Pinned to the Wall J. Alfred Prufrock and the Inability...

Pinned to the Wall: J. Alfred Prufrock and the Inability to Change If people are disappointed with themselves and what they have become, then there are naturally two options for remedy. One is to do whatever possible to change themselves and pave a brighter future. The second, perhaps less desirable, is to realize that change is useless or near-impossible, which leads to either finding peace in the way things are or recognizing the hopelessness in the absence of the way things could be. T.S. Eliot’s â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† reaffirms the uselessness of change (FINISH). This reflective yet despairing poem is the lament of a man who, though he would like to muster up the courage to become something else, is trapped by an†¦show more content†¦If inner change is even possible in this poem at first glance, it is certainly thwarted by an environment that does not even seem to care at all that our narrator exists. Additionally, Prufrock is surro unded by a scene where impermanence reigns, where â€Å"women come and go talking of Michelangelo† and people seem less than eager to understand that time is of the essence. Prufrock longs to repeatedly convince himself that â€Å"there will be time† for anything he wishes to do, be it â€Å"murder and create† or â€Å"prepare a face to meet the faces that [he will] meet† (Eliot 27-28). However, he understands the precariousness of time, namely that it is a precious, finite resource that does not allow for an infinite number of modifications to one’s own life. A â€Å"hundred†¦revisions† to Prufrock’s lifestyle would not really matter if all of these are delicate enough such that â€Å"a minute will reverse† them anyway (Eliot 33, 48). Prufrock understands the grim underlying reality that there is not much time after all and implies this society in which he lives is drenched in its â€Å"empty fullness of its life† (Schneider 1104). In fact, the promise of time is a false consolation here, a â€Å"pathological insistence† by Prufrock to scrape up the seconds as they quickly fall through his fingers (Cahill 8). This reliance on time as a tool to change himself loses further validity in the face of Prufrock’s impendingShow MoreRelated The Wasteland Essay1747 Words   |  7 Pagesreplaced genuine emotional connection. Eliot’s â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† goes a step further in depicting these relationships: the speaker reveals a deep sexual frustration along with an awareness of morality, in which he is conscious of his inability to develop a connection with women yet cannot break free from his silence to ask â€Å"an overwhelming question† (line 10). â€Å"The Wasteland† and â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† together illustrate that individuals are in conflict with meaninglessRead More Essay on the Loneliness of J. Alfred Prufrock1042 Words   |  5 PagesThe Loneliness of J. Alfred Prufrock In The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, written by T. S. Elliot in 1917, J. Alfred Prufrock makes the reader privy to his innermost thoughts on an evening out. Prufrock wants to lead the reader to an overwhelming question, raising expectations, but he is a bitterly disappointing man; he never asks the question. He lacks self-esteem, women are intimidating to him, and he is too much of a coward to ever be successful with women. The title is The Love SongRead More Explication of T.S. Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock920 Words   |  4 PagesExplication of T.S. Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock In T.S. Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, the author is establishing the trouble the narrator is having dealing with middle age. Prufrock(the narrator) believes that age is a burden and is deeply troubled by it.. His love of some women cannot be because he feels the prime of his life is over. His preoccupation with the passing of time characterizes the fear of aging he has. The poem deals with the aging and fearsRead MoreExplication of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay958 Words   |  4 PagesExplication of Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock In T.S. Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, the author is establishing the trouble the narrator is having dealing with middle age. Prufrock(the narrator) believes that age is a burden and is deeply troubled by it.. His love of some women cannot be because he feels the prime of his life is over. His preoccupation with the passing of time characterizes the fear of aging he has. The poem deals with the aging and fears associated with it ofRead More The Pitiful Prufrock of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay1318 Words   |  6 PagesThe Pitiful Prufrock of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   T.S. Elliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, is a melancholy poem of one mans   frustrated search to find the meaning of his existence.   The speakers strong use of imagery contributes to the poems theme of communion and loneliness. The Poem begins with an invitation from Prufrock to follow him through his self-examination. The imagery of this invitation begins with a startling simileRead MoreModernism - Araby and the Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay1382 Words   |  6 Pagesreality is reflected through techniques of fragmentation in modernist works such as James Joyce’s short story â€Å"Araby† and T.S. Eliot’s poem â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock†. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, fundamental and far-reaching changes in society often made individuals feel wary and estranged from their surrounding world. These changes included urbanization, technological advancements, mass markets and growing populations. The shocking ferocity and futility and aftermath of World War I