To begin with, a comparison between Prufrock and John the Baptist:
To begin with, whatever Prufrock is fighting for, which is most likely only for himself, is nowhere like the majesty of the prophet. Unlike John the Baptist, who fought for his religious views and represented the entire Christian community, Prufrock's battles were centered on himself. Because John was guided by God's desire for his people, Prufrock lacked divine purpose and was frequently trapped in his ideas and fancies. Unlike John the Baptist, who preached what he thought to be true, Prufrock was unable to act due to his self-inflicted paralysis. "Though I have seen my head (grown slightly bald) brought in upon a platter, \/ I am no prophet – and here's no great matter;" (82-83) further relates to the story of John the Baptist. "Head brought in upon a platter" symbolizes the worthy sacrifice that John the Baptist made for his faith, yet Prufrock was not even sure of himself because his mind and his emotions were conflicting. John was a courageous man whose life was taken, but he would not deviate from his love for God (Mathew 14:1). Prufrock, on the other hand, was engrossed in fear of rejection that a risk for love was not worth taking. Instead, he troubled his mind to figure out matters of the heart, and thus, him taking a bold step proved a challenge. "I am no prophet" indicates the realization by Prufrock that he was just an ordinary man who cannot measure up to John the Baptist. As much as Prufrock had faced similar tides of temptations, the prophet triumphed through his circumstances and overcame them. Prufrock, on the other hand, lacked a spiritual guide to lead him through to find his purpose. "And here's no greater" shows a man who is trying to cover his self-pity. The emasculating cowardice was shameful but Prufrock was a man who ran away from emotional confrontations all through the poem. He, therefore acknowledges that his incapacitation is nothing compared to John the Baptist's abilities and courage. His lack of confidence is attributed to the fact that he is not assured of his destination upon death. John the Baptist, on the other hand, was confident that his soul would ascend to heaven after he accomplishes his mission.
Desire for freedom and longing for connection:
Prufrock wishes to be free from the toxic environment where his view and actions are limited. He observes that "in the room, the women come and go / Talking of Michelangelo" (13-14), but he cannot have the contact that he desires. The women discussions that revolve around Michelangelo, a famous artist who did great works including designing the Roman Catholic Church, portrays royalty. It is typical of a man to admire such women who are modest and well-mannered. The fact that they are wealthy gives them little to worry about, such that their topics of discussion is around art. Prufrock desires to be in contact with the high-class women that he can only admire from a distance. He lets his thoughts overpower his feelings, which further heightens his loneliness. Prufrock lacks the boldness to go for things he desires because he is not ready for its consequences. His cowardice overpowers the deep yearnings of the soul that gives fulfillment to a person knowing that they at least tried. He would want to break free from his thoughts, but he cannot build up the determination within himself. Thus, he is left to watch, and he gets stuck in a present that he is not definite about. The writer uses the imagery of "the yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes," (15) in the second stanza of the poem (Elliot stanza 2). A usually white fog has been given a yellow color to associate with the extent of pollution by a factory in his St. Louis home. The effects of the contamination are likened to a cat that moves around slowly and finds pleasure in rubbing against things.
The struggle with cowardice and the concept of Modernism and Postmodernism:
Similarly, the impacts of smoke emission on the environment is visible in the color of the fog. Prufrock hates the life in such a city, but an advocacy against pollution is not possible because he is afraid of being rejected for speaking the truth. He has to observe things that he does not approve of to protect himself from potential hostility. Prufrock is not sure of the consequences of his bold move, and his cowardice is likened to that of cats. His physical mortification is further highlighted by the sense of defeatism of a cat that hangs around the window-pane instead of entering the house. Felines often relate to feminism and the imagery of a cat symbolizes his cowardice in confronting the things he wishes to overcome. Notably, these descriptions paint a picture of Prufrock's personality.
The use of fragmented ideas and conflicting imagery:
The fragmentation in ideas and use of conflicting imagery is a concept that was pioneered by Modernists who thought that their literature should represent the chaos in their society, then. The outlook of confusion meets the defense of the Modernists who suggest that readers ought to look deeper into the writing to find meaning. Postmodernism, on the other hand, embraced monologue in helping the reader to follow up the readings. The poem combines both concepts artistically.
Works cited
Eliot, Thomas Stearns. The love song of J. Alfred Prufrock. New Canadian Library, 2016.
Marks, Herbert, ed. The English Bible: King James Version. The Old Testament. Norton, 2012.
