Why do I feel this way?
How are you feeling? Depression and burnout are increasingly prevalent in today's fast-paced world, affecting millions globally. Consequently, The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that depression impacts approximately 280 million people, making it one of the most common mental health disorders.
Further, the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened emotional distress through social isolation, economic instability, and health-related fears. Workplace stressors, such as excessive workloads and inadequate support, have intensified burnout, particularly among healthcare professionals. Additionally, discrimination and workplace pressure contribute to chronic stress. As a result, these highlight the urgent need for recognizing and improving mental well-being.
However, this is not an alarmist stance based on the advancement of technology and social media prevalence. No, this reminds us that society constantly dictates what is considered "normal" regarding relationships, work, and religious ideology.
Pew You
The idea that working more than 40 hours a week and getting two weeks of vacation is appropriate behavior. Henry Ford created this concept in the 1920s when he implemented it at the Ford Motor Company.
Meanwhile, in the Pew Research Center's report on the global religious landscape, over 80% of the world's population identifies with a religious group.
Someone to know
So, why is depression so prevalent in our global society? It is my supposition that the modern era of looking outside of yourself for well-being has a lot to do with how we feel. As we embark on 2025, I see a lot of media focusing on what is wrong and how we should concentrate on the bad people who are perpetuating it. Alternatively, I will re-introduce you to a writer who expressed the sorrow and emptiness of a people similar to ours a hundred years ago and what he decided to do.
T.S. Eliot was one of the most influential poets and literary critics of the 20th century. Born in 1888 in St. Louis, Missouri, Eliot later moved to England, where he became a British citizen in 1927.
Modern Family
Meanwhile, as a writer, he actively absorbed and responded to his time's intellectual and cultural shifts, including World War I, the decline of traditional religious beliefs, and the rise of modernism.
Additionally, his personal struggles with faith, mental health, and relationships influenced much of his work, injecting it with themes of alienation and spiritual searching. His poetry, including The Waste Land and The Hollow Men, reflects the fragmented and uncertain nature of the modern world, making him a defining voice of his era and maybe ours.
Awareness
To begin with, The Hollow Men emerged during a period of profound global uncertainty. Following the devastation of World War I, many people struggled to find hope and meaning in a broken world. Notably, Eliot wrote this poem in the aftermath of his earlier masterpiece, The Waste Land (1922), which had already established him as a leading voice in modernist literature. Additionally, his struggles, including his deteriorating marriage and religious anxieties, influenced his work and contributed to the bleak tone of the poem.
To clarify, World War I resulted in unprecedented casualties, with estimates suggesting that approximately 8.5 million soldiers died from wounds or disease, and civilian deaths ranged from 6.8 million to 13 million. In other words, the people of that time would have to return to the Mongol Conquests (1206–1368) with an estimated 30–40 million deaths for comparison.
Why?
As a result, this immense loss of life led to widespread disillusionment and a profound sense of despair among the survivors. The sheer scale of the tragedy shattered previous notions of honor and glory associated with warfare, leaving many questioning the purpose and direction of human existence. This pervasive sense of hopelessness and the search for meaning in a seemingly indifferent world heavily influenced the literature and art of the time, including the works of T.S. Eliot.
Moreover, critics widely regard The Hollow Men as a continuation of Eliot's exploration of modern spiritual emptiness. The poem blends fragmented imagery with intertextual references, drawing from sources such as Dante's Inferno, Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, and Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Furthermore, Eliot's use of free verse (Walt Whitman) and repetition creates a hypnotic rhythm, reinforcing the sense of stagnation and despair that pervades the poem.
Reading is Fundamental
In addition to its literary importance, The Hollow Men delves into profound philosophical and theological questions. For example, the poem's famous closing lines, "This is the way the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper," have been widely interpreted as reflecting humanity's passive decline rather than an apocalyptic catastrophe.
Similarly, the recurring motif of "hollow men" suggests a state of moral and spiritual emptiness, where individuals lack the conviction to act decisively. Furthermore, Eliot's references to religious failure highlight the poem's deep existential angst, making it a meditation on the failure of faith in the modern age.
Religulous
Ultimately, The Hollow Men remains a powerful commentary on the human condition. Over the years, it has influenced numerous writers, filmmakers, and musicians, appearing in works of literature, pop culture, and even political discourse. As a result, its themes of disillusionment and spiritual paralysis continue to be relevant in today's world.
Finally, Eliot would find solace in Anglo-Catholicism, a version of Catholicism strongly connected to apostolic teachings and less focused on the power of the Pope. In addition, after years of solitude following his wife's death in 1947, he found happiness later in life with Esme Valerie Fletcher. They married in 1957 when Eliot was 68, and Valerie was 30.
Read it, and Meek
In summary, T.S. Eliot's The Hollow Men is a masterpiece that captures the essence of a generation lost in the reality of following the rules. Further, as our society continues to grapple with existential questions, Eliot's poem serves as a poignant reminder of the human purpose of making one's own decisions. Do you know what you prefer? Do you hear the whimper, and is it coming from you?
