Essay On The Time Machine

When you think of the 800,000 years into the future, do you think of a utopia, or a society with worse conditions of living from the time period, which you came? Would you expect it to be less advanced, with people living like animals? This twisted question is answered in The Time Machine as the Time Traveller ventures into the future and is faced with something very different than what he had expected. He is shocked as he exits his futuristic machine and he is stuck with awe as he gazes on the future of the planet in which he lives. Due to a decrease in intellection ability, the futuristic society results in a terrible decrease in society. The story being written in first person point of view, gives insight as to the opinions and reactions to the Time Traveller in the story and his view on the new world. Through the author’s use of a bleak point of view and never ending conflict in The Time Machine, H.g. Wells proves that as one’s intellectual capability decreases, so does the society he lives in.
H.g. Wells expresses his views on the futuristic society through the Time Traveller’s point of view. The story is told by the Time Traveller at a dinner party. This use of first person, gives insight towards what is going through the Time Traveller’s head throughout the novel. Written in first person, everything that goes through the Time Traveller’s head, including beliefs and opinions are clearly shown. The Time Traveller states: “I was at first inclined to associate it with the sanitary apparatus of these people. It was an obvious conclusion, but it was absolutely wrong” (Wells 63). This passage shows the point of view being first person. This is important because being the first person; the author can clearly express the Time Travellers emotions and feelings based on his thoughts and actions in the story. The Time Traveller is talking about what he thinks about the way that a small amount of air that enters and air hatch to provide air for the Elois. This passage shows that he does not approve of this way of living because it was unhealthy and they did not get a lot of air. The story being written in first person shows this opinion, and if the story was not written this way, it may not be clear how he viewed the situation. The Time Traveller also keeps the story unchanged. When he tells the story, each event has already happened. Instead of taking out the parts where he makes opinions and guesses that turn out wrong, he keeps them in his story to tell the story in its entirety. For instance, when he says “`for a moment I was staggered, though the import of his gesture was plain enough. The question had come into my mind abruptly: were these creatures fools?” (Wells 39), it shows his opinion that he believes the creatures are fools. Since he is telling a story he doesn’t have to state his opinion because he later finds out the truth that they in fact are dumb, but he says what is going through his mind because it is first person. However, the story is not entirely in the Time Traveller’s point of view. It starts in Hillyer’s point of view and there is a break back to his point of view towards the end. A friend of the Time Traveller named Hillyer narrates both of these changes in 1st person. When he says, “We sat and stared at the vacant table for a minute or so. Then the Time Traveller asked us what we though of it all. ‘It sounds plausible enough tonight,’ said the Medical Man; ‘but wait until to-morrow. Wait for the common sense of the morning” (Wells 17), it shows his role in the novel, being the voice of reason. If this part was told by the Time Traveller, he may have left out specific parts where people doubt him. Having Hillyer as another narrator in the beginning shows a different set of vies then the Time Traveller. What is going through the head of Hillyer and the other characters and their doubts would be far different then the Time Traveller’s view on his own invention. Hillyer does not believe the Time Traveller

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