Unit Three: Individual 5/27

The Life and Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot is a poem narrated by Prufrock in which he feels inferior to his everyday peers. It seems that J. Alfred Prufrock is suffering from some type of anxiety or paranoia disorder, because he second guesses every thing that he even thinks about doing. It seems to me that he should stop hanging around these people and things would be a lot better off for Mr. Prufrock. But I guess that's not the point of the poem. T. S. Eliot is making a statement about individuality that suggests that people need to worry less about their peers and more about themselves. Being around these people is clearly driving Prufrock insane, he wishes he was "a pair of rugged claws/Scuttling across the floors of silent seas." Insane. I'm not sure if the poem is suggesting that society has turned Prufrock into this nervous mess, or if he has been this way and is simply trying to fit in by trying to tolerate the pressures of this high-society group. I'm leaning towards the idea that society has given him all this paranoia, but if anyone would disagree, then let me know.

It seems like all Prufrock wants out of life is to comb his hair back without doubting himself, eat peaches, and walk the beach, wearing trousers while checking out mermaids. In other words, live free from social pressures and be himself. He doesn't do anything to help his case, which is probably some kind of statement about American culture that I'm not grasping. Personally, I didn't like this poem at all because the concept doesn't make sense to me. If you're uncomfortable around all these people, don't associate with them. If you want to walk the beach in "trousers rolled", then go for it. Don't complain about it and drive yourself insane and then make me read about it.

Howl by Allen Ginsberg is quite an interesting narrative. Essentially, it documents the lifestyle of a Beatnik and their unique counter-culture habits. Obviously Ginsberg is part of the beat movement, and so he is in favor of the non-conformist way of life. He says that "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness" and I think he's talking about the madness induced from post WWII America and the nationalistic, conformity-driven culture that existed during this era. The late 1950's and into the 1960's brought cultural revolution that had never been seen before in America. The individual was celebrated by this (initially) small group of counter-culturalists. Gingsberg implies that it was the oppression from government and police that drove his circle of friends into the drugs, sex, and alcohol habits and that if they were left to be alone then they would not abuse these vices. It's no secret that Ginsberg is in favor of individual thought and freedom, but this poem reinforces that belief.

I think both of these poems are very pessimistic about the American potential for individualism. Even today, I would say I am pessimistic about the way Americans exercise their freedom of individuality. Our culture is so wrapped up in reality television, top 40 radio stations, advertisements for everything from clothing to beer to cell phones, it's disgusting. I don't claim to be the most unique person on the planet, but I at least acknowledge the fact that conformity runs rampant in our society and I try to avoid it when I can (within reason). Obviously, no one wants to feel left out of a group, but that doesn't mean we should all wear the same shoes and watch the same movies and buy the same iPods with the same music preloaded on to them.