The Time Machine

Time travel is a dream of science fiction. Though it has not yet been achieved except through literary composition, H.G. Wells theorized that the future would not portray the human race in a positive aspect. In The Time Machine, the Time Traveler hints that the future for the human race is in jeopardy of extinction. He proposes that life on Earth declines as a reciprocal of Darwin's evolution. This socially damning prediction of the human race is based on the author's belief that human intelligence and vigor is an outcome of hardship and the struggle for freedom (Wells 36). And in the absence of hardship and freedom, intelligent life will digress. This theory is an underlying theme of The Time Machine and can be substantiated throughout the epic work.

Wells' character, Time Traveler, is a learned man in an intellect-seeking culture, Victorian England. His weekly meetings imply open discussions between the knowledge seeking community such as the argumentative Filby, the humbugging psychologist, a very young cigar-smoking man, the Provincial mayor, a medical man, an editor, a journalist, a quiet bearded-man, the eminent scientist Time Traveler, and the narrator (Wells 1-6). The narrator says of the time period..."Humanity had been strong, energetic, and intelligent" (Wells 2_). Wells' work reflects his great admiration of intellect and the progressive search for high levels of understanding. Gratton, in a critique of Wells says that, "[...] he believes is progress, science, education, and the inherent goodness of man (Gratton 501). Rebecca West further concurs that, "[...] He (Wells) broods...the wisdom of the world."(West 493) The Time Traveler observes and reflects during his journey as he meets and interacts with beings of the future that, "[...] when mind and strength had gone[...]gratitude and mutual tenderness still lived in the heart of man." (Wells 33) The Traveler is beginning to hint that human intelligence is lagging. The Traveler stated further on, " I grieved to think how brief the dream of the human intellect had been." (Wells 65) He cited the crumbling museums and communal apathy toward conflict as proof that intelligence waned. "Only those animals partake of intelligence that have to meet a huge variety of needs and dangers." (Wells ) His commentary on the advance of the human race seems to signify that the race had developed technologically to the point that there was no needs nor wants, so mental work no longer was praised, achieved, nor being sought. Ellis reflected similarly,"[...] the Superman really began to arise with the discovery of writing...and now has reached the beginning of the end [...]" (Wells 493).

Wells wrote The Time Machine based on his own ideals, "Wells believed that even life is indeed a meaningless, dualistic struggle." (tclc 486) The Time Traveler had come from a time period in which there was class distinction and a struggle to move up in class. Bergonzi stated, "The opposition of Eloi and Morlocks can be interpreted in terms of the late nineteenth-century class-struggle." (Bergonzi 542) Wells implies this