H.G. Wells
Which of these storylines can be categorized as science fiction? A man tries to trace his birth parents and learn more about his family. A narrator describes her experiences traveling to a distant planet. A passenger recounts his voyage on board the Titanic and how he survived its sinking. A woman invents a machine that allows her to pass through solid objects.
A narrator describes her experiences traveling to a distant planet. A woman invents a machine that allows her to pass through solid objects.
How is the main story presented in The Time Machine by H. G. Wells? A. The narrator recounts the story, as told to him by the Time Traveller. B. The Time Traveller tells his friends the stories told to him by the Eloi. C. The narrator reads the journal written by the Time Traveller. D. The Time Traveller's servant recounts his master's story
A. the narrator recounts the story, as told to him by the time traveller
Which field of study in the late nineteenth century was discussed in Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? A. electrochemistry B. radiology C. paleontology D. psychopathology
D. psychopathology
Which sentence in this excerpt from The Time Machine suggests that the Time Traveller will later realize that his assumptions about the future society are incorrect? This adjustment, I say, must have been done, and done well; done indeed for all Time, in the space of Time across which my machine had leaped. The air was free from gnats, the earth from weeds or fungi; everywhere were fruits and sweet and delightful flowers; brilliant butterflies flew hither and thither. The ideal of preventive medicine was attained. Diseases had been stamped out. I saw no evidence of any contagious diseases during all my stay. And I shall have to tell you later that even the processes of putrefaction and decay had been profoundly affected by these changes. Social triumphs, too, had been effected. I saw mankind housed in splendid shelters, gloriously clothed, and as yet I had found them engaged in no toil. There were no signs of struggle, neither social nor economical struggle. The shop, the advertisement, traffic, all that commerce which constitutes the body of our world, was gone. It was natural on that golden evening that I should jump at the idea of a social paradise. The difficulty of increasing population had been met, I guessed, and population had ceased to increase.
It was natural on that golden evening that I should jump at the idea of a social paradise.
A utopia is a perfect or ideal society. In contrast, a dystopia is a society that is in some way undesirable or even frightening. Dystopias in science fiction are often based on some quality or problem in the real, present-day world. Why do you think that the themes of utopia and dystopia are common in science fiction?
Sample Answer: Science fiction delves not only into the possibilities of science but also its effects on civilization as a whole, which can be either positive or negative. Utopias and dystopias are the hypothetical extremes that result when we try to imagine the consequences of human choices or changes in society. When the choices or changes depend on science, the imagined consequences fall within the genre of science fiction. Many fictional utopias require science-driven advances—for example, the elimination of disease. In fact, some thinkers once held the view that the well-being of humankind could be achieved through advances in technology alone. Technology tends to play a major role in fictional dystopias as well. Undesirable technologies, such as easily available weapons of mass destruction, are also based on science.
Science fiction is sometimes considered to be of a lower literary quality than other fiction genres. In fact, literary scholars often classify highly literary works of science fiction as something other than science fiction. What is your opinion of science fiction? Do you think it is a form of serious literature? Why or why not?
Sample Answer: Your answer might include some of the following scenarios and details. If you claim that science fiction is not serious literature, you might support your position with these opinions: Many novels in the genre are published each year, but few are of high quality—their quantity exceeds their quality. Characters are largely stereotypical, and there is little emphasis on human interaction and emotions, so the characters are flat. Science fiction repeats the same few themes: time travel, aliens, intergalactic war, etc. The treatment of these themes is shallow and serves to increase the sensationalism in the story. The vision of new worlds is often poor, with no deep exploration of the social and political realities in the fantasy setting. For instance, even though different fantastical races are created, there is hardly any realistic exploration of the themes of racism and privilege. If you claim that science fiction is comparable to other forms of literature, you might support your position with these opinions: Science fiction introduces readers to new ways of thinking and viewing the world by exploring new ideas and potential futures. Like other forms of literature, science fiction explores important questions and issues that affect people in their everyday lives or humanity as a whole. Like other forms of literature, science fiction writers make use of language and style to reflect and develop their themes. Authors often create highly developed alien languages with detailed grammar and syntax, for example the Klingon language from Star Trek. Science fiction has well-developed characters who reflect the emotions, fears, and hopes of real people. Science fiction envisions new worlds to explore social and political realities in a fantasy setting. For example, a dystopia or dying world may be used to show how destruction of the environment will lead not only to ecological disasters but also to the collapse of human society.
Charles Darwin's theories on evolution had a major impact on Victorian ideas about the world and humanity's place in it. His theory of natural selection suggested that species that could survive intense competition and adapt to their environment were genetically superior and were the ones to survive. Many people in the Victorian era took Darwin's theory one step further to make assumptions about the social classes. They falsely believed that the upper class was genetically superior to the working class. How does Wells critique the flawed principles of social Darwinism in The Time Machine?
