Prufrock in Progress Essay Example

Prufrock in Progress Essay Example Prufrock in Progress Essay Prufrock in Progress Essay 126). Videnov also analyzes the internal and external influences on J. Alfred Prufrock’s psyche. The internal conflict that J. Alfred Prufrock exhibits throughout his love song is evident in his lack of self-confidence that leads to a feeling of disconnection with the human population. On one hand, Prufrock expresses the desire to cultivate a relationship with the external world, or a lover; yet on the other hand, he lets his insecurities define him and refuses to let himself engage in relationships with other people. Videnov explains this by describing Prufrock’s quest, â€Å"a quest for belonging, the examination of which could yield the message of the poem and the ultimately optimistic idea of love, as the title suggests, lurking behind the apparently tragic finale,† (Videnov, Valentin A. , 126). This statement establishes the irony in the desire to fulfill a journey of love, yet the inevitable misery Prufrock lives. The psychoanalytical dynamic of the ego and the true self is brought through in Prufrock’s character. T. S. Eliot repeatedly uses the pronouns, â€Å"you and I,† to describe this relationship of the ego and true self that Prufrock experiences. In the interpretation of Human Voices in Silent Seas: A Reading on Eliot’s Love Song, Videnov declares that these two entities are both representative of J. Alfred Prufrock himself. â€Å"You† represents the public face of Alfred J. Prufrock, the ego; and â€Å"I† represents the true self, the self that wants to be expressed but is prevented by Prufrock’s fear and insecurity. The opposing characters within Prufrock are further extended through the symbols of afternoon and evening. The imagery of afternoon is a representation of the light, the desire to express, and the need for connection. The evening represents a darkness, or comfort in the habitual pattern of the introverted mind and it’s self-destructive thoughts. Prufrock expresses his mental state when he says, ‘the evening sleeps so peacefully. † (Gwynn 624) In saying this, Prufrock is confirming within himself his comfort in the thought pattern of darkness. This leads him to question, â€Å"Would it have been worthwhile? † (Gwynn 625), referring to the desired human connection he wants deep down. He truly believes that expression of the self and what he, as an individual has to say and share, are not going to be acc epted by others. Because of his fear of expression, the singer sings a song of love, but predominately and more ironically, a song of sadness. He has continued his pattern of introversion to such an extreme that he suffers from continual loneliness and disassociation. He proves this dissociation when he ends the poem with an insight of his fantasy world of mermaids where he retreats, when he is lonely. He looks upon the beautiful creatures in awe of their unifying world; yet won’t even allow himself to be happy in his fantasy. He states this saying, â€Å"I do not think that they will sing to me,† (Gwynn 625). This prevents him from dreaming himself to a healthy and loving relationship with himself, or anyone else. The lines â€Å"let us go† (Gwynn 622) used repeatedly are incredibly significant in this poem. Us† being the internal representation of the two conflicting sides that exist within Prufrock, as he yearns for release of this horrible cycle. What J. Alfred Prufrock does not understand is that every individual goes through this experience of questioning self worth. The underlying ironic theme of this poem is the relation of the reader to Prufrock himself. This is a cry of the main character to emerge from the inn er seclusion that he feels – a bonding of the afternoon and evening, the light and dark, inner and outer; a battle for the merging of duality to become a union. In â€Å"an overwhelming question† in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by Xue, the main question that J. Alfred Prufrock is consistently in conflict with is whether or not to reveal his true self. Prufrock’s dueling character is established through the language of the poem. The internal conflict of Prufrock is addressed through repetitive language. â€Å"Prufrock is trying to express some deeper philosophical insight or disillusionment with society, but fears rejection. † (Xue 79). This fear causes his misery. Prufrock’s character is dominated by his uncertainty. The repetition of the lines, â€Å"there will be time,† (Gwynn 622) pose irony in the poem. Prufrock is hopeful that he will be able to truly open up to the world in time, yet currently; he is perpetuating his cycle of loneliness by assuming that these desires will naturally unfold without regarded effort. Xue states this in saying, â€Å"The phrase ‘There will be time,’ repeated five times between lines 23 and 36, represents his hesitation and delay, in order to conceal his inner anxiety to the world,† (Xue 80). Essentially, Prufrock is only happy when he is alone with his thoughts because there are no external influences to judge him, yet this is also his cause of misery. Irony is also addressed in the â€Å"you and I† (Gwynn 621) characterization of Prufrock. Xue states the psychoanalytical interpretation of these pronouns, â€Å"In the poem, Prufrock is divided in two selves. One is persuading Prufrock to ask the ‘overwhelming question’, while the other is trying to prevent it,† (Xue 82). Prufrock’s soul really desires is the opposite of what it endures. At the root