Colonialism Critic Analysis as Found From The Time Machine By H.G Wells
Colonialism
Critic Analysis as Found From The Time Machine By H.G Wells
The
Time Machine(1895) written by H.G
Wells. H.G Wells (1896-1946) was a pioneer of modern fiction who produced
several books concerned scientific
romance to social histories and social satires. The Time Machine(1895) is
Wells’s first novel which social warning to his contemporaries in the 1890s or
Victorian era. It is warning to the Victorians about the effect capitalism
Indutrial Revolution and the stratification of sociaty that disparate social
classes.
The
Time Machine(1895) first apperead
as Science School Journal and write in serial stories entittled The Chronic Argonauts. Then,
in the end of this years its published in the
form of novel. This novel has been adapted into three feature films of
the same name that released in 1960, 1978 and
2002. This novel also adaptions in comic or illustration form which
inspired many more media production. The Time Machine(1895) was written
as a frame narrative and unnamed narrator of the The Time Machine(1895).
The
Time Machine(1895) is one of the
earliest and influential novel of science-fiction genre. Wells’s coined the
popular and interesting concept that inspire dozen of the writers in twenties
century. This novel introducing the idea of using a machine for time travel.
The terms machine means a vehicle or devices to travel foward or backward
through the time.
H.G.
Wells not only write the brilliant ideas on time travel and issues happening on
that time, but also about feeling which are true in any time. Therefore, the
reason why The Time Machine(1895)
is still popular scientific romance until today. This book comsist of
twelve chapter. Time Machine(1895) tells about the time-changes and
social condition in nineteen centuries. In nineteen centuries which the million
people moved from the country to the city to get better life, blooming industry
that makes the great number of workers in the cities and new technology is
rapidly changing people lives. For some people, believed that science’s can
people’s live get better along the increasing new technology.
Wells’s
has similar perspective with Karl Marx. He believes that everybody should have
the chance to got to school and get well educated. He says that science could
improve the people’s lives better and admited the society. In a fact, its needs
a knowledge and skill to operate the sophisticated machines. Thats the why only
the richer in high sociaty who able to enjoy the things that new machine
produces. Most of the ordinary worker and lower society, their family was
sufficient, dirty, trap in difficulties condition and often dangereous.
The time machine tells about the story of a man (The Time
Traveller) who claims he has experience
to travel through times by time machine. He explain his experience to his group
of friends in dinner table conversations in Thursday evening. They meet dinner in every thursday. The group
of gentlement listen the time travel story about time machine but they dont
believe it untill the time traveller show off them the time machine.
At
the beginning of the story, Wells shows
The Time Traveller lives comfortable in
a large house and has several servants. He has friends who have a good
jobs such as a doctor, a psychlogist, medical man, the provincial mayor and editor of a newspaper. They had dinner conversation
about the theory that the time is the forth dimension of space. He remains the
mathematichian through three dimension of space (lenght, breadth and thickness)
including one dimension of time. He claims that he has experimented travel in
time. He explains the concept of ‘time’ and show off the principles of Time
Machine to his friend.
The
next day, The Time Traveller set out the machine and fly away to the future. He
lands in future year of 802,701 AD. Nearby white marble statue of a sphinx, he
meets creatures Eloi. Eloi creature is four feet high with curly hair and
wearing a purple tunic with leather
belt and sandals. They act like a child. The
Eloi daily activities are playing and eating. When
The Time Traveller looking aroud,suddenly he realize that his Time Machine
gone.
The
Time Traveller being frustated because he cannot find location of hidden time
machine. Eloi takes him to the neglected and dirty building where Eloi plays
swimming in the pool. Then, he rescues Weena from drowning. The Time Traveller
find a large circular well with underground ladder and meets Morlocks who live
in underground.
The Time
Traveller frigtened by Morlock who nocturnal hunting Eloi brutally. He bring
Weena to escape from Mock and find a save place to hidden. He goes to Palace of
Green Porcelain, which turn out to be abandoned the museum. Morlocks afraid
with fire. The Time Traveller turn the light to avoid their attack. In the
Palace of Green Porcelain, he find more matches, some camphor, and a lever
which can use as a weapon. Weena are attacked by Morlock after the dark. Weena
is dead.
The
Time Traveller finds time machines. he saw a portal to pedestal open. The Time
Traveller escape the Morlock attack by
manage leap the machines and lift off. He set the time machine flee to the
future around three million years. He land on
kdeserted beach. After that he sets the machines to the present and
return homes. He tells this experience to his friend on the dinner table.
