Science Fiction Classic: The Time Machine

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells is a timeless classic, even if it has some flaws. The idea of Time Travelling continues long after the book's publication. The narrative structure is a bit unusual. We see a double narrative in the book. The narration at the beginning and the end of the book differs. First, the narrator is introduced to us, then we listen to events from him.  Although there is a problem in the narration, the idea is not dead. Having two layers increases credibility and sincerity. We read his outside intervention against the human race eating each other. 

Time traveler comes to the meeting and explains everything to his guests and reader. The characters at the meeting critique the middle class. They are portrayed as narrow-minded and underdeveloped. This portrayal shows that the middle class is still somewhat unenlightened and not open-minded.

Time Traveler approaches everything scientifically, searching through reason. Personally, I find it helpful to learn new things but slightly boring to read. At that time, telling everything at length is praised. The author is criticized, and it is said that his description is insufficient. But I think his description is enough because if he writes them too long, the book gets more boring and harder to read and it makes the book less readable.

The Time Machine mirrors its period. The idea of development is very common in the Victorian era, but it is the opposite in the book. There is a regression rather than progression. The book presents a dystopian and pessimistic view of the future. The number 802,701 (the year Time Traveler visits) symbolizes regression, indicating retreat, not progression. There is a logic behind the number; it is 40 equinoxes. Wells chooses millions of years after its time because he thinks that it takes thousands of years for evolution and adaptation to occur.

By the time the Time Traveler reaches the future, all the information is gone, and the books have turned to dust. So, the Time Traveler guessed which year he is in because there is no history left, only ruins. If no specific date were given, the book might have been more permanent, but it is given in this book. Later in the book, he goes further and approaches the end of the world where almost everything is gone.

There are three different time scales in the book: the present in which the Time Traveler tells the story, the era of Elois and Morlocks, and after more than thirty million years the end of the world. It is a bit complicated. Wells gives us local, and regional allusions and they lose their meanings over time. Some of the references are not understood by us because we do not know exactly the period. The writer appealed to the period he was in more than today.

But still, The Time Machine still serve as a cautionary tale, showing us that we might become like the Eloi due to excessive comfort, prompting us to think about the future.