INTERIOR MONOLOGUE IN THE LOVESONG OF J ALFRED PRUFROCK

This answer is written by Neha Pinto

Ezra Pound's enthusiastic endorsement of T. S. Eliot and "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" awakened
the literary world to a previously unknown genius. Arguably the best known English poem of the 20th century,
"The Love song of J.Alfred Prufrock" is an interior monologue. Readers get a chance to eavesdrop snoop on J.
Alfred's stream of consciousness, which flows forward, backward, and sideways triggering several psychological
associations.
The speaker, J. Alfred Prufrock, is an aging man who is very self-conscious about his appearance. Even his
name is ironic and is deliberately provocative. "Pru" stands for "prudish" while "frock" is a female garment, so that
the name sounds a little like the old British insult for a hopeless man: "a big girl's blouse."
He is speaking to his physical body ("you"), and from his mind ("I"). He first speaks of himself as looking in
a mirror, contemplating visiting a "room" where "women come and go" on a late afternoon. Here, Prufrock falls
into multiple daydreams in which he avoids the "overwhelming question" of whether or not to confront these
women. He becomes more aware of his timidity as he concludes that confrontation of the "overwhelming
question" would not have changed the outcome of nothingness. He recedes into a final reverie in which he follows
mermaids out to sea and drowns, passively accepting his death of action.
Prufrock indirectly alludes to his helplessness by comparing himself to an etherized patient. This
metaphor illustrates how helpless Prufrock feels by making this subconscious comparison. This helpless attitude
relates to the torture he feels through his inaction. He also uses a metaphor, comparing himself to an insect
"pinned" down. These helpless images suggest Prufrock's view of his inability to change his numbness. This
helpless attitude relates to the torture he feels through this inaction. The allusion made to Dante's Inferno suggests
this torture. The sin Prufrock is suffering from is

like a tedious argument

Of insidious intent

This simile illustrates his wasted energy on this pointless fantasy. These unsatisfied desires are demonstrated in
the images of "restless nights in one-night cheap hotels". Just as the hotels suggest a lack of contentment,
Prufrock's desires are not met.
These desires are a result of Prufrock's self-imposed inferiority. When the women are "talking of
Michaelangelo", Prufrock is quick to distract himself by focusing on the yellow fog. The allusion to Michaelangelo
and Prufrock's reaction suggest he feels inferior to a man with great talent. His inferiority is confronted again in his
physical description. Although his dress is "rich and modest", he fears he will be seen as unattractive for his thin
arms and thin hair.
He becomes angry when he realizes he has "measured out [his] life with coffee spoons". Every day he
continues these pointless fantasies, hence the repetition associated with coffee spoons. Inaction is also apparent in
that only a coffee spoon could measure how little he has accomplished. The anaphora of "How should I presume?"
implies this inaction as Prufrock repeats this question, but avoids an answer. He is also afraid of being
misunderstood as he repeats; "This is not what I meant at all". The "overwhelming question" is no longer
addressed as Prufrock realizes that he will stay inactive. The numbness increases as Prufrock discovers more about
his cowardice. The allusion of John the Baptist's beheading explains Prufrock's fear of being stripped of bravery.
This suggestion of being unmanned is quickly denied by Prufrock as he responds, "I am no prophet." Although he is
angered by this unconscious comparison, he cannot deny it and admits he has seen his "greatness flicker". This
metaphor, comparing his eminence to a dying flame, expresses Prufrock's understanding of his cowardice. He
follows this comparison with an allusion to Hamlet. Like Hamlet, Prufrock is indecisive and doesn't know how to
deal with situations. He again denies the comparison he has made and proclaims he is not like Hamlet, but more
like Polonius. He even goes to extent of comparing himself with a ‘Fool’. This cognition of his cowardice and
timidity causes him to surrender. He admits the foolishness of his reveries but cannot see a way to change them.
Like the mermaids that tempted the Greeks, Prufrock follows the mermaids in a final reverie, drowning and
accepting the death in his inaction.
Prufrock's cowardice and hesitance illustrate his inaction. The conscious and subconscious comparisons
Prufrock makes about himself explain the reason for his timidity. His poor self-confidence and feeling of inferiority
are represented in the devices Eliot uses and help the reader understand Prufrock's refusal to change. His self-
image causes his perversion of reality, making him afraid of confrontation as he helplessly retreats into
unsatisfying daydreams.
Thus through Prufrock’s interior monologue or his confessional monologue Eliot, draws a clear line
between what Prufrock actually desires, and his inability to achieve them because of his inferiority complex.