From the short plot of the time machine above, the
writer would like to analysis the theme and the symbol of sphinx in this novel.
Actually, its rather hard to find the
main theme of the Time Machines (1895). This novel contain several issues and
ambiguous themes of the story. One of the issues of this novel is about
Colonialism become the main theme of this paper.
In this paper,
the writer going to explore about how the colonial influence the story.
This novel provide sharp criticism for Colonialism in the Victorian
history. Its also have critical
perspective on the growing gap of the social status in society between Upper
Class and Worker Class. Moreover, The social status described by the plot as depicted the typcal utopian
paradise turn to into a dark dystopian vision of a remote future for mankind.
Colonialism is a system of naturalizing differences in
such a way that the hierarchies that justify domination, oppression, and so on
are considered the product of the inferiority of certain peoples and not the
cause of their so-called inferiority. Their inferiority is ‘natural’, and
because it is natural, they ‘have’ to be treated accordingly; that is, they have
to be dominated. Historically, colonialism also means invasion and foreign
occupation. This foreign occupation is very important because it is a negation
of all conceptions of territoriality: meaning states, political organizations,
and cultures that existed within the occupied territories prior to their
colonial occupation. Colonial domination involves the deliberate destruction of
other cultures, (Santos, 2016:18).
Based on the definition of the colonialism above, its
obvious that colonialism have relationship with social classes. The time
machines (1895) there are two different setting, in Victorian era and Future. In the Future The Time Traveller meet Elio
and Morlock. The social classes of the time machines(1895) presenting Eloi and
Morlock. The upper class creatures are
identified as the Eloi. Wells's defines Eloi as "exquisite creatures"
who lives in "palace-like buildings". Wells say:
There were others coming, and presently a
little group of perhaps eight or ten of these exquisite creatures were
about me. (Chapter IV, p.36)
Here and there among the greenery were palace-like
buildings, but the house
and the cottage, which form such characteristic features of our own English
landscape, had disappeared. (Chapter IV, p.45)
Eloi is representing as Upper
Class society. The name Eloi in British might similar to "Elite".
Which means Elite refers to Rich and glamour life style. The name Eloi may invented from Hebrew word
Elohim, meaning "God". Its probably
refer to
someone who have power and influenced of the society to control the lower class. The
character of the Eloi in the time machine (1895) are lazy, losing their
intelligence and childish. Eloi creates their lifes so easy, laziness beautiful
upper world and dont want to work and just play all the day. So, its make their background and history add up
to evolutionary regression. Thats why Eloi losing their intelligence and
strength as the characteristic of present day human. Although,
Eloi was dumb but they are beautiful and graceful. Eloi is pretty little
creature that dresden-china type of prettiness. The time traveller says
Indeed, there was something in these pretty little people that inspired
confidence—a graceful gentleness, a certain
childlike ease. (Chapter IV, p.36)
In the timen machine (1895) Well's identified creature
of Morlock as the working class society.
The Time Traveller described Morlock as the "ape-like" They
fit the negative stereotype of a working-class laborer as uncultured, unintelligent,
and boorish. Morlock lives in underground. Due to Morlock lives in under the
palace for so long time and in the dark condition, they have loss ability to see a daylight. Well says:
I turned with my heart in my mouth, and a saw queer little ape-like
figure, its head held down in the perculiar manner, running across the sunlit
space behind me. (Chapter V,
p.73)
Morlocks is represent the working class in The Time
Machines (1895). Morlocks afraid to the light and fire. They living in under world and hunting Eloi
through Well ladder. Morlock likes natural hunting who makes terror of the
darkness. Morlock are cannibal, they eat Elio alive. Morlock as working class
are overwork, uneducated man and
literally means invisible slavery underground for the rest of society.
Moreover, Morlock creature potrayed
as primitive and savage predator. The
time traveller stated that Morlock is similar to animal but they are a human
creature which The Traveller meet in the future. Then, its may suggestives that the origine term
Morlock in the latin root "moor", means death. Its refer to implying a kind of living deat.
Well's distinctions between two creature Eloi and
Morlock as the colonialism of the society and class in the Victorian era. Both of them are not desirable outcome of humanity. Each of them embodying of the worst
characteristics of human race. In the Victorian era, the writer think
that the social class in this era have been reduces. Its called Utopia where it
has perfect sociaety concerned to
pleasant and advantage society.
Meanwhile in the future where The Time Traveller meet Eloi and Morclocks are Dystopia,
a society that is dysfunctional, lawless, poor, unpleasant, and cruel.
