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

Year 2024, Volume: 5 Issue: 2, 383 - 397

Muhammed Metin Çameli

https://doi.org/10.48139/aybukulliye.1428232

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.

Keywords

Modernism, Modern Poetry, Prufrock, Social Atomism, Alienation

J. Alfred Prufrock’ın Aşk Şarkısı Adlı Şiirde Sosyal Atomizm Kavramının Yansımaları

Abstract

Yirminci yüzyılın çalkantılı tarihinin, Birinci Dünya Savaşı’ndan İkinci Dünya Savaşına uzanan, dönüştürücü olaylara tanıklık ettiği bilinmektedir. Köklü sosyal ve politik etkilere sahip bu olaylar, edebiyat alanında insan aklının derinliklerini inceleme arzusunu tetiklemiştir. Edebi bir akım olarak modernizm, özellikle Birinci Dünya Savaşı sonrasında, insan ruhunu çözümleyebilmekte öncü bir rol edinmiştir fakat eş zamanlı olarak, tanımlanması zor doğası ile birçok tartışmanın merkezinde yer almıştır. Modernizm akımının bu tartışmalı yönünün, toplumsal bölünme, tekbencilik ve kapitalizm hususlarının edebi alanda ele alınmasında daha fazla ortaya çıktığı iddia edilebilir. Atfedilen noktaların tümü, on dokuzuncu ve yirminci yüzyıllarda önem kazanan, Sosyal Atomizm Teorisi kapsamında da çalışılmaktadır. Bu noktada, modern dönemin en iyi bilinen şiirlerinden olan J. Alfred Prufrock’ın Aşk Şarkısı’nın sosyal atomizm kavramının araştırılması adına sağlam bir zemin hazırladığı vurgulanmalıdır. Bu makale, Prufrock karakterinin modern dönemdeki deneyimlerinin yabancılaşmış ya da adeta parçalara bölünmüş gibi hisseden bir bireyin deneyimleri ile örtüşen yanlarını detaylıca açığa çıkarmayı hedeflemektedir.

Keywords

Modernizm, Modern Şiir, Prufrock, Sosyal Atomizm, Yabancılaşma

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