More a book about Victorian society than that of the future’, is this
a fair reflection of The Time Machine?
`“Long ago I had a vague inkling of a machine…that shall travel
indifferently in any direction of Space and Time, as the driver
determines.”
Filby contented himself with laughter.
‘’But I have experimental verification,” said the Time Traveller. `
Wells was born into British poverty to a working class family: father
a gardener, shopkeeper and cricketer; mother a maid and housekeeper.
However, his quick mind and good memory enabled him to pass subject
exams and win scholarship to what is now the honoured Royal College of
Science where he studied under the respected Darwinist, T.H. Huxley.
The Victorian social hierarchy was very specific; the divide between
the aristocracy and proletariat being much more distinct than of our
contemporary society. Rapid growth in technology, education, and
capital had launched the Industrial Revolution in the 17th and 18th-
centuries, and by the late 19th-century England was a leading force in
the new economy: while industrialists celebrated in their supreme
wealth, masses of men, women, and young children toiled long hours for
meagre wages in dirty, smoke-filled factories.
Indeed it was they who kept Victorian England running and it was they
who built the railways, which were certainly symbolic of Victorian
progress.
The upper class seldom needed to make a great effort in order to
obtain money, usually seeing themselves as superior to the lower
class, which would take care of their needs. Although it isn’t correct
to say that all the lower class particularly despised them, some
obviously might have, though others may have been in awe of the
aristocrat...
... middle of paper ...
...tion in 1917: ‘social difference between the
Capitalist and the Labourer was the key to the whole position.’
The quote at the start of this essay is quite significant: ‘The Time
Machine glitters with the same surface irony as “The Stolen Bacillus”.
But below the surface are depths of gloom and cruel despair.’
The book had numerous science elements to it but these were ‘(Wells’)
fireworks (which) hid the murky background from (his contemporaries’)
eyes.’ And hence the theme of appearance and reality is relatively
significant. The
The tale of 802,701 is political observation of late Victorian
England. This narrative serves as a symbol aiding a discussion of
socialism and its principles of equality. Wells suggests to his
Victorian audience that current society change its ways, lest it end
up like the Eloi, petrified of a revolutionary race of Morlocks.
In America, the late 19th Century was known as the Victorian Era. It was a time when pro-private upper class culture dominated the nation, a time of liberation from the burden of the past and a time when the development of science and technology flourished. The Victorians believed that the advancement in science and technology served as a mean for protection, and could bring in an abundant of wealth and power, something they desired. The middle-class admired those from the upper-class, as they imitated the lives of the wealthy families. It was a period of competition and the survival of the fitness for the Victorians. While these neighbors, friends and families competed against each other for wealth, there was competition between workers and machineries in the cities, as labor was gradually being replaced by modern technology.
When Queen Alexandrina Victoria took reign of england on june 20th 1837, her country was amidst a class evolution derived from the consequences of industrialization. Early industrialization saw vast exploitation of the lower classes, but by the mid 19th century reforms had improved working conditions. The late industrialization era saw the s...
One Victorian sentiment was that a civilized individual could be determined by her/his appearance. This notion was readily adopted by the upper classes and, among other things, helped shape their views of the lower classes, who certainly appeared inferior to them. In regards to social mobility, members of the upper classes may have (through personal tragedy or loss) often moved to a lower-class status, but rarely did one see an individual move up from the abysmal lower class. Although poverty could be found almost anywhere in Victorian London (one could walk along a street of an affluent neighborhood, turn the corner, and find oneself in an area of depravity and decay), most upper-class Londoners, who tended to dwell in the West End, associated the East End with the lower class.
