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Chapter 1. Introduction. The Time Traveller (for so it will be convenient to speak of him) was expounding a recondite matter to us. His pale grey eyes shone and twinkled, and his usually pale face was flushed and animated.
This saddle represents the seat of a time traveller. Presently I am going to press the lever, and off the machine will go. It will vanish, pass into future Time, and disappear. Have a good look at the thing. Look at the table too, and satisfy yourselves there is no trickery.
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- The Time Machine Themes
- Analysis of Key Moments in The Time Machine
- Style, Tone, and Figurative Language of The Time Machine
- Narrative Point of View
- Analysis of Symbols in The Time Machine
Continuity of Human Evolution
While the timelines of history purport man as an unchanging being that would go on to last forever in its present form, H.G. Wells’s Time Machine springs out a rather severe and opposing perspective that bears a striking resemblance with that of the sciences. In the book, we see in the years 802, 701 AD that man’s evolution through time is drastic and rapid, the result of which the time traveller himself finds hard to piece between the two worlds’ species. History is snubbed while Charles Dar...
Humanity Extinction and Universe’s Endures
With respect to all the hard work put in by man in terms of innovation and technological progress to make living better and enjoyable, the resultant futuristic outcome for man is tipped, in the book, to amount to non-existence: a state of nothingness. We see, in chapter eleven, how the time traveller stumbles further into a bleak date in the future where he finds himself by the beach with no signs of human life – except for a scanty sighting of washed-off algae and giant crustaceans. He notic...
Capitalism, A Working Time Bomb
By Wells’s masterpiece, the reader sees a clear construction of anti-capitalism theory. Carl Marx’s Capitalism is touted, in the book, as playing a role of an indiscernible time bomb which – if not checked– will eventually explode and self-destruct humanity. This picture is billboarded in the reality of the cagey and very well risky coexistence between the two social classes – Morlocks and Eloi. Comparative to the present world capitalism, the former comfortably suits well as the working clas...
The location is Richmond, Surrey, England. A group of guys including the narrator hang out after dinner at the home of a scientist and inventor – who is known as the ‘time traveller.’Each person in the group represents different important disciplines and works of life relevant to the Victorian era of their time.As they sit in comfy chairs drinking and making merriment, their host wows them with the story about how time is the fourth dimension and how, like the cube, it has all three properties in length,...Many of them argue and object to this claim but get even more excited when the time traveller shows them a small prototype time machine from his lab and then makes it go away.Style
There’s a general sense of a shared narrative responsibility in Wells’s Time Machine, and we see that being manifested in the events throughout the story. Well tells his story using two narrators – First, Hillyer and then the time traveller. Hillyer is used through chapters one and two, effectively, to introduce the guests as well as to usher in the time traveller who does the main story – from chapters three to twelve – making way for Hillyer again to tell the epilogue. Well deploys this tec...
Tone
With regard to tone, Wells opts for a direct and earnest pattern. The time traveller’s rendition of his story is completely above-board, and this is mostly because he yearns for his story to be believed by his guests. Notably, too, the tone is disburdened with emotions and we could see that play out at the event of Weena’s death.
Figurative Language
Wells’s use of figurative language is impressiveand replete throughout the story. For one, the story employs personification as early as possible as seen on p.9: Here and there, there’s also a cheek use of metaphor, and one that especially catches the eyes is seen on p.36: Driven to give a detailed sense of ominous sound in a suspense-filled scene, Wells brings onomatopoeia into play at p.18:
The book is tailored to the narration of two persons – Hillyer and the time traveller but ultimately has a first-person narrative technique.
The Time Machine
There is a strong sense of hope brought in by the time machine. Apart from the contraption enabling its rider to transcend through time, we see scenarios where, when it feels like the time traveller is endangered and being cornered, the machine dives right into the rescue.
Flowers
These plants bear a unique symbol of peace and of expression of love. The Eloi are peace-loving creatures and attest to that by their gifts of flowers. Weena uses them to express her appreciation and love for the time traveller.
The White Sphinx
This object bearing a human head and the body of a lion can be seen as a symbol of a superior being, a God who sets the limitation for man. He appears to be warning the time traveller of the rangers of breaking his cosmic boundaries.
The Time Machine is often regarded as an allegory for the class struggle that was prevalent in Victorian society. The Eloi, who live above ground and enjoy a life of leisure, represent the upper class, while the Morlocks, who live underground and perform manual labor, represent the working class.
Chapter 5. In the Golden Age. "In another moment we were standing face to face, I and this fragile thing out of futurity. He came straight up to me and laughed into my eyes. The absence from his bearing of any sign of fear struck me at once.
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