Question

question 11 of 20
read the following excerpt from the the love song of j. alfred prufrock by t. s. eliot:
i grow old... i grow old...
i shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.
shall i part my hair behind? do i dare to eat a peach?
i shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
i have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
what aspect of this excerpt most clearly marks it as a work of modernism?
a. it is written in a way in which the same idea flows from one line to the next.
b. it reflects disillusionment with the american dream.
c. it supports the idea that everything everywhere eventually changes.
d. it alludes to mermaids to illustrate the speakers obsession with the supernatural.

Explanation:

Modernist literature often uses a stream - of - consciousness style, where ideas flow freely from one line to the next without strict formal structure. In this excerpt, the speaker's thoughts about aging, appearance (rolling trousers, parting hair), and then a sudden mention of mermaids show a free - flowing of ideas. Option B about the American Dream is more related to some post - World War II American literature. Option C's idea of everything changing is too broad and not the most distinct Modernist marker here. Option D's allusion to mermaids is not the key Modernist aspect as the free - flowing of ideas is more central.

Answer:

A. It is written in a way in which the same idea flows from one line to the next.