Notion of the Shell

A detailed Summary of Notion of the Shell


In this poem, the narrator has a severe confidence problem and is therefore extremely disillusioned and stuck in his "shell". In this disillusionment, he handles everyday events with extreme analysis and over-cautious action. He makes himself believe that he is too different from the rest of the world and therefore it does not accept him. The speaker, who is undoubtedly Prufrock, never engages in conversation with the woman because he becomes frightened and feels as if he is not good enough for her or anyone else. Prufrock's disillusionment is evident throughout the entire poem and prohibits him from obtaining the desire of intimately meeting the woman because of his identity.

Prufrock has an idea that he will create a new, exciting personality so that he may approach the women and become familiar with them. The speaker is continuously commenting on his appearance. He is extremely self-conscious. Prufrock says, "Shall I part my hair behind?" (line 122). He feels that if he changes his appearance than the women will like him. Prufrock wants to put up a front that will make him more attractive to women. He discusses getting rid of his old, boring self and creat


Prufrock finds himself searching for where he belongs in the universe. He is afraid to act on his own desires because of the possible outcomes. In the end he must free himself from his shell and not fear rejection. However, he fails to do and thus lives his life alone. The speaker only anticipates events to come in the future, but he does not take any action in the present. In order to face people, he needs to create a mask because he does not consider himself adequate to face society. He ponders everything so intensely that he cannot enjoy life. The speaker becomes so engrossed in fearing embarrassment or rejection that he resorts to doing absolutely nothing about the situation. His desire is to create a new image for himself, but his disillusionment makes him realize that he cannot change who he is.

At times, indeed, almost ridiculous-

No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be;

Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse;



Some common words found in the essay are:
Prufrock Notion, Prufrock Hamlet, Prince Hamlet, polite conversation, life speaker, attendant lord, fear rejection,

Approximate Word count = 884
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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