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T.S. Eliot is a serious poet, and "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is a serious poem. In some ways it is a strange choice for inclusion in a young adult English literature curriculum, since it concerns the insecurities of a middle-aged man who is too afraid to ask a woman the "overwhelming question" because he thinks she will reject him and thereby completely destroy his already fragile self-esteem. It has become a modern classic, however, and often appears in literature anthologies designed for use in high school and college English classes. To engage students in the poem; to help them understand, and even identify with, its remarkable title character; and to help them understand the poem's themes, I ask students to give J. Alfred Prufrock a "makeover" so he can acquire more self-confidence and be better able to handle rejection.
Most students are familiar with the "makeover." It's a staple of the television talk show, wherein an image consultant identifies a member of the audience who needs a new look; takes her backstage; and gives her a new wardrobe, new makeup, and a new hairstyle. At the end of the show, the madeover audience member walks out on stage and dazzles the audience with her new sophisticated image. Students have fun with the challenge of transforming Prufrock, and, in the process of doing so, they gain insight into Prufrock's character. This leads, in turn, to an understanding of the theme of the poem and its wonderfully ironic tone.
"Prufrock" is not an easy poem to study, so I begin with a mini-lesson to review the action of the poem and to explain Eliot's allusions to Dante, Michelangelo, John the Baptist, Polonius, and Lazarus. "Prufrock" is usually the first dramatic monologue we study, so I also spend some time explaining the conventions of the genre. I follow the mini-lesson with whole class discussion, focusing on Prufrock's character. This discussion typically leads to a consensus that J. Alfred Prufrock needs help. His monologue reveals that he is insecure in his relationships with women, self-conscious about his personal appearance, and afraid no one will like him. Students then assemble in their small groups to discuss ways of transforming Prufrock so that he can acquire the self-confidence...