Existentialist Themes in T.S. Eliots The Hollow Men - Essay Example

Ruth Pacheco Existentialist Themes in T.S. Eliot’s “The Hollow Men” The Theory of Existentialism was introduced to the world by Kierkegaard who claims that existence precedes essence. This idea was further explored by Sartre who delved on the difference between being and nothingness. Although never considered as an existentialist by his critics, T.S. Eliot supported the ideas of Existentialism in his works. In particular, readers will be amazed to find these concepts in T.S. Eliot’s poem, “The Hollow Men.” Unlocking the allusions and symbolisms in the poem will lead readers to an understanding of existentialist themes from the point of view of T.S. Eliot. Reading the biography of Eliot and his later poems will guide readers to believe that the author subscribes to notions of existentialism. In particular, Kierkegaard’s idea of existentialism supports the idea that a human being’s essence equates his morality. In keeping with this, “The Hollow Men” suggests equality among notions of essence, morality and faith. Specifically, it illustrates Kierkegaard’s idea of existentialism. Similarly, Eliot also submits to Sartre’s existentialism, specifically the notions of being and nothingness. Unlocking the poem’s themes and literary devices will help to differentiate ideas. In “The Hollow Men,” T.S. Eliot’s suggests the difference between being and nothingness. The “hollow men” according to Raine (15), are “men whose lives on earth have been void, put to death by prudence—and whose after-existence, neither damned nor saved, is not an afterlife…” The men are not dead or spirits in purgatory. Instead, they are alive but live a meaningless life. They are “stuffed” (l.2) which confirms existence, hence they are not mere spiritual beings. However, they use a metaphor to compare themselves to scarecrows with heads “filled with straw” (l.4). just like scarecrows, they are feared, yet they cannot move or do anything to scare others because they are mere displays or the frightening power attached to their identity only exists as a notion. The images of the men with “dried voices,” “shape without form, shade without color,” (l.11) connote their powerlessness. Having no form does not totally mean existing as spirits or non-human as some critics claim. Rather, this notion could mean living a meaningless life. Having no form but maintaining shape means one is a shadow and only physical matters cast shadows. Additionally, the men are “Paralysed force, gesture without motion” (l.12) which means that they cannot move or act. They are not free to do so. Notice that the words paralysed and gesture are not totally suggesting non-movement. Rather, they imply being controlled or stopped. This further leads the readers to a confirmation that the men are still alive yet they describe themselves using irony. Notably, the idea itself of hollow men suggests to readers that their words should not be taken literally, thus readers should not confine to thinking that they are non-physical. The men want to be remembered not as “lost violent souls but only as the hollow men, the “stuffed men” (l.2). Here the “stuffed” could mean possessing the gunpowder just like the modern notion of “loaded” which could refer to being loaded with drugs. Likewise, “stuffed” could mean carrying an identity which is different from the rest, an identity that is only attached to them and is not part of their original being. As earlier critics claim, the hollow men could refer to Guy Fawkes and his companions. They express that they are in a “dry cellar” (10), which suggests imprisonment of the Gun Powder attackers. The last four lines also confirm the identity of the prisoners, thus:     This is the way the world ends     This is the way the world ends     This is the way the world ends As the Gun Powder guys failed to end the power of King James 1, they failed to put an end to the world. Eliot uses a metonymy with the term, “world” to suggest kingdom or rule. As the men express, the world does not end with the explosion but a whimper or a cry by those persecuted. The idea of nothingness is further elaborated in line 67 as they address themselves as “empty men” who await the eyes, thus: The eyes here are often considered those of Beatrice in Divine Comedy (Ayaz 25) yet with the mention of the “perpetual star” (l.63), it could more closely refer to the star at the birth of Christ. This star, like the star that the hollow men await guided the Magi or the Three Wise Men in Christian tradition and gave them a premonition that there is hope in the Child that was born. Similarly, according to the hollow men in the poem, the sight of the eyes will bring them hope. As the idea of a star giving hope arises in this part, readers will be inclined to compare the hollow men to the Three Wise Men. The allusion to the Magi may have been used to clearly show the contrast between the two. Notably, the identity of the Wise Men contrasts sharply with that of the hollow men. The first have freedom, are wise and guided by a star while the other are imprisoned, empty and hopeless to see the star. However, considering the allusion, one will recall the idea of being “stuffed” as bearing gifts, which the Three Magi are known for. Moreover, the allusion of the Magi can be noted in the beginning as the hollow men introduce themselves. In popular Christian culture, songs involving the Magi such as “We, Three Kiings” usually start with an introduction of who they are and what they bring. This is similar to the song of the hollow men. Further to the musical allusion, Twari (98) argues that the last four lines of the poem are also an allusion to the traditional children’s song, “Here we Go Round the Mulberry Bush.” This allusion to the children’s song suggests Eliot’s idea of the song, “We, Three