The Eloi lacked most of the qualities that members of the Victorian aristocratic class prided themselves on and considered superior, such as intelligence, strength, and creativity. The Time Traveller initially tries to explain away the apparent contradiction between the Eloi's success as the surviving species and their lack of intelligence using the theory of evolution. Being unaware of the true nature of the Morlocks, he theorizes that the Eloi have adapted to a life without danger or disease and have no need for any kind of work. Wells explains how a human from his own time who is intelligent, strong, and has emotions would be a hindrance to the existing social order of the world of the Eloi. In this way he clarifies to the audience that evolution is just a response to the changing surroundings, which would not necessarily make a species better; evolution would only make a species better suited to its environment. He thereby strongly critiques social Darwinism, which based many of its principles on a flawed understanding of the theory of evolution. Instead, he suggests that the successful species is not necessarily the "best" species. In the same way, he suggests that the aristocratic class at the top of the social order is not necessarily better than the working class, intellectually or biologically.
How does the excerpt from chapter 5 reveal the Time Traveller's initial theory of the social structure that exists in the future society he visits? What is his first impression of the relationship between the Eloi and the Morlocks and the ways that the two races have evolved?
The Time Traveller initially assumes that human society at the time he visited only consisted of the Eloi, who had reached the pinnacle of human comfort and security. They did not lack anything materially, and for that reason, they did not seem to need qualities like curiosity, strength, and vigor. However, after encountering the Morlocks, he discovers that this society actually consists of two races—one evolving from the aristocratic class and the other evolving from the servant class. The Time Traveller also provides a logical argument for their separate evolution based on existing social norms, which made intermarriage between the classes impossible. He believes that the master-worker relationship that existed in his time (the late Victorian period) had evolved as the two classes evolved. The upper class had become increasingly dependent on their servants for all their needs. He sees evidence of such a trend in the Eloi, who are completely dependent on the Morlocks and lack the ability to do any kind of productive or creative work. He first believes that the Morlocks have turned into a slave class who perform all their tasks and faithfully serve their masters, even though these masters are weak, childish, and unintelligent. It is also not evident to the Time Traveller how the Morlocks benefit from their continued service, apart from having a place to stay underground. So he assumes that the Morlocks mindlessly serve their masters without any kind of gain in return, indicating that they are perfect servants. According to the Time Traveller, this relationship between the Eloi and the Morlocks is the perfect social balance.
Based on your reading of chapter 5 of The Time Machine by H. G. Wells, answer each of the following questions in a few paragraphs. Part A How does the Time Traveller seem to feel about the Eloi and the Morlocks?
The Time Traveller sees the Eloi as a weak, lazy, and unintelligent race evolved from the aristocratic upper class. He also calls them childish in both their appearance and behavior. In contrast, he views the Morlocks as an ugly but industrious race who have evolved from the servant or working class. He frequently uses terms like ape and human spider to describe their appearance and movement. In this chapter, the Time Traveller initially believes that, over time, humanity managed to eliminate all dangers and unpleasant elements in nature. As a result, upper class humans of the future have no need for work or any kind of physical or mental exertion. Unfortunately, this process has led to a race of people who are weak, childish, and unintelligent. In contrast, the Morlocks have been made to work underground for the Eloi. In reaction to the potential threat of starvation or suffocation, they have adapted to survive underground for a continued period of time. Their appearance and behavior have evolved to suit their job and life underground.
What does the excerpt reveal about Wells's view of capitalism and class in the Britain of his day?
Wells's theory in The Time Machine is that the divide between the upper and working classes in the Victorian era would continue into the far future, resulting in two distinct races of humankind. He conveys this idea through the weak and unintelligent Eloi and the brutish and ugly Morlocks. Since the results of their separate evolution seem undesirable, Wells appears to be warning readers of the dangers of capitalism. Through the Eloi, Wells criticizes the luxurious lifestyle of the rich. And by portraying the Morlocks as an apelike race, he cautions the reader about how the continued suppression of the working class will tend to make them less than human.
Many people believe that science fiction stories are tales about incredible gadgets or scientific wizardry and that they lack any serious elements of literature. What was your notion about science fiction as a literary genre before you read the excerpt from The Time Machine? Did reading The Time Machine change your opinion of the genre? If so, in what way did your opinion change? Would you classify The Time Machine as a serious literary work or a simple tale? What literary aspects lead you to this conclusion? In the end, how would you rate The Time Machine from a literary perspective? Present your response in three to four paragraphs.
When you described your preconceptions about science fiction as a genre, you may have brought up one of the following points: Based your perception that science fiction seemed to appeal only to a certain audience of readers who were already enthusiastic about science, you hadn't considered science fiction to be a literary genre. or You considered science fiction a literary genre based on some of your previous readings of such texts. If you consider science fiction to be a literary genre after reading The Time Machine, you may have raised the following points: It contains a main narrative that explores important questions about how human society is formed rather than a more shallow focus strictly on technology. It includes the introduction of a conflict: the stolen time machine. It has a fresh way of looking at existing social conditions and their effect on the future. It includes seemingly logical and rational explanations about time travel and how social conditions might evolve in the distant future. It contains some use of imagery, symbolism, allusion, and other literary devices. If you still think science fiction is not a literary genre after reading The Time Machine, you may have discussed the following points: It lacks any major characters other than the Time Traveller. It contains instances of sketchy descriptions or a lack of description of the setting and of the characters. It lacks character development. It relies on the use of simple sentence structures. You should have ended your answer with a conclusion about how you rate The Time Machine from a literary perspective.
