Because World War I decimated not only a continent but also a generation, T.S. Eliot observes the consequences of such horrors on the men of his generation. He implies in “The Hollow Men” that the survivors, the ones who come home, are the ones who lose salvation and become trapped in a living purgatory due to a loss of faith. Initially, Eliot establishes the “hollow men” as weakened men without sustenance. Their lives are void of any significance, and they are “Leaning together / Headpiece[s] filled with straw” (5-6). Eliot believes these “stuffed men” fill their broken minds and souls with meaningless thought; the lives they must live are half-lives, artificial and empty. Years of following commands and witnessing horror upon horror—much
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He alludes to Judas Iscariot’s violent end with a mention of “a tree swinging” (26). Of course, Eliot recalls this infamous—perhaps ultimate—loss of faith to reveal the dangers of such a loss of faith to his readers. Any good Christian reading Eliot’s work would know that Judas committed the ultimate betrayal of Christ, and set in motion the events that would lead to the crucifixion. The comparison of the hollow men to Judas himself implies eternal damnation for the men who have turned their backs on their God; their fates have been determined, and the hellish underworld awaits them. Similarly, Eliot also alludes to two infamously doomed and tragic characters from Shakespeare’s most famous work: Romeo and Juliet. While imagining the realm of “death’s other kingdom” Eliot’s speaker mentions how “Lips that would kiss / Form prayers to broken stone” (52-53). Clearly, Eliot compares the desperate actions of his hollow men to those of Romeo and Juliet. The men must use their lips as pilgrims do, in silent prayer. Unlike the pilgrims Romeo and Juliet playfully chide each other about, however, the hollow men are pilgrims who have lost their way. Their prayers fall on empty ears; the hollow men have turned their backs on God, and now their God has done the same to …show more content…
His speaker is also haunted, and the “Shadow” lurks over him “Between the desire / And the spasm” and all other aspects of his life (86-87). Of course, Eliot hints at the darkness that infects the hollow men after their loss of faith. The “Shadow” holds the men in a constricting grip, and they cannot escape its far-reaching power. Whether the darkness that follows them is the devil or simply an endless void, it haunts the survivors’ every waking moment, and prevents them from living fulfilling lives and returning to faith and God. Finally, Eliot concludes with a nihilistic picture of how the end will come. His speaker states that “the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper” (99-100). Certainly, Eliot’s intention is to create a contradiction signifying an entire generation’s rejection of the glorious Reckoning. No longer will Christ come down from the heavens with the trumpet sound to lead his believers to eternal life; instead, humanity will fade into nothingness on the breath of a final “whimper.” The men who came home from World War I saw thousands of their comrades die; they know there is no glory in death, and do not expect any glory when they die back home. This reality confirms their loss of faith, and because there is no God to wait for and praise they accept that their deaths will be insignificant in the
He alludes to Judas Iscariot’s violent end with a mention of “a tree swinging” (26). Of course, Eliot recalls this infamous—perhaps ultimate—loss of faith to reveal the dangers of such a loss of faith to his readers. Any good Christian reading Eliot’s work would know that Judas committed the ultimate betrayal of Christ, and set in motion the events that would lead to the crucifixion. The comparison of the hollow men to Judas himself implies eternal damnation for the men who have turned their backs on their God; their fates have been determined, and the hellish underworld awaits them. Similarly, Eliot also alludes to two infamously doomed and tragic characters from Shakespeare’s most famous work: Romeo and Juliet. While imagining the realm of “death’s other kingdom” Eliot’s speaker mentions how “Lips that would kiss / Form prayers to broken stone” (52-53). Clearly, Eliot compares the desperate actions of his hollow men to those of Romeo and Juliet. The men must use their lips as pilgrims do, in silent prayer. Unlike the pilgrims Romeo and Juliet playfully chide each other about, however, the hollow men are pilgrims who have lost their way. Their prayers fall on empty ears; the hollow men have turned their backs on God, and now their God has done the same to …show more content…
His speaker is also haunted, and the “Shadow” lurks over him “Between the desire / And the spasm” and all other aspects of his life (86-87). Of course, Eliot hints at the darkness that infects the hollow men after their loss of faith. The “Shadow” holds the men in a constricting grip, and they cannot escape its far-reaching power. Whether the darkness that follows them is the devil or simply an endless void, it haunts the survivors’ every waking moment, and prevents them from living fulfilling lives and returning to faith and God. Finally, Eliot concludes with a nihilistic picture of how the end will come. His speaker states that “the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper” (99-100). Certainly, Eliot’s intention is to create a contradiction signifying an entire generation’s rejection of the glorious Reckoning. No longer will Christ come down from the heavens with the trumpet sound to lead his believers to eternal life; instead, humanity will fade into nothingness on the breath of a final “whimper.” The men who came home from World War I saw thousands of their comrades die; they know there is no glory in death, and do not expect any glory when they die back home. This reality confirms their loss of faith, and because there is no God to wait for and praise they accept that their deaths will be insignificant in the