H
H.g. wells the time machineThe foretelling of societies downfall by
the time traveler in H.G. Wells'
The Time Machine.
The downfall of a society can be caused by the lack of care and the thoughtlessness of the members within it. H.G. Wells tries to illustrate the perfect society and explain the realities that exist. The futurist society that he writes about is only perfect on the outside. When he explores the depths of this society it is only to unveil all the faults that exist. In The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, Wells' does not try to foretell the future but, tries to warn society of it's possible downfalls if people continue to live with the attitudes and lifestyles of the present.
To begin, Wells illustrates how his Time Traveler gets the illusion of a perfect society by what he sees around . Wells places his Time Traveler in forward motion from 1895 AD to 802,701 AD. Upon arriving into the valley of the Thames in the year 802,701 AD his first impression of this society is " Disease, hardships and poverty were eliminated. Man's restless energy turned to art and for a time a great culture flourished"(Bennett 430). Wells, known for his social consciousness, gives the illusion of a perfect society free from all worry. The surroundings seem to indicate a time of great learning ,of art, and beauty. The Time Traveler states " I saw mankind housed in splendid shelters, gloriously clothed and as yet I had found them engaged in no toil" ( Wells 38 ). The Time Traveler believed that the future held a perfect society. He assumes that these people who live here live in perfect harmony with no worries at all. The Time Traveler is introduced to the Eloi , strange little people who inhabit this society. "Indeed there was something in these little people that inspired confidence a graceful gentleness, a certain child like ease" (Wells 30). These traits making it look as if man had finally reached a point of perfection. Free from all forms of toil and able to spend all their time in the pursuit of culture and learning.
Wells shows the reader the reality of the situation through the Eloi people. The Time Traveler sees that the Eloi have the intellect of five year olds. They lack ambition, have a short attention span, and also lack strength. At first, his surroundings looked splendid, but he finds it to be in ruins. Initially the Time Traveler blames this on " Communism" , but through the experience of meeting of the underground people the Morlocks, he realizes that these problems are rooted to the past. "At first proceeding...
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