Question

question 19 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 alludes to mermaids to illustrate the speakers obsession with the supernatural.

c. it reflects disillusionment with the american dream.

d. it supports the idea that everything everywhere eventually changes.

Explanation:

• Option A: Modernist works often have fragmented, non - linear narratives, not smooth idea flow from line to line. So A is incorrect.
• Option B: The allusion to mermaids in this excerpt is more about the speaker's inner thoughts and sense of isolation rather than an obsession with the supernatural, which is not a key feature of Modernism. So B is incorrect.
• Option C: This excerpt from Eliot's work is more about the speaker's personal sense of aging and change, not specifically about disillusionment with the American Dream (and Eliot's work is more associated with European - influenced Modernism and the disillusionment of the post - WWI era in a broader sense, not just the American Dream). So C is incorrect.
• Option D: The repeated "I grow old...", along with the questions about personal appearance and the mention of mermaids (which can symbolize a lost, idealized past) reflect the Modernist theme of impermanence and the idea that everything changes. This aligns with Modernist concerns about the fragmentation and transitory nature of life.

Answer:

D. It supports the idea that everything everywhere eventually changes.