T.S. Eliot: The Hollow Men Answers

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.

The best choice is b: "Our dried voices, when / We whisper together / Are quiet and meaningless / as wind in dry grass / Or rats’ feet over broken glass . . ." These lines directly say that their voices are "meaningless," which implies that what people say has little value or significance. The comparisons to dry grass and rats’ feet also make their speech seem weak, empty, and unpleasant.

In "The Hollow Men," the eyes represent truth, judgment, and spiritual awareness. The hollow men fear them because the eyes would see their emptiness clearly. For example, the speaker says, "Eyes I dare not meet in dreams," which shows fear of being truly seen or judged. Later, Eliot writes, "The eyes are not here / There are no eyes here," suggesting a place without insight, hope, or moral guidance.