4 of 4

Write now Article Tools

Page 5 of 6

trapped in purgatory, is lost to inaction. Just as soon as the narrator is able to grab onto some hope that may well lead him toward the sort of action required to brave the dangers of progression, he is dragged back down by his own inner demons and trapped once more, and perhaps forever, as he slowly segues back into the old, fractured apathy and ends his quest, not with the bang of change, but the whimper of immobility.

Indeed, according to Troy Urquhart, the theme of inaction is one final area in which the poem truly seems to open itself to agreeable interpretation. Throughout the work are scattered carefully placed verbs and adjectives that create an image of constantly restrained motion. The hollow men exist in a world where taking any action whatsoever would bring to an end their suffering, yet they are held back by their fear of the unknown even as they realize it may be their salvation. This opposition of desired change and feared consequences locks the hollow men in place, and this translates into their very movement. From their twisting, "groping" movements to their furtive, fearful eyes, they are living examples of kinetic energy tied down. One of the very best examples of this image of barely contained action comes in their description of "leaning" together. As such, they are truly trapped. Should one move away toward something new and distant, all others would collapse, the precarious balance of their existence lost. Thus, they are trapped by their position, whether it is spiritual, mental, or literal. Each longs to leave the pack of dejected faux-scarecrows he finds himself with, yet is trapped in the "shadow" betwixt desire and acquisition. Indeed, the section of the poem dealing with the many extremes between which "falls the Shadow" is a very clear example of this near-movement: the hollow men are caught at the very moment before they go forth with whatever action they know to be necessary to move on, yet are unable to take that final step (199-200).

Trapped forever in their shadowy, desert-like void of indecision, the hollow men are some of the most spellbinding figures in literature. Caught at the sort of crossroads modern man finds himself at daily, between belief and damnation, between action and apathy, between life and death, they seize up and are forever trapped in the swirling inaction of some sick parody of Purgatory. They serve as a living example to modern man to be forever wary of stepping into that shadow between thought and action

• << previous page
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Analysis of The Hollow Men, by T.S. Eliot?
We want to hear your view. Write now!