The Reflection of Social Atomism in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Abstract

The tumultuous history of the twentieth century is known to have witnessed transformative events ranging from World War I to World War II. These events with drastic social and political influences have led to a revival of interest in studying the recesses of human mind in the field of literature. Modernism as a literary movement, especially in the wake of World War I, has had its leading role in exploring human psyche, but has simultaneously become the focal point of numerous discussions with its elusive nature. This contentious aspect of modernism can be said to have become manifest in its tackling the issues of social fragmentation, solipsism and capitalism within literary realm. The entirety of the referred points also falls into the scope of Social Atomism Theory which is believed to have gained prominence in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. At this point, it must be noted that, one of the most well-known poems of modern period, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, provides an apt site for delving into the concept of social atomism. Relevantly, this article aims to elucidate the ways in which the experiences of Prufrock align with those of an alienated or socially atomised individual.