct of Prufrock’s fluctuations in behaviour.
Prufrock as we can see is in a changeless sate of internal convulsion. He seems at times to be inquiring if he should make bold “and drop a inquiry on your home base ; ” ( 30 ) intending one of his “dares” could be something that he’d like to inquire a adult female but can’t ; he besides asks “Do I dare/ Disturb the existence? ” ( 45-46 ) . In this instance Eliot exaggerates to give the reader the feeling of the earnestness of Prufrock’s insecurities – they are his whole “universe. ”
Once once more. Eliot uses the device of uncertainness to reflect the internal battle in Prufrock and take the reader to inquire himself once more. What is the ‘overwhelming question’ that Prufrock is inquiring? Unfortunately even Prufrock himself doesn’t have the answer… even acknowledging the issue itself is beyond the simpleness of his head. which he confesses by stating “I am no prophet- and here’s no great affair ; ” ( 84 ) . By understating the importance of the issue. Prufrock echoes his deficiency of dignity. In fact. to Prufrock. the issue is highly of import – the destiny of his life depends on it. His declaration that he isn’t a prophesier indicates Prufrock’s position on his place in society. which he is as baffled about as everything else.
Prufrock’s series of inquiries can besides be tied into his unsuccessful efforts at relationships with adult females. His insecurities keep him from making the things he wants to make ; he feels unequal and unable to show his true feelings to adult females. “Should I. after tea and bars and ices/ have the strength to coerce the minute to its crisis? ” ( 79-80 ) . He knows what he wants to state. but doesn’t have the assurance or mental capacity to set his feelings into words. He compares himself to Hamlet. “No! I am non Prince Hamlet. nor was meant to be ; ” ( 111 ) . who. in contrast. was able to show his feelings really successfully to his lover – an ability which Prufrock is covetous of. characterized by his emphasized “No! ” ( 111 )
He is besides outguessing himself invariably throughout the verse form: “Do I dare? ” ( 38 ) . “So how should I assume? ” ( 54 ) and “Then how should I begin” ( 59 ) are all inquiries Prufrock repetitions to himself during his soliloquy. His feelings of insufficiency toward adult females are non merely related to his visual aspect and deficiency of mental strength. but to the transition of clip and its consequence on him.
Prufrock claims that “I have known them all already. known them all” ( 49 ) mentioning to the “evenings. forenoons. and afternoons” ( 50 ) of his life which he has seen base on balls by. insignificantly. He besides says “And I have known the eyes already. known them all” ( 55 ) and “I have known the weaponries already. known them all” ( 61 ) which illustrate his failure with and fright of adult females.
Through out the verse form “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” . T. S. Eliot explores Prufrock’s struggle with society. love and ego. Eliot’s portraiture of Prufrock. one time once more shows us how. dire Prufrock’s state of affairs is. Prufrock’s deficiency of assurance leads to changeless indecisivenesss. his “overwhelming inquiry. ” Eliot creates the thought of Prufrock being caught with the job of individuality in the really beginning of the verse form. Bing the foreigner that he is. Prufrock will non be accepted by society. that Prufrock is merely out of range of the group of people that he wishes to be associated with in life and love. but most likely his feelings of insignificance prevent him from tie ining with anyone at all.
The verse form illustrates to us how Prufrock keeps guaranting himself that. “indeed. there will be time” ( 26 ) to make all of the things he wants to make in his life. but first he must come to footings with his insecurities. However. his insecurities are related to his deficiency of assurance. so he is genuinely a tragic. doomed character. Eliot doesn’t give any sense of hope for him in the verse form – he remains a doomed character until the really terminal. Prufrock even admits that he has “seen the minute of my illustriousness spark. ” ( 84 ) .
Eliot gulfs Prufrock from the existent universe. Even though Prufrock’s phantasies to be a crab. swim with the mermaids. be immature once more like Lazarus and speak to adult females about Michelangelo with the calm and articulacy of Hamlet give him a withdrawal from his daily concerns about society. love. and self. He will ne’er halt tormenting himself seeking to calculate out that “overwhelming inquiry. ” The lone hope that Eliot gives the reader out of this verse form is the hope that we don’t stop up like Prufrock.
