T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock made its mark as one of the most influential masterpieces in literary history, especially during its time at the early years of the Modernist movement, for being one of the first pieces to make use of stream-of-consciousness writing to portray a dream-like world. In summary, the poem revolves around a man named J. Alfred Prufrock who doesn’t seem to have the courage to tell his feelings to the woman he loves, and so he comes up with doubts and insecurities in his head, all of which stops him and he eventually, metaphorically speaking, dies of drowning.
In relation to the current generation, the poem is reflective of the insecurity and anxiety many of us are experiencing. As pop culture progresses further and technologies advance, our perception of beauty has been changing dramatically. What has been considered the benchmark then is romanticized by most people to be different. The LGBTQ community, for example, is under fire and highly criticized, which leaves most of its members insecure of them/him/her/itself and anxious of revealing their/his/her/its personalities and true selves. Moreover, fashion trends for women and bases of beauty has varied and so some, if not all, women are having insecurities and self-doubt for not being slim enough, not having the latest makeup collection, or whatnot. Therefore, some of them are body-shamed for not meeting the expected definition of ‘pretty,’ which leads to hate themselves and their body the same way Prufrock is with his bald spot. Conversely, men are also shamed for not having the expected six-pack abs or toned muscles, which leads them to become insecure and have the fear to approach women as much as they want to. All in all, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock reflects the mental health many of us are struggling with.
However, I believe that another message that the poem is trying to convey, which reflects the Modernist approach to conventional relationships, is the loss of human connection. In the poem, Prufrock tries to connect with the women, or perhaps his beloved, but does not get the courage to do so. In relation to world events, I feel that this can be related to the current issue of the COVID-19 pandemic. I believe that because of the stay-at-home order and self-quarantine, we become alienated to the feeling of genuine human connection. The normal we knew then, such as handshakes and hugs, would become different. Therefore, I feel that Prufrock’s wavering confidence to say what he wants to say could reflect us trying to establish a bond when we go back to ‘normal’ life.
Armand, Thanks for these reflections. I agree that this is a particularly powerful or poignant moment to be thinking about Prufrock’s loneliness and isolation.