Deception in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” The poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot, was one of Eliot’s first major poems that gave him national recognition. It is a satirical poem about the “difficult” task of talking to women. It follows the life and thoughts of the main character J. Alfred Prufrock as he ironically attends a party of high stature in a seemingly shallow location within a city comparable to London. He is self-conscious, and throughout the night contemplates the pros and cons of confessing his love to someone with the fear of being rejected. He is intimidated by both the people around him and by the setting in which the events of his night take place. He does not relate to the seemingly pretentious
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Alfred Prufrock” critiques how the culture the main character lives in negatively affects his opportunity to be successful and happy. One critic blames Prufrock’s inherent flaws, mediocrity, and isolationism for his faults, however recognizes that because “Prufrock lives in a world that is no better than he is” he does not exclusively deserve all the blame (Ellis). One could argue that Prufrock would be much more prosperous and joyful had he not been surrounded by a society that encouraged meaningless conversation and misleading characteristics in order to appear of higher status or intellect. The other characters, although not named, play a pivotal role in proving this point; “In the room the women come and go / Talking of Michelangelo” (lines 13-14). These two lines are repeated throughout the poem, as Eliot’s extended metaphor is the comparison of these women to society as a whole. It is easy to become disillusioned and “slip into the guise of one of those women” while not realizing the setting around them starkly contrasts that of what they believe to be reality (Ellis). In fact, the party Prufrock attends is nothing like reality at …show more content…
The “yellow smoke” (16) in the streets, which can be assumed to be pollution, suggests he was living in the industrial era where the contrast between the bourgeois culture and regular people was a lot more apparent. This difference, although it still exists today, is not as recognizable or even as important as it once was. Cities were way less developed and housed poorer people in comparison. Today, those who live in major cities usually have amassed a decent amount of wealth in order to live there. Had Prufrock been living in a society that resembles a society close to that of today, he might have had greater success. One critic attributes the majority of his problems because of this, since he was living during the Industrial Revolution, he was living during a time period that was unprecedented and was seeking an identity of its own (Evans). Another critic follows up this point by drawing attention to the fact that Prufrock is “suffering from a break with its past cultural heritage” and a “loss of tradition” (Johnson). The references to "cheap hotels" (6) and "sawdust restaurants" (7) imply this change in society and can be used as an excuse for the implications it had on the people as well as Prufrock however it just shows how powerful a deceptive misidentified society can
Alfred Prufrock” critiques how the culture the main character lives in negatively affects his opportunity to be successful and happy. One critic blames Prufrock’s inherent flaws, mediocrity, and isolationism for his faults, however recognizes that because “Prufrock lives in a world that is no better than he is” he does not exclusively deserve all the blame (Ellis). One could argue that Prufrock would be much more prosperous and joyful had he not been surrounded by a society that encouraged meaningless conversation and misleading characteristics in order to appear of higher status or intellect. The other characters, although not named, play a pivotal role in proving this point; “In the room the women come and go / Talking of Michelangelo” (lines 13-14). These two lines are repeated throughout the poem, as Eliot’s extended metaphor is the comparison of these women to society as a whole. It is easy to become disillusioned and “slip into the guise of one of those women” while not realizing the setting around them starkly contrasts that of what they believe to be reality (Ellis). In fact, the party Prufrock attends is nothing like reality at …show more content…
The “yellow smoke” (16) in the streets, which can be assumed to be pollution, suggests he was living in the industrial era where the contrast between the bourgeois culture and regular people was a lot more apparent. This difference, although it still exists today, is not as recognizable or even as important as it once was. Cities were way less developed and housed poorer people in comparison. Today, those who live in major cities usually have amassed a decent amount of wealth in order to live there. Had Prufrock been living in a society that resembles a society close to that of today, he might have had greater success. One critic attributes the majority of his problems because of this, since he was living during the Industrial Revolution, he was living during a time period that was unprecedented and was seeking an identity of its own (Evans). Another critic follows up this point by drawing attention to the fact that Prufrock is “suffering from a break with its past cultural heritage” and a “loss of tradition” (Johnson). The references to "cheap hotels" (6) and "sawdust restaurants" (7) imply this change in society and can be used as an excuse for the implications it had on the people as well as Prufrock however it just shows how powerful a deceptive misidentified society can