Kings” or a similar one that introduces the three Kings. The Existentialist idea of making choices is also reflected in the poem. The hollow man requests not to go to “death’s dream kingdom” (l.30) which could be heaven. Thus, he does not wish to die yet. Notice the change in the persona from the third person “we” to “me.” Such change suggests that the persona is one that is most famous, Guy Fawkes. He also wishes to disguise in “rat’s coat, crowskin, crossed staves…” (l.33) and behave “as the wind behaves” (l.35). Once again, the idea of nothingness is suggested here with the way a person would exist but without form or whose presence is not noted. However, nothingness is not considered negative in the poem as existentialists would have it. Rather, it is positive and is used as a way to make a choice. Existentialism’s main idea for being is for an individual to make choices in life. As he behaves like the wind that sways wherever it wants to go “no nearer [to the} final meeting” (l.36-37), the hollow man then gains the power to choose, hence subscribing to the notion of existentialism. Elaborations of existentialist ideas are further embedded in the poem. The lines that juxtapose “idea and reality” (l.72-73), “motion and act” (74-75), “conception and creation” (78-79), and “emotion and response” (80-81) suggest Kierkegaard’s idea of essence in existence. By putting them in juxtaposition, Eliot shows the relationship between the notions. He attempts to pose the questions as follows: What is an idea if it is not a reality? What is a motion if it is not acted out? What is conception if there is no creation? And what is an emotion if there is no response? The idea of an existence being shaped by essence is thus found here. Unfortunately, as the hollow men claim, they are shapes without form. They exist but are lifeless, have voices but are “quiet and meaningless” (l.7). These lines imply the importance that Eliot gives to essence over form. He submits to the idea of Kierkegaard in that he looks down these people by making them express that they are nothing without God whose eyes they await to have pity on them and give them hope. Without form, they cannot reach the point of essence and without essence, they are nothing. This amplifies the thought of Kierkegaard that without morals and values, the hollow men’s existence is nothing. It is considered dead. Such ideas confirm that Eliot’s existentialist thinking is more shaped by the past theory than that of Sartre in a more modern time. As he expresses, the shadow falls (l. 76, 82) between things that are of essence. This imparts the failure of the hollow men to pass the judgment or rule over their life because they are not the ones who own it. Thus, they express, “For Thine is the Kingdom” (l.77, 91). Definitely, “Thine” here refers to God and the Kingdom, to heaven. The allusion to “The Lord’s Prayer” emphasizes the agreement of Eliot to Kierkegaard’s essence of being because without God, man is nothing. He is an empty or hollow shape, his existence cannot be defined, and he is doomed to death or nothingness. The allusions and symbols that Eliot uses in the poem all suggest that he bore Existentialist views. First, the notion of hollow man is similar to nothingness, which is a key concept in Existentialism’s view of how a person should live his life in avoidance of nothingness. Second, the allusion to Guy Fawkes is also elemental to the poem’s meaning. Guy Fawkes and the Gun Powder incident lead readers to realize why the men lose their essence. This could be Eliot’s way of telling people what is morally wrong without sounding too blunt. Likewise, the allusion to the Magi leads to the idea of possessing wisdom over being shallow. Additionally, the allusion to “The Lord’s Prayer” guides readers to see how importance faith is for it leads people to essence. Finally, the allusion to the star on Christ’s birth underlines the importance of meriting heaven and being led by the star as what happened to the Magi. Eliot’s poem mirrors the views of both Sartre and Kierkegaard. In line with the first, he shows the importance of a person’s being. This being or existence is required to reach actualization and give meaning to life, thus avoid hollowness or nothingness. As imparted in the men’s wish to be like the wind, Eliot is also entertaining thoughts of choosing what he pleases as what Sartre implies in his writing in order to gain freedom. Nevertheless, Eliot suppresses this thought as he submits to his belief in God and the merit of Heaven. The belief in keeping morality and essence is in line with Kierkegaard’s existentialist notions. In the poem, readers see the importance of essence or the morality of the hollow men, which they could only regain if God casts His eyes or gives them mercy. The hollow men confesses not having color but only shade and possessing shape but not form, hence there is guilt in not achieving essence. The eyes that “dare not meet in dreams” (19) illustrates this guilt and the loss of the men’s essence or morality. The lost of a man’s morality or essence, as Eliot shows in the poem, is similar to the lost of the soul. By giving importance to essence over form, Eliot demonstrates his Christian faith, his belief in the soul, life after death, and meriting God’s Kingdom. Likewise, by making the hollow men realize the importance of form, he also introduces the existentialist concepts introduced by Sartre later on. The analysis made clearly implies that despite the inattention that critics gave to Eliot’s Existential ideas, they remain evident in his works, especially “The Hollow Men.” Missing this point, modern-day critics will do good to focus their attention to combined ideas of Existentialism in other works of the great author. Works Cited Ayaz, Eliot, T. S. “The Hollow Man.” Rain, Twari, Read More