The writer would compare and contrast the colonialism
of the social class as the theme in the
time machine (1895), Eloi and Morlock classses with the classes in today's
society. The writer will compare the interaction of the Eloi Classes as the
Upper society and Morlock classes as the Worker society. The writer also
explain about the response and behavior of today's society.
In The Time Machine (1895) there is gap interaction between Eloi and Morlock. The
Time Traveller learns that Eloi afraid to Morlock who lives under ground in the
darkness. Eloi apparent like children, they are small creature only four feed
high with a curly hair, red lips and wearing silky robes. Eloi plays all day
and do not work. All they do just playing, swiming, braiding flower and
eating. They are not intelligent and
strenght, cying a lot, and unable communicates with time traveller. They are cuddling together in the palace
and fear avery night to terror of dark
Night. They uncapable to built a run complex machines to protect them from
Morlock. The time traveller says:
And I now understood to some slight degree
at least the reason of the fear of the little Upper-world people for the dark. (Chapter VII, p. 92)
The The Time traveller notice how fear Morlock when he
spending his time with weena, an Eloi that he saved. Weena is like other
Eloi, she is not really intelligence,
graceful and Frightening of the dark.
Weena always accompanied The time traveller, its show when Weena give a
flower from her pocket to Time Traveller before he go down in the well to find
out the time machine. The time traveller notes :
It was from her, too, that I learned that
fear had not yet left the world. She was fearless enough in the daylight, and
she had the oddest confidence in me; for once, in a foolish moment, I made
threatening grimaces at her, and she simply laughed at them. (Chapter V,
p.69)
So, the fear of Eloi to Morlock causes a division
between the Eloi and Morlocks. The time traveller know one of the reason Eloi frightened to Morlock because Morlock appereance. The time travel states that Morlock similar to animals who lives under
the well. Morlock didn't wear clothes, Not dumb as Eliot, they also cannibal
And they work like natural hunting.
The time traveller says Morlock as human spider. The time traveller claoms that Morlock similar to spider when
tehy claimbed the well. The time traveller says:
It was so like a human spider! It was clambering down the wall, and
now I saw for the first time a number of metal foot and hand rests forming a
kind of ladder down the shaft. (Chapter V, p.74)
The time traveller also say morlock as human rats. Morlock lives under the well or under ground like rats. The time
traveller says:
I
struggled up, shaking the human rats from me, and, holding the bar short, I
thrust where I judged their faces might be. (Chapter IX, p.120)
The last, the time traveller recognize Morlock as Nauseatingly inhuman. Morlock
is Cannibal. Thye eats Eloi alive. Its so cruel. The time traveller says:
You can scarce imagine how nauseatingly
inhuman they looked—those pale, chinless faces and great, lidless, pinkish-grey
eyes!—as they stared in their blindness and bewilderment. (Chapter VI, p.90)
From what the time traveller shows Morlock character
and appearances, It make sense that Eloi didnt just fear to Morlock because
they ate Eloi alive but also how they
character and how they look. This condition shows that in the 19s the Upper Class afraid to the Worker Class. Its representing on today's
class. The upper class can be called as
the real Capitalist. Its mean they have money and ownership of cooperation and factory. But they cant
produces material without worker class.
They need worker class to produces material meanwhile they as the owner or upper class produce nothing.
Based on Tori DeAngelis (2017)
states that
those who are in the lower class are more likely to express anger, but those in
the higher class feel as though they’re likely to justify what they do because
of their position. Its shows that the behavior of the upper class who enjoy
their life without working. In other hand, the worker class no matter how they
work hard, their family was difficulties and sufficients. Its make the worker
class angry and depressed. Its also concerned that people can appreciated based
on their job and education. In our society, People look on Seller is better and
give more symphatic than a beggar. They usually look down beggar because their
job.
Tori giving notes,
She claim that, "By contrast,
those who enjoy more resources and greater class status live in contexts that
enhance their personal power and freedom-larger and safer living spaces, the means
to buy high-priced goods and experiences, and education that provides access to
influential people, ideas and venues. These conditions give rise to a more
self-focused approach to life." Tori want to shows that Upper Class is more
successful and motivated. They have
resources, good relationship and greater class status in society that support
them to get succes easily. However, this is different from Elio who get resources
from Morlock as worker class. Eloi needs Morlock to produces material to
develop their factories. Eloi produced nothing without them.
The colonialism in The Time Machine (1895) related
with time-changed. The time
changed can be distinguish as the modernization or evolutionary from
Victorian era. The writer will explain about the technology progress influence the society of the novel. The writer will explain the modernization
in The Time Machine (1895).
