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Question 2 • English 12 B

What can you conclude about what the Shadow is in Part V of “The Hollow Men”? Cite one or two lines from the poem to support your response.

Answer

Answer:

In Part V, the Shadow represents the barrier between intention and action—the weakness or spiritual emptiness that keeps people from turning ideas into reality. Eliot writes, "Between the idea / And the reality" and "Between the motion / And the act / Falls the Shadow." These lines show that something dark and obstructive prevents human beings from fully acting or achieving what they intend.

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What can you conclude about what the Shadow is…