Book Critique entitled "The Time Machine" :))

A Critique on the Book entitled “The Time Machine”

Written by H.G. Wells

Synopsis

            The Time Traveler invents the Time Machine, which enables him to travel to the year 802701AD and meets a tribe of humans in the future called the Eloi.  The Eloi are simple, harmless people who  do nothing but eat, sleep, laugh, and sing, and live in fear of the dark and Morlocks.  His time machine disappears because of being hidden by someone. He makes a friend with an Eloi female named Weena, whom he saves from drifting downstream in the river.  One day, he encounters another tribe of humans called Morlocks, who live underground, do all the works, and only come out at night to hunt the Eloi. Having discovered that his time machine has been taken by the Morlocks, he sets out to find it with Weena. In the middle of his journey, being attacked by Morlocks, Weena is missing. Finally, being free from the clutches of the Morlocks, the Time Traveler  find  his time machine and sets out again the journey into the future, finding giant crab crawling over his body. He quickly grabs the lever of his time machine, and move forward several times again into the future, before coming back home. Coming back from the future, he shows the proof of his travel to the doubtful audiences, before finally going back to the future and never comes back.

Analysis

Figurative languages

            In the story, we can find the use of figurative languages where the writing appeals to the senses. It is done by giving a word with a specific meaning, by comparing two things in such a way that you find the comparison interesting, by using words that have unusual constructions or sounds or by the using of symbols to signify ideas and qualities. The followings are the example of the figurative languages found in the story.

Simile compares two things and uses the words “like” and “as.” Examples:

…., as if it was a ghost (page 10) comparing the disappearing moment of the time machine with a ghost

It’s like the spokes on a spinning bicycle wheel, or a bullet flying through the air (page 12) comparing them with the fast movement of the time machine

…. Like a streak of light across the sky. (page 26) comparing it with the quick flashing of the sun

…..a sound like thunder (page 33) comparing the loud sound with the sound of the Eloi

….were as white as ghost (page 59) comparing it with the creatures’ skin rarely exposed to the sunlight.

….like owls or cat that prowl at night (page 66) comparing it with the creatures’ large eyes.

Personification gives human characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, or ideas. Examples:

The Sphinx seemed to look down at me with a laughing smile on its face. (page 46)

Buildings rose up around me. (page 130)

The city grew and changed shape….(page 26)

The sun sat motionless near the western horizon....(page 120)

Onomatopoeia is the use of words that sound like their meaning, or mimic sounds. Examples:

A steady thud-thud-thud…(page 53)  the sound of the engine.

…hissing and crackling sound (page 109)

…a loud clang..(page 116)

…a humming sound (page 25)

… a cracking, …rustling noises (page 104)

Metaphor makes an implicit, implied or hidden comparison between two things or objects that are poles apart from each other but have some characteristics common between them.  Examples:

….sky was beautiful purple and reds.(page 40) comparing the color of the sky during sunset.

It was a soft band of light stretching across the sky (page 86) comparing it with the Milky Way.

Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense. Examples:

Fire

There's a lot of fire in this book. Fire can be useful (for fighting off the Morlocks and seeing things at night), but it can also be misused. And fire can become dangerous, as we see when it burns down the forest (page 109). So perhaps fire symbolizes technology in the story. Like any technology, fire can be used or misused, and it can have unintended consequences.

Time Machine

It represents technology, which can be good or harmful. In the story (page 125), the time machine enables the time traveler to see something in the future that is impossible for us to see without the time machine.  However, at the end of the story (page 139), when he uses his time machine again and go to the future, he never comes back.

The Eloi

It represents upper-class people that is represents by their lifestyles (page 43). They do nothing but eat, sleep, laugh, and sing.

The Morlocks

They have the opposite’s life of the Eloi, they represent lower class people (page 67) who have to work hard to earn their livings. As time goes by, their number grows.

Flowers

The flowers are symbols of good  things. When the Eloi first see the Time Traveller, they put a necklace of flowers on him (page 33) Then they start giving him more and more flowers. Weena also gives him flowers after he saves her from drowning (page 58). So the flowers are connected with nice things such as friendship, welcome, tenderness, and beauty.

Strengths of the book

Before Wells, other people had written fantasies of time travel, but Wells was the first to bring a strong dose of scientific speculation to the genre showing the creativity of the author. The book inserts and uses science in the beginning of the story which makes the story interesting. Example: The objects are made up of 4 dimensions to be real, it must have length, width, height and it must exist in time.

The book covers some interesting social topics as well as providing a vision for the future which is not necessarily one of hope. In the story, it portrays the social class division between The Eloi, the privileged upper class and the Morlocks, the underworld workers who slave away for bettering of the life of the Eloi. This story leads one to believe that the division of the classes is natural and still exists until now.

The story is thought provoking, gripping, easily digested, and enjoyable to read as I was unable to put the book down, as I travelled through time with the Time Traveller.

Weaknesses of the book

The use of materials such as metal, ivory and glittering crystals were just too simple to make the time machine. It was just too good to be true how the time machine could be made and produced out of those materials.

I don’t particularly like the end of the story which left the readers wander where the time traveller goes on his next journey.

Moral lessons

Time Machine shows the bonding and strong relationship between the time traveler with Weena. The moral is that If you are kind to someone and help or even save him or her, she or he would be kind to you and pay you back in return.

The Time Machine shows that everything is temporary and, the moral is that it's still important to make choices and act .

Time Machine shows that natural instincts will always trump education and training. Even though the Time Traveler is a scientist, he reacts to the Eloi and the Morlocks instinctively.

The Time Traveler is able to do and see the things he does because he doesn't fit into any particular community. His outsider perspective allows him to see the possibilities of time travel.

You would need some proofs to believe. That’s why the time traveler brought back with him the white flowers as gifts from Weena and takes with him a camera for his next journey.

Recommendations

The book is recommended for the ones who like to read the Science Fiction genre type of books as the author brings a strong dose of scientific speculation to the book.

It is a must read book and a high valued Classic for all readers as well because it is an excellent book, well written and thoroughly gripping and provoking.