of his inability to express is his insecurity. Prufrock asks, â€Å"Do I dare Disturb the Universe? † (Gywnn 623) which is direct evidence that Prufrock has serious lack of self-confidence. J. Alfred directly articulates his anxiety about interaction by describing his unappealing physical attributes. He quivers in the thought, â€Å"With a bald spot in the middle of my hair- ‘They will say: ‘How his hair is growing thin! ’† (Gwynn 623). This statement is directly in connection with Prufrock’s physical insecurity, as well as his emotional insecurity because of his self-image. He uses this as an excuse for his anti-social behavior. He manifests this negative expression of self by bolding stating that if he were to share with another he would, â€Å"Die with a dying fall,† (Gywnn 623). This self-conscious attitude and fear of being mocked for this truth is the entire reason for J. Alfred Prufrock’s cyclical misery. He does not love himself; therefore, he cannot find or receive or the love of another. If he never learns to share his truth, he will never understand the beauty of human connection. The reality of how much Prufrock shares about himself is shown in the line, â€Å"To prepare to meet the faces that you meet; to murder to create,† (Gwynn 622). The real self or â€Å"I†, as Videnov described in Human Voices in Silent Seas, is lost or â€Å"murdered† in society to â€Å"create† a false self or alter ego that functions in society. Another line stating this ego-oriented society and repeating the symbol of darkness reads, â€Å"the evening spread out against the sky,† (Gwynn 622) which refers to the apparent darkness of all humans all hidden under the masks of ego. Yet, if J. Alfred Prufrock understands this is a battle of every individual, he would be able to relate. In conclusion, it is J. Alfred Prufrock’s choice to live in misery. If he were open to see himself as a mirror image of others he would realize that every individual has insecurities of their own. Therefore, I agree with scholars Videnov and Xue in the psychoanalytical approach to J. Alfred Prufrock battling with his own ego versus the exploration and expression of his true self. If he deemed himself worthy of external expression then he would finally be able to share in love with himself and in turn, the rest of humanity. Gwynn, R. S. Literature: A Pocket Anthology. 5th. New York: Pearson Education, Inc. , 2012. 21-625. Print. Videnov, Valentin A. Human Voices In Silent Seas: A Reading Of Eliots Love Song. Explicator 67. 2 (2009): 126-130. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. Sistani, Roohollah Reesi. Internal Anxieties And Conflicts In The LOVE SONG Of J. ALFRED PRUFROCK. European Journal Of Social Science 17. 4 (2010): 478-489. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. Xue, Haiqin. On An Overwhelming Question' In The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock. Canadian Social Science 5. 2 (2009): 79-82. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Nov. 2012.

Biography of Charles Dickens, English Novelist

Biography of Charles Dickens, English Novelist Charles Dickens (February 7, 1812–June 9, 1870) was a popular English novelist of the Victorian era, and to this day he remains a giant in British literature. Dickens wrote numerous books that are now considered classics, including David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations. Much of his work was inspired by the difficulties he faced in childhood as well as social and economic problems in Victorian Britain. Fast Facts: Charles Dickens Known For: Dickens was the popular author of Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, and other classics.Born: February 7, 1812 in Portsea, EnglandParents: Elizabeth and John DickensDied: June 9, 1870 in Higham, EnglandPublished Works: Oliver Twist (1839), A Christmas Carol (1843), David Copperfield (1850), Hard Times (1854), Great Expectations (1861)Spouse: Catherine Hogarth (m. 1836–1870)Children: 10 Early Life Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in Portsea, England. His father had a job working as a pay clerk for the British Navy, and the Dickens family, by the standards of the day, should have enjoyed a comfortable life. But his fathers spending habits got them into constant financial difficulties. When Charles was 12, his father was sent to debtors prison, and Charles was forced to take a job in a factory that made shoe polish known as blacking. Life in the blacking factory for the bright 12-year-old was an ordeal. He felt humiliated and ashamed, and the year or so he spent sticking labels on jars would be a profound influence on his life. When his father managed to get out of debtors prison, Charles was able to resume his sporadic schooling. However, he was forced to take a job as an office boy at the age of 15. By his late teens, he had learned stenography and landed a job as a reporter in the London courts. By the early 1830s, he was reporting for two London newspapers. Early Career Dickens aspired to break away from newspapers and become an independent writer, and he began writing sketches of life in London. In 1833 he began submitting them to a magazine, The Monthly. He would later recall how he submitted his first manuscript, which he said was dropped stealthily one evening at twilight, with fear and trembling, into a dark letter box, in a dark office, up a dark court in Fleet Street. When the sketch hed written, titled A Dinner at Poplar Walk, appeared in print, Dickens was overjoyed. The sketch appeared