Characteristic Downfall :: essays research papers

In T.S. Eliots "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the author isestablishing the anxiety the narrator is having dealing with middleage. Prufrock(the narrator) believes that age is a burden and is deeplytroubled by it.. His love of some women cannot be because he senses the pinnacle of his living is over. His preoccupation with the passing of timecharacterizes the fear of aging he has. The poemdeals with the agingand fears associated with it of the narrator.Prufrock is not confident with himself mentally or his appearance. Heis scare of what leave alone occur when people see his balding head or hisslim and aging body. He believes everyone will think he is nonagenarian anduseless. They will talk about him behind his back.(They will say"How is fuzz is growing thin")My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin,My linkup rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin--They will say "But how his arms and legs are thin"This insecurity is by all o dds a hindrance for him. It holds him backfrom doing the things he wishes to do. This is the sort ofcharacteristic that makes Alfred into a tragic, doomed character. Hewill not perplex happiness until he finds self-assurance within himself. The repetition of words like vision and revision, build his feelings ofinadequacy in communicating with the people around him.J. Alfred Prufrocks self think of affects his love life greatly. Thewoman he is in love with is younger than he is and this distresses him. He does not believe that some younger women could possibly accept him orfind him attractive. Expressing any kind of middle to her is glutinousand difficult. Prufrock knows what he must say but cannot bring himselfto say it. "Should I, subsequently tea and cakes and ices, Have the strength toforce the moment to its crisis?"(79-80) His apprehensiveness in hislove life, is very troublesome for him indeed. He wishes greatly toexpress his affection but it becomes suppressed within him. Hecompares himself to Lazarus who was an aged man restored to life byJesus. He feels that it will take a miracle to make him feel youngagain. Prufrock sees his age as the end of his romantic zeal. Heassumes the receipt to his love will be snappy and heartless. Prufrockbelieves that women do not find older men attractive or see a misadventure of romance in them.The rhyme scheme Elliot uses in this poem depicts the disillusion andconfused mind of the narrator. The poem is written using a non-uniform