The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock Blog 2

The entitlement of Eliot's piece is full of irony, but also with some hidden meaning. The poem is about a man who is struggling with an internal conflict, trying to decide which of two worlds he belongs in. It is ironic that the title would make one think that it is all about love lost, when it is really about a man lost in the gray area between two societies. Love songs always include an object of one's affection, but in this case, the man is speaking about himself. The speaker feels as though he has lost love for himself, making this a very nontraditional love song, so much so that the idea of it being called one is ironic. On the other hand, the two worlds of this piece could be considered forbidden lovers and the subject is trying to allow them to be together in his mind, but to no avail. This would make for a very depressing love song, much like this poem seems to show a man in despair. The two worlds are nothing alike, there is a stark contrast between worlds that have "necktie(s) rich and honest" versus those that are peppered with "lonely men...leaning out of windows". The subject of the poem is faced with the daunting task of choosing where to fit in. By trying to bring these two forbidden worlds together, he risks losing one forever.

The Love Song of Alfred J Prufrock Blog

Throughout the piece, the subject experiences a variety of conflicts but the conflict most prominent is the one within himself. The speaker struggles as he straddles the line between two very different worlds, the classy world that he feels he should be in and the shady one he finds himself in. This conflict is the basis for all of the others in which he finds himself. The subject finds himself on a quest for love that he wishes to find in the upper class circle that he is societally involved with, however he finds himself falling back into his old patterns of the easy, drab life. On one hand, the subject tells himself "I grow old...I grow old" which speaks to the fact that he knows he is getting older and needs to become serious and settle down. On the other hand, he convinces himself that there is "time yet for a hundred decisions and for a hundred visions and revisions before the taking of toast and tea". He is justifying his indecision about life by saying that he has time before he must finally grow up. This main conflict is the flame behind all of the others. The subject would not be experiencing conflicts with the women alluded to in the poem if he was not struggling within himself to fit in. The subject would not be struggling with his society if he was not facing turmoil within himself as to where in it he belongs. The subject would not be battling time if he could stop struggling with indecision. The struggle that the subject faces with himself is one that consumes him, it fills his mind with racing thought and conflicting ideals. This sort of struggle is immensely relatable because the audience can think of times in their life when uncertainty surrounded them as they approached a crossroads.

Pride and Prejudice Blog 6

Austen’s character development and underlying message throughout the text show that she meant the opening line of the novel to be taken satirically. The variety in character opinions and thoughts on marriage show that Austen is looking to convey that not everyone fits into society’s cookie cutter. The wording of the line suggests that marriage is not about love, but rather more of a statutory requirement like the materialistic idea of the “possession of a good fortune”(5) that precedes it. Marriage after fortune implies that marriage is not about love, but about furthering one’s coordinates on the societal map. The use of hyperbole Austen employs by stating that it is “universally acknowledged” (5), is her way of not only showing the magnitude of marriage’s importance in society, but also drawing one’s attention to how it is often ridiculously pursued and obsessed over.
Had the line been meant to be taken seriously, the men of the novel would have all been married quickly and with the intent of boosting their societal standing. Bingley and Darcy are well taken care of in regard to their fortunes and therefore according to the statement, they should be “in want of a wife” (5). While they are definitely looking to find marriage, they are looking for more as well. Had Bingley been solely focused on marriage, he would have found a desirable partner when he went into the city, however, his quest for love called upon him to wait for Jane. Similarly, in the case of Darcy, love trumped status. Darcy is aware of the societal wall that separates him and Elizabeth as he concedes to having a “sense of her inferiority, of its being degradation, (and) of the family obstacles” (188). Had Austen meant for the opening of the book to be taken literally, the men would have been far shallower as the live suggests the situation of marriage to be.
Marriage is the primary focus in the lives of the townswomen in the novel. Mrs. Bennet’s “business of life was to get her daughters married” (7). Mrs. Bennet obsesses over her daughters and getting them engaged all the while ready to brag to Lady Lucas about anything that happens, suggesting that this obsession goes beyond her frazzled mind and into those of the other women. Austen uses the over the top dramatic character of Mrs. Bennet to display how vital marriage is in that society. The opening line of the book is something that Mrs. Bennet would believe in but its hyperbolic nature makes one see that she can be just as ridiculous. The quote goes on to say that “this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of …one…of their daughters” (5), this further exaggerates the feelings of the families. People did not consider single men to be the property of their daughters, but this satirical exaggeration calls the reader to see just how important marriage is.