One’s thoughts are personal to them, and once they are asked to externalize it, they often subconsciously or consciously filter out what they are thinking. Each of the personal circumstances in Tillie Olson’s “I Stand Here Ironing”, Dorothy Parker’s “A Telephone Call”, and T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” inhibit the narrators to externalize their thoughts because of the fear of judgement and self-blame that each feel. Many do not want to express their innermost fears to others. They hesitate to explain their life story because is personal. Insecurities are not things that people talk about freely. The authors in each of these stories use context to give the readers insight as to why the stories are internal monologues through
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Alfred Prufrock”, self-blame and fear of rejection (that comes from judgement) occur when Prufrock contemplates reality and tries to decide if he should approach a woman he is interested in across the room. Prufrock criticizes the high-class and pretentious people in the room who are “talking of Michelangelo”, as people who avoid the depressing reality of life and “prepare a face to meet the faces [they] meet” (2). Prufrock implies that these people ignore that reality is truly grim with the superficial lives that they lead. Prufrock, however, obviously cannot externalize these thoughts because he is in a room full of upper-class people. Prufrock also puts himself down when thinking about approaching the girl, assuming that when others see him, they will judge his bald spot and slim figure by saying “‘how his hair is growing thin… how his arms and legs are thin!’” (3). In addition, Prufrock blames his inability to communicate with the girl for not being able to approach her. He predicts that if he were to talk to her he would end up saying “‘that is not what I meant at all. That is not it at all.’” (4). With so much on his mind, he believes that even if he tried to communicate with her, she simply would not understand. This self-blame allows the narrator to reason that there is no point in even going up to the girl (and therefore prevents him from externalizing his thoughts). This also enables him to avoid rejection, which he believes is likely, as he has a poor
Alfred Prufrock”, self-blame and fear of rejection (that comes from judgement) occur when Prufrock contemplates reality and tries to decide if he should approach a woman he is interested in across the room. Prufrock criticizes the high-class and pretentious people in the room who are “talking of Michelangelo”, as people who avoid the depressing reality of life and “prepare a face to meet the faces [they] meet” (2). Prufrock implies that these people ignore that reality is truly grim with the superficial lives that they lead. Prufrock, however, obviously cannot externalize these thoughts because he is in a room full of upper-class people. Prufrock also puts himself down when thinking about approaching the girl, assuming that when others see him, they will judge his bald spot and slim figure by saying “‘how his hair is growing thin… how his arms and legs are thin!’” (3). In addition, Prufrock blames his inability to communicate with the girl for not being able to approach her. He predicts that if he were to talk to her he would end up saying “‘that is not what I meant at all. That is not it at all.’” (4). With so much on his mind, he believes that even if he tried to communicate with her, she simply would not understand. This self-blame allows the narrator to reason that there is no point in even going up to the girl (and therefore prevents him from externalizing his thoughts). This also enables him to avoid rejection, which he believes is likely, as he has a poor