Epigraphs: The first epigraph is a quote from a servant in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. The servant reveals to the character Marlow that another character named Kurtz has just died. Kurtz was a European. A European is supposed to be an educated person who can enlighten the world with civilization. But Marlow ultimately turned into a brute under the charm of primitive nature in Africa. He was spiritually hollow. Even Marlow suspects Kurtz of being “hollow to the core” and lacking a human and moral nature.

The English celebrate Guy Fawkes Day every November 5th with fireworks and the burning of little straw men or “effigies.” Guy Fawkes was convicted of trying to blow up King James I in 1605 by stashing gunpowder underneath the Parliament building. The incident is known as the “Gunpowder Plot.” But Fawkes and the gunpowder were discovered before the plan went off, and Fawkes gave up the names of his co-conspirators under torture. To celebrate Guy Fawkes Day, English children ask for money to fund the explosions of their straw effigies of Fawkes, so they say, “A penny for the guy?” “Guy” being his first name. He is spiritually hollow as he wanted to murder and take up lives. He is also disloyal character because he told the name of his colleagues.

1-4 lines: Hollow men are reciting this poetry. They are hollow because they don’t have the courage to do any noticeable thing. The pillars (love, courage, pity) in their heart have been broken. So there is a great cavity in their heart. They are stuffed because their headpiece is stuffed with straw which symbolizes conventional ideas and discourses. And they don’t have the courage to break them. They lean together because they have lost the courage to stand alone. They lost individuality.

5-10 lines: Their voices are dried because it lacks the life-sap. Human voices should be loud and full of life. But they don’t have the potential and courage to be loud. So, they whisper quietly. It is meaningless because it is not fruitful, it promises no progress. Wind in the dried grass or rat’s feet over the broken grass in dried cellar (lacks life sap) are also produce a little and meaningless sound. Broken pillars of heart are here symbolized by broken glasses in empty cellar.