The Loveong Of J Alfred Prufrock Analysis

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The speaker in the poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot reflects both Augustus Waters and Hazel Lancaster’s views about life through a series of examples. In the excerpt from the novel The Fault in Our Stars, Hazel Lancaster and Augustus Waters have similar, but also conflicting views on the topic of whether or not there is an “afterlife” and their own personal meaning of life. In the poem, the author writes, “No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be…”( Eliot,39). This line reflects back to Hazel’s explanation of life and her view on the subject. Hazel’s character has a strong opinion and believes that a person cannot base their quality of life on whether or not they “lived for something or die[d] for something”(Green, …show more content…

Throughout the excerpt Waters mentions how he is afraid of death. However, the idea of death does not frighten him, but the overall product that he is leaving behind does. According to Hazel, Augustus has an “obsession with, like, dying for something or leaving behind some great sign of [his] heroism…” (Green, 110). Not only does this obsession bother Hazel, but it also conflicts greatly with her own ideas. Augustus believes that, “everyone wants to lead an extraordinary life” (Green, 110). This quote relates back to the poem when the author writes about the speaker’s life. Eliot writes, “I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker, and I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker, and in short, I was afraid” (36-38). These lines connect back to Augustus and how not leaving something behind creates a strong sense of emotional fear for him. However, Hazel contradicts his comments of an extravagant lifestyle and replies “not everyone” (Green, 110). This strong comment from Hazel relates back to the poem by T.S. Eliot and on her own life. The author of the poem writes, “I am no prophet- and here’s no great matter” (Eliot, 35). This connects back to Hazel Lancaster due to the fact that she does not need to accomplish anything in order to have known she lived an accomplished and worthy life. Even though the opinions are different, both Lancaster and Water’s opinions on