Prufrock and Other Observations (1917) - Cousin Nancy Summary

The narrator's cousin lives an unorthodox lifestyle. She does not conform to the traditional. She smokes, dances, and acts very differently than her family is accustomed to in social situations. Her actions are not in concert with her religious upbringing. Her aunts want to instill their traditions and ways in her so she acts according to their desires and does not cause them embarrassment.

Prufrock and Other Observations (1917) - Cousin Nancy Analysis

In this poem, we see a young woman who goes against the grain of acceptable behavior as dictated by her family and the religion of her ancestors.This shows that she, like many in post-war Europe, were breaking from convention and defining new identities for themselves. With war and technological advances in society creating a new order of things...