The Time Machine (1895) present time change. The writer think that
The term change is the best way to measure time. The time traveller explain the
time changing from 19s to future
year of 802,701 AD. The time traveller meets Eloi and Morlock which has dystopia society
culture. The writer suggest the time
traveller probably didnot interest to their culture. The Time Machine (1895)
tells story about the great deals of time passed. How the time traveller travel through space
using time machines.
In The Time Machine (1895) The time traveller
describe that the technology seems really important part. Unfortunately, the
time traveller does not explain what kind of the technology of the time
machines he look at in the future. What the time traveller
imply is not about how they build the technology, but how the effect of this technology has
on people. The time traveller emphasized on how humans adapt to using that technology and
how human are changed by it.
The time traveller explain that Victorian era can be
the technological pinnacle of humankind, followed by a deterioration of the
technological and cultural progress that many people think to continue
unlimitedly into the future. Wells write
this novel with the background of industrial revolutionary. Wells add the
satire on how people saturated by the
promise of new the technology. To simplifies, technology in the time machine
(1985) related to the progressing in the society, lossing intellectual and
violence of people.
The time traveller portrayed the effect of technology
to Eloi and Morlock species. As the writer explanition before, the time traveller describe Eloi as laziness
beautiful small creature. They are dumb, lack of technology and lack of
physical strength or weak. They are life so easy because they could fulfill their basic needs. They like to playing, sleepin
and didn't
want to work. This condition
representing human in the future. How the people in the future life so easy
with technology. They have been addicted technology. In a fact, people in the present can't life
without technology. For example: they can't life without gadget.
In The Time Machine (1895) also imply how
dangerous of technology. Its representing to Morlock.
The time traveller describe Morlock as primitive and savage predator who
hunting Eloi. Morlock resorted to Cannibal because they
live in underground and they can't insufficient their basic needs. They make an technology to hunting Eloi. This is represent how technology can violence and dangerous to society. In the present day now, the effect of
technology to the people can be negative.
Therefore, the writer think the technology in the time
machine can be defines as a good things or bad things for humanity. Technology can be the good things because
technological progress can improve our life, make it everything so easily. In other hand, technology can be the bad things for humanity because the effect of technological progress can destroy the
aspect or condition thats make social divison.
The technology effect of The Eloi and Morlock above is the symbolics
peril of the technology inovation. This reflected to the Victorian Era, whereas
the technology is sign to show the social status, wealth, freedom of upper
class and hard life of working class.
From The Time Machine (1895) the writer will
analyze the symbol of white sphinx in this novel. White Spinx can be found in
the begining where the time travel arrives in the future. White Sphinx is a
mystical statue that combining several creature like lion, eagle and human. In
Greek culture, the sphinx was seen as a riddler. People who dont know the answer of the riddle were killed or eaten. Here the evidence when the time
traveller think to answer the riddle:
It seemed to me that I had happened upon
humanity upon the wane. The ruddy sunset set me thinking of the sunset of
mankind (Chapter IV, p.48).
This dialog seems there is a connection to the White
Sphinx. This
shows that
the time traveller observing about the aging of the human race. So, the writer opinion that White Sphinx is
refers to Morlock. Since its unclear how
Morlock kill Eloi but its obvous that Morlock ate Eloi. This phenomenon indicate in Victorian Era
Upper class frightened to the worker class.
To
sum up, the major theme in The Time Machine (1895) is Colonialism. Colonialism related to social classes.
Morlock as Working class scared Eloi as upper class. This is prove in the 19s Upper class frightened to the worker class. This issues makes divisions in society. White Sphinx symbols is
presenting to Morlock.
References
Bergozi,
Bernard.,& H.G, Wells. 1976. A collection of Critical esays (20th
century view). Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River
Course
Hero.(2021). The time machine infographic. Retrieved https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Time-Machine/infographic/
DeAngelis,
T. (2017). Psychologist photo project puts a lens on youth concerns. American
Phychological Association, 48(07),24
Huntington,
John. (1991). Critical Essayys on HG Wells. Boston: Hall.
McNamara.
The time machine. LitCharts. Retrieved: https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-time-machine/
Santos.
2014. Epistemologies of the South justioce against epistemicide.
Bouldres/Londres: Paradigm Publisher
Wells,
H.G. 1895. The Time Machine. New York: Henry Holtand Company
Well,
H.G. (2001) . The Time Machine: An invention
Nicholas Rudduck. Orchard Park:
Broadview.
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