Discuss whether Prufrock is or is not a "modern man," in T.S. Eliot's poem, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."

With T.S. Eliot's poem, "The Love Song of J. Alfred
Prufrock," it's important to identify the concept of "modern" during the early 20th
Century. The modernist literary movement addressed
the...

...idea
of individualism, mistrust of institutions (government, religion), and the disbelief of
any absolute truths.

Things
which were considered traditional were now viewed as outdated. By some, T.S. Eliot's
poem is considered the first of the modernist literary movement;
it...

readability="6">

...explore[s] the peculiarly Modernist alienation
of the individual in society to a point where internal emotional alienation
occurs...

Georg Simmel, a
sociologist, summarizes societal concerns during this
time:

The
deepest problems of modern life derive from the claim of the individual to preserve the
autonomy and individuality of his existence in the face of overwhelming social forces,
of historical heritage, of external culture, and of the technique of
life.

Eliot's image of "a
patient etherized" gives the reader a sense that as this man and his companion go out,
they are like sheep, moving along passively as if they had been anesthetized. The two
pass through a dingy part of town with "cheap one-night hotels," perhaps alluding to
clandestine rendezvous—where things are done in secret, e.g., meetings, conversations,
etc.

As the two continue, they enter a place where women
are having discussions about sophisticated topics such as Michelangelo, and later we
learn there is tea and talk of novels—modern
women?

Prufrock compares how he sees himself to how others
might see him. He is uncertain as to how he should proceed: "Do I dare?" Can he move
forward in this unfamiliar territory or should he turn
back?

The end of the poem reflects Prufrock's feelings as
he prepares to meet a woman for tea; the images of coffee spoons
may hint that Prufrock has been in many of these situations before: cups of coffee over
extremely awkward, socially painful conversations. Without getting over this
discomfiture, Prufrock may be destined forever to be alienated from society and the
company of a woman—a wife and marriage...a "modern"
life.

In this poem, I see in Prufrock a struggle between
individualism and a sense of alienation. Some people are strong enough to be individuals
and to fight against the tide of humanity to find their own unique place in the world.
However, for the person that does not thrive being alone—who feels
more comfortable with life in a "pre-modernist" society—the sense of loneliness must be
overwhelming. I find that Prufrock is trying to walk the line between what society has
become (where he is extremely uncomfortable) and the old world
which was comfortable for him, but makes him feel like an
outcast.

One source
notes:

readability="8">

[Eliot's] early poetry, including "Prufrock,"
deals with spiritually exhausted people who exist in the impersonal modern
city.

Prufrock seems
spiritually exhausted. This "modern man" is only that because of the time in which he
lives. He does not feel at ease in this "impersonal modern city"
where people defy the norms of the past and look to isolation brought about by a new to
be one's own person and a "mistrust of [government and religion]." Prufrock is
uncomfortable in trying to be a "modern" man.

readability="6">

Prufrock is a representative character who cannot
reconcile his thoughts and understanding with his feelings and
will.

Additional
Source:

http://public.wsu.edu/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_2/eliot.html#7