Absurdism, Alienation, and the Crisis of Modern Consciousness: A Comparative Study of T. S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot

Abstract

The emergence of Modernism in the early twentieth century brought profound transformations in literary representation, reflecting the fragmentation, uncertainty, and spiritual disillusionment experienced by individuals living in rapidly changing social and cultural environments. Among the literary works that most effectively capture these concerns are T. S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (1915) and Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot (1953). Although separated by genre and historical context, both texts explore themes that later became central to absurdist thought, including alienation, paralysis of action, communicative failure, existential anxiety, and the search for meaning in a seemingly indifferent universe. This article examines the absurdist dimensions of Eliot’s poem through a comparative analysis with Beckett’s drama. Drawing upon theories of existentialism, absurdism, and modernist criticism, the study argues that Prufrock embodies the spiritual and psychological crisis of modern humanity. His fragmented consciousness, inability to act decisively, and persistent awareness of time reveal a condition remarkably similar to that experienced by Beckett’s Vladimir and Estragon. Through textual analysis, the article demonstrates that Eliot’s poem anticipates many of the philosophical and artistic concerns later associated with the Theatre of the Absurd. Ultimately, the study contends that both Eliot and Beckett expose the limitations of modern existence while simultaneously inviting readers to confront questions of identity, purpose, and spiritual fulfillment. Received: 26 June 2026 / Accepted: 31 August 2026 / Published: September 2026