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Prufrock in Progress

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Prufrock in Progress
Prufrock in Progress

In A Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot, the main character, J. Alfred Prufrock battles with his identification in the world. T.S. Eliot comprises this character with traits that any human being can relate to, like fear and desire, while ironically depicting the character as a monster. This dueling monster lives within Prufrock. His desire to be accepted is bogged down by his unworthy self-esteem because of his lack of human relationships. Prufrock is a relatable character at best, but his self-image ruins his potential of connecting with other people. Some scholars believe that Prufrock is yearning for a long lost lover throughout his love song, but most evidence shows that he is in confliction with himself.
Sistani writes Internal Anxieties and Conflicts in The LOVE SONG of J. ALFRED PRUFROCK and states that Prufrock is searching for a female lover in his expression of A Love Song. Sistani believes that J. Alfred is experiencing internal conflict about a love source and the need of comfort through a relationship with another woman. This interpretation poses irony continuously established throughout the poem because Prufrock does not even love himself. Sistani explains this insecurity by analyzing, “The article concludes that the male character’s anxieties and conflicts are all the results of a past unsatisfactory mothering situation during his childhood,” (Sistani 478). This accusation is made from empty evidence that he desires a woman’s affection simply because he did not ever have it. This shows that J. Alfred Prufrock is in a habitual pattern of looking for love in all the wrong places. This interpretation by Sistani suggests that J. Alfred is speaking out in the desire for a loving partner. Sadly, Prufrock’s relationship with his mother was disappointing and unfulfilling, therefore; he longs for someone to fill this place. Unfortunately, his lack of love and acceptance for himself disables him from relating and loving or



Cited: Gwynn, R.S. Literature: A Pocket Anthology. 5th. New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2012. 621-625. Print. Videnov, Valentin A. "Human Voices In Silent Seas: A Reading Of Eliot 's Love Song." Explicator 67.2 (2009): 126-130. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. Sistani, Roohollah Reesi. "Internal Anxieties And Conflicts In "The LOVE SONG Of J. ALFRED PRUFROCK." European Journal Of Social Science 17.4 (2010): 478-489. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. Xue, Haiqin. "On "An Overwhelming Question '" In The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock." Canadian Social Science 5.2 (2009): 79-82. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Nov. 2012.

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