tist. These two headless images represent Prufrock's desire to be rid of his self-consciousness (obviously in his head) and possibly some suicidal tendencies which can be tied into just about all of the ambiguous questions Prufrock asks of himself throughout the poem.Prufrock's series of questions can also be tied into his unsuccessful attempts at relationships with women. His insecurities keep him from doing the things he wants to do. He feels inadequate and unable to express his true feelings to women, "Should I, after tea and cakes and ices,/ Have the strength to force the moment to its crisis?"(79-80). He knows what he wants to say, but doesn't have the confidence or mental capacity to put his feelings into words. He compares himself to Hamlet, "No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be;"(111), who, in contrast, was able to express his feelings very successfully to his lover, an ability which Prufrock is envious of, characterized by his emphatic "No!" He is also second-guessing himself constantly throughout the poem: "Do I dare?"(38), "So how should I presume?"(54) and "Then how should I begin"(59) are all questions Prufrock repeats to himself during his monologue. His feelings of inadequacy toward women are not only related to his appearance and lack of mental strength, but his lower social status.Throughout the poem, Prufrock struggles with the concept of time. He tries to keep reassuring himself that "indeed there will be time"(23), which suggests that Prufrock fears that he will in fact not have time for love before the prime of his life is over. His obsession with the passage of time is characterized by its repetition throughout the poem, especially near the beginning. Eliot uses time as a tool to shape Prufrock's complicated, disturbed psyche into the form of a mid-life crisis. Prufrock keeps assuring himself that, "indeed, there will be time" to raise himself socially and thus overcome his insecurities and est...
