The Time Machine review
“The Time Machine” is a novel written by H.G. Wells, popularly known as “The father of science fiction.” Wells illustrates a man who travels to the future by using his time machine and meets human-like creatures called “Eloi” and animal-like creatures called “Morlocks.” The time traveler also contrasts technology from the Victorian era to the technology from the year A.D.802, 701. In his novel, “The Time Machine,” H.G. Wells portrays technology negatively through his depiction of a future technological society, as well as in the destruction of the time traveler’s life.
The time traveler explained his invention which uses advanced scientific concepts to his guests during dinner and demonstrated its significant impact on the future of humankind. He found that the future has a lack of technology and knowledge when he meets the lazy species called Eloi. Once, the time traveler is said to have saved Weena who is a little Eloi. H.G. Wells states that “I walked about the hill among them and avoided them, looking for some trace of Weena” (139). The time traveler started a fire in the forest to save them, but Weena runs into the fire because of her misunderstanding of technology. Besides, misuse of technology harms society. H.G. Wells states that “But there was an altogether new element in the sickening quality of the Morlock—a something inhuman and malign” (119). Morlocks work for Eloi during the daytime and eat them at night, reflecting the chaos and inequality of society as a whole. Technology in “The Time Machine” is directly linked to the violence between the two groups of creatures.
The time traveler goes missing as a result of technological use. Wells has been contradictory about the role of technology in human society. H.G. Wells states that “And, as everybody knows now, he has never returned” (154). The time traveler does not return from his time travel after three years, and so it can be inferred that he has died due to his use of technology. Also, new technology is often connected with utopia which is an imagined society with a perfect life, and the time traveler assumes technology in the future will get better. However, technological advances seem to be getting lost. For example, Eloi have lost the ability to write. H.G. Wells says, “I thought, rather foolishly, that Weena might help me to interpret this, but I only learned that the bare idea of writing had never entered her head” (100). When the time traveler and Weena reach the palace, both of them cannot understand what is written on the door. Therefore, this fully demonstrates that people in the future rely entirely on technology, and some basic skills are replaced by technology.
In conclusion, the time traveler illustrates the negative impacts of technology in the novel “The Time Machine.” The contrast given by the time traveler from the Victorian era to the technology from the year A.D.802 shows the extent to which technology has made the creatures weak. According to the time traveler, Violence has increased due to the use of technology. Wells portrays technology negatively using the depiction of a future technological society and loss of life by the time traveler.