The Mid-Victorian Period of Britain contained many social and cultural movements, however there is one that stands above the rest and truly defined the time period. One word, “progress,” sums up the entire time period. Reforms were abundant and covered a wide variety of issues. All social classes, ranks, and occupations were affected by the cult of progress and it’s dedication to improving the kingdom. Wilson made this clear when he stated, “Progress was the watchword of the age: advance, improvement, struggle, and climb” (Wilson, The Victorians, pp. 94). When a cult of progress exists, like the one in this period, all facets of life are effected socially and culturally. The Cult of progress exemplifies the Mid-Victorian British era as
As the middle class began to further divide, those who grew in wealth became known as a banking/industrial class. Along with their sudden economic prosperity there came a desire for social transformation- an aspiration for new aristocracy. They carried their traditional middle class values into prominence with their accumulation of wealth. They sought to achieve a merit oriented Society rather than social climbing, for their children's sake, into the existing one based solely on birth. This hindered the new class from ever attaining Aristocratic Social acceptance for their new wealth and deemed them the nouveaux riche. Despite obvious disapproval from the Aristocracy the nouveaux riche continued their economic ascent through "personal contact [which] was a crucial element in filling posts" (Loftus 5). This dependence upon others for mounting economic standing was contrary to the middle class value of independence. This industrial class was forced to rely upon the connections, potentially aristocratic, in order to succeed. Loftus explains that middle-class values were carved out in these attempts to define a society based on merit rather than aristocratic privilege. However, the importance of cultural capital and social networks to success in the period implies that the rise of the middle-classes in the Victorian period saw the replacement of one set of privileges with another (Loftus 4). However the Nouveaux Riche failed to fully assimilate into aristocratic society due to lack of pedigree.
The Eloi were the weaker of the two beings, and they were used as food
Unions were looked down upon and often scoffed at by factory owners. England even went through a period where unions were outlawed because of how liberal they were. People during the time of the Industrial Revolution were taken advantage of and were not paid as much as they should have been. One protester was set up at a train station protested “against the triumph of machinery and the gain and glory which the wealthy… men were likely to derive from it,” (Document 2). This man was dirty and poor, his circumstances likely induced by mechanization. The wealthy had virtual control over the poor. They reduced the salaries of the poor because there was no higher authority to tell them they could not. As well as this, the poor could not do much due to the fact that they needed to work in order to make at least some money to support their families. The Industrial Revolution mainly benefitted the wealthy. Document 2 focuses on the grand opening of the railway between Liverpool and Manchester, which would seemingly be an exciting event. However, the writer reports that the faces were grim and the spectators were grimy, implying that the Industrial Revolution and its technological advances had caused
The highest social class in Victorian England was the Nobility or Gentry class. The members of this class were those who inherited their land, titles, and wealth . Popular opinion at the time asserted that the noble class women led lives of lavish luxury and wedded bliss. "Ladies were ladies in those days; they did not do things themselves, they told others what to do and how to do it."
By the example of Eloi and Morlocks, he warns of Capitalism and its consequences to mankind. This vision which is presented in “The Time Machine” shows or rather forecasts the results of the social split between the leisurely wealthy upper class and the working class, especially in the Victorian England.
The novella was published in1886, placing it in terms of history toward the end of the Victorian era. The Victorian
What drives history? Before we answer this question, we must go deeper and answer a more important question: What is history? History is, simply, all of the events, ideas, people, and occurrences that have existed in the past. These things have been driven by one common factor: individuals. Although individuals driving history may seem like a rather simple answer, it is the only one that provides no flaws.
To comprehend the between the lines meaning of Wells novel The Time Machine, one must understand the back ground of Victorian society and the meaning of social classes at this time. During the Victorian period, Queen Victoria took the reign over England and is associated with Britain's great age of industrial expansion, economic progress and, especially, empire (Allingham, 2002). These advancements caused a major up heal for the people of Britain. The Victorian society, to which H.G. Wells was born and brought up into, was now based on the classification of ones status within their society. Within Britain’s society there were three main classes; lower,...
There are numerous people in society who lack certain skills that they need for survival.
Herbert George (H.G.) Wells’ 1895 scientific romance novella, The Time Machine, is considered to be one of the forerunners of the science fiction genre. Whilst the story was not the first to explore the concept of time travel, it is quite significant for its pseudoscientific account of how time travel could perhaps occur, this interpretation has shown to be quite influential to numerous productions in both media and literature. Wells explores a number of themes throughout this novella, however there are three prominent ones, the relativity of time, social Darwinism and evolution, and capitalism. These themes explore concepts which are relevant to society and creates connections with the intended 19th century audience.
Humans have and do preform some radical and irreparable things to proceed with the acceleration of society as we know it, and they don’t go without repercussion. The automobile has made itself necessary for almost everyone in engaged developed countries; from the time it was invented, it was not very efficient for people and hurt the environment drastically. If, supposedly, the ability to travel back in time was made available, these consequences could be lifted. By giving the knowledge we have today to this time, countless things could be better about the 21st century.