Final answer:
In 'The Hollow Men,' T.S. Eliot's use of broken imagery and a despairing tone critiques the existential emptiness and spiritual decay in post-war society, addressing the futility of searching for meaning in a fragmented world.
Step-by-step explanation:
One example of literary critiques of 'Futility (ennui)' in 'The Hollow Men' (1925) is the interpretation that T.S. Eliot, through fragmented imagery and a tone of despair, represents the existential emptiness and the inability of humanity to find meaning or purpose in the post-war world. This critique could note that the poem encapsulates a profound disillusionment with the decay of spiritual and moral values, mirroring the futility experienced by individuals who seek coherence in a fragmented world. The portrayal of 'hollow' or 'stuffed' men captures the sense of a void within, suggesting a critique of the emptiness of modern life and its lack of authentic experience or connection.