with no byline, but soon he began publishing items under the pen name Boz. The witty and insightful articles Dickens wrote became popular, and he was eventually given the chance to collect them in a book. Sketches by Boz first appeared in early 1836, when Dickens had just turned 24. Buoyed by the success of his first book, he married Catherine Hogarth, the daughter of a newspaper editor. He settled into a new life as a family man and an author. Rise to Fame Sketches by Boz was so popular that the publisher commissioned a sequel, which appeared in 1837. Dickens was also approached to write the text to accompany a set of illustrations, and that project turned into his first novel, The Pickwick Papers, which was published in installments from 1836 to 1837. This book was followed by Oliver Twist, which appeared in 1839. Dickens became amazingly productive. Nicholas Nickleby was written in 1839, and The Old Curiosity Shop in 1841. In addition to these novels, Dickens was turning out a steady stream of articles for magazines. His work was incredibly popular. Dickens was able to create remarkable characters, and his writing often combined comic touches with tragic elements. His empathy for working people and for those caught in unfortunate circumstances made readers feel a bond with him. As his novels appeared in serial form, the reading public was often gripped with anticipation. The popularity of Dickens spread to America, and there were stories told about how Americans would greet British ships at the docks in New York to find out what had happened next in Dickens latest novel. Visit to America Capitalizing on his international fame, Dickens visited the United States in 1842 when he was 30 years old. The American public was eager to greet him, and he was treated to banquets and celebrations during his travels. In New England, Dickens visited the factories of Lowell, Massachusetts, and in New York City he was taken to the see the Five Points, the notorious and dangerous slum on the Lower East Side. There was talk of him visiting the South, but as he was horrified by the idea of slavery he never went south of Virginia. Upon returning to England, Dickens wrote an account of his American travels which offended many Americans. A Christmas Carol In 1842, Dickens wrote another novel, Barnaby Rudge. The following year, while writing the novel Martin Chuzzlewit, Dickens visited the industrial city of Manchester, England. He addressed a gathering of workers, and later he took a long walk and began to think about writing a Christmas book that would be a protest against the profound economic inequality he saw in Victorian England. Dickens published A Christmas Carol in December 1843, and it became one of his most enduring works. Dickens traveled around Europe during the mid-1840s. After returning to England, he published five new novels: Dombey and Son, David Copperfield, Bleak House, Hard Times, and Little Dorrit. By the late 1850s, Dickens was spending more time giving public readings. His income was enormous, but so were his expenses, and he often feared he would be plunged back into the sort of poverty he had known as a child. Later Life Epics/Getty Images Charles Dickens, in middle age, appeared to be on top of the world. He was able to travel as he wished, and he spent summers in Italy. In the late 1850s, he purchased a mansion, Gads Hill, which he had first seen and admired as a child. Despite his worldly success, though, Dickens was beset by problems. He and his wife had a large family of 10 children, but the marriage was often troubled. In 1858, a personal crisis turned into a public scandal when Dickens left his wife and apparently began a secretive affair with actress Ellen Nelly Ternan, who was only 19 years old. Rumors about his private life spread. Against the advice of friends, Dickens wrote a letter defending himself, which was printed in newspapers in New York and London. For the last 10 years of his life, Dickens was often estranged from his children, and his relationships with old friends suffered. Though he hadnt enjoyed his tour of America in 1842, Dickens returned in late 1867. He was again welcomed warmly, and large crowds flocked to his public appearances. He toured the East Coast of the United States for five months. He returned to England exhausted, yet continued to embark on more reading tours. Though his health was failing, the tours were lucrative, and he pushed himself to keep appearing onstage. Death Dickens planned a new novel for publication in serial form. The Mystery of Edwin Drood began appearing in April 1870. On June 8, 1870, Dickens spent the afternoon working on the novel before suffering a stroke at dinner. He died the next day. The funeral for Dickens was modest, and praised, according to a New York Times article, as being in keeping with the democratic spirit of the age. Dickens was accorded a high honor, however, as he was buried in the Poets Corner of Westminster Abbey, near other literary figures such as Geoffrey Chaucer, Edmund Spenser, and Dr. Samuel Johnson. Legacy The importance of Charles Dickens in English literature remains enormous. His books have never gone out of print, and they are widely read to this day. As the works lend themselves to dramatic interpretation, numerous plays, television programs, and feature films based on them continue to appear. Sources Kaplan, Fred. Dickens: a Biography. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.Tomalin, Claire. Charles Dickens: a Life. Penguin Press, 2012.