The Diffident Egotist
Socialites chat, gossip, have a laugh, and associate with other people all the time;
introverts do not. They often find themselves at the brink of society, unwilling to join it. As a
result, they are rarely thought about and often considered unimportant and uninteresting by
others. How then does an introvert like Prufrock come to think of himself as so important that
even his smallest action will upset the very balance of the world? His egoism allows him to
stay away from human contact for extended periods of time, and still think of himself as critical
to the lives of everyone around him. In T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred
Prufrock,” Prufrock is shown to be an egotistical character through his obsession over his
impact on others and society.
Prufrock’s egoism is evident in his belief that his actions can completely change the
course of the world around him. As Prufrock takes us on a journey and tells us of his problems
and regrets, it is obvious that he can severely overestimate his influence on his surroundings.
He feels like anything he does will immediately alter events and situations in an extreme way.
Though he is simply taking a walk through the streets and thinking about asking a woman this
“overwhelming question,” he fails to keep the situation simple and insists that the results of his
actions will not stop at himself. Rather, they will affect the entire world. When pondering
whether he should ask this “overwhelming question” (10), he wonders “Do I dare / disturb the
universe?” (45-46). This displays a sense of egoism in Prufrock because his question clearly
only affects himself and this woman, not the entire universe that he thinks hangs in the balance.
The question is only “overwhelming” to Prufrock alone. It is a complete mystery and a very
small matter that could be easily resolved for everyone else. The universe is not disturbed by
the possibility of this question being asked and answered, only Prufrock is. This obsession with
his question leads him to be unsure of decisions not even relating to the problem he faces.
Instead of focusing on the woman and his question, he begins to question every move he could
make and consider its effects on the world. He wonders if he should “part my hair behind”
(122) or if he should “dare to eat a peach” (122). Prufrock’s questioning of such mundane
activities proves that he clearly has taken his “question” so far that he believes almost anything
he does will disturb the world he sees. Everything will be upset and changed if he even tries to
act, so he had best do nothing at all. Prufrock also grossly overestimates his effect on people
around him.
Prufrock’s egoism is also shown through his beliefs that all the people around him are
as engrossed with his life and actions as he is. Prufrock’s obsession with this question is
certainly not the first time he has felt insecure and unsure of what to do. He explains that many
of his decisions are made with the thoughts of what others might think. His hair is balding and
all he thinks is that people must say that “his hair is growing thin” (41). Also, even though he
pays particular attention to how he dresses with a “necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a
simple pin” (43), people will still remark that “his arms and legs are thin” (44). Not only is this
egotistical because Prufrock thinks everyone cares about how he looks, but he also claims that
he is trying to fit in and not be noticed anyway. Prufrock thinks everyone is focusing on his
decaying image by noticing his thinning arms and legs, so he tries to wear a supposedly
“modest” necktie and a “simple” pin. He is apparently wearing these things so people will stop
noticing and talking about him so much. He just wants to fit in, but to try and fit in, one first
has to believe he is standing out from others. Prufrock definitely believes he is important and
stands out and that is why everyone seems to talk about him nonstop, and why he needs to try
so hard to fit in and not be noticed. Prufrock’s image means everything to him. Even when he
is not looking well, Prufrock still believes he still attracts constant attention from others.
Prufrock’s allusion to his role as Prince Hamlet is another way that Eliot shows that
Prufrock falsely believes his role in life is far more important than it actually is. Prince Hamlet
is an outspoken, strong, driven leader; basically, he is everything Prufrock is not. Still, Prufrock
makes a distinction between the two. He claims that he is “not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to
be; / am an attendant lord, one that will do” (111-112). Here, Prufrock alludes to Hamlet and
claims he does not want to be a leader. While it may appear that Prufrock is trying to say he is
just a simple fellow here, it actually reveals what he thinks about himself even more. By saying
he should not be Hamlet and that he would rather be an “attendant lord” who is not in the
spotlight, we see that Prufrock is playing up his importance all too much. Prufrock is implying
that at the moment he is considered to be a Hamlet like character. Prufrock thinks he is always
under scrutiny and the watchful eyes of others, always being singled out by others, and his
actions have widespread implications, even though this could not be further from the truth.
Prufrock’s desire to be less important actually shows that he thinks too much of himself
to begin with. As he wonders if his time is running out to reveal his overwhelming question,
Prufrock imagines a life where he is less important than he is now. He thinks he “should have
been a pair of ragged claws / scuttling across the floors of silent seas.” (71-72). His desire to
lessen his importance implies that he feels he is very important in the first place. While he
minds his time trying to bring himself to reveal his feelings, the whole world seems to have
their eyes and ears on him, or so he feels. By not even naming an animal, just writing “ragged
claws,” Eliot provides the perfect supposed contrast between what Prufrock wishes he could be
and what he thinks he is now. Also, the idea of “scuttling” across a silent sea provides an image
of pure isolation. This isolation is what Prufrock lives in at the moment, yet he thinks he is very
important and everyone revolves around him. Overall, even though Prufrock thinks about all
aspects of reality when making his decision, he fails to grasp that his decision will not affect
anyone as much as he claims. Despite this, he still thinks people constantly talk about him.
They always consider his appearance and presence, and he is the center of everyone’s attention.
His word could throw the universe out of balance, even though he himself is reduced to
wandering to bring himself to the simplest of actions.
Prufrock clearly thinks who he is, but how can someone so mindful not see his own
errors? Perhaps Prufrock’s insecurities lead him to display such egoism. We see Prufrock’s
insecurity side-by-side with a lot of these displays of egoism. We see him worry if there will be
enough time in his dwindling life to ask his question before saying that people will remark that
he does not look well. He talks about the “lonely men in shirt-sleeves” (70) that he possibly
sees as a version of his future alone self. He then wishes he were the ragged claws in the sea.
Finally, he simply says “I grow old…I grow old…” (120) after ranting that he is not Prince
Hamlet. Prufrock may display egoism, but it is not enough to shroud his insecurities and fears.
He fears for his friendships, his life, and his impact on others, so he puts up bravado that he is
so important and must make every decision a big deal that he must ponder for a long time.
-
Kyle Diuro