“The Time Machine” was written by H.G. Wells and was first published in 1895. It is one of the earliest stories to involve time travel and has been the influence to many works within this genre. This story begins with “The Time Traveler” speaking of the geography of the fourth dimension to a group of quests, which includes the narrator. He explains to this assembled group that time is the fourth dimension and should be treated much the same as the first three which are length, breadth and thickness. In fact he says, “Since we can move freely in the first three dimensions then free movement in time should also be possible”.
This discussion turns from theory to reality when The Time Traveler brings form his laboratory a clock-sized device for all to see. This device was framed in brass and encased ivory and a clear crystalline substance. Taking one of his guests, a psychologist by the hand, The Time Traveler guides his finger to move a lever on the tiny time machine. “There was a breath of wind, and the lamp flame jumped. One of the candles on the mantel was blown out, and the little machine suddenly swung round, became indistinct, was seen as a ghost for a second perhaps, as an eddy of faintly glittering brass and ivory; and it was gone – vanished!” Following this demonstration and adding to their astonishment, The Time Traveler presented them with a full size time machine that was nearly complete.
A week later several men rejoin The Time Traveler for dinner. The Time Traveler arrives at this gathering late, after the others had begun their meal. When he arrives his clothes are torn and covered in dirt. He is bruised and walks with obvious discomfort. He is looked upon by the others with curiosity, but refuses to answer any questions until he has been given time to finish a proper meal and have a few glasses of wine. After eating his fill, he pulls forth a cigar and asks his guests to move to the smoking room where he will describe in full his adventures of time travel.
With his audience now gathered in the smoking-room, The Time Traveler tells his story. Beginning with describing his having one hand upon the forward level and one hand on the stop lever of his machine, he advanced into the future. At first he sees figures move throughout his laboratory that are oblivious to his presence. Steadily the machine gains speed in time. Days and nights go by quicker and quicker until they reach a point where the sun and moon are constant paths of light, stretched across the sky. He sees the landscape altered around himself. Buildings rise and fall, even his laboratory disappears from the landscape. The Time Traveler suddenly has an urge to stop but worries that he and the machine will collide at an atomic level with whatever physical item occupies the same space in this future time. He is cautious of their molecules trying to occupy the same space at the same time which could cause a possible explosion.
The Time Traveler pulled the second lever to stop the machine. He stopped in the year 802,701 where he stays for the next eight days. His travel through time stopped with a crash. The machine had overturned. As he surveyed his surroundings he noticed several men running toward him. He describes one of them as being a slight creature- perhaps four feet high- clad in a purple tunic, girdled at the waist with a leather belt. Sandals or buskins- I could not clearly distinguish which- were on his feet; his legs were bare to the knees, and his head was bare.”
These fragile people that gathered around him were cheerful and childlike. Their language was high pitched and songlike. They danced around and showered him with flowers. They showed ‘The Time Traveler’ to a huge building where they lived. He witnessed a land filled with exotic fruits and flowers of massive proportions in a time where no weed or fungus ever again grew. Most notable was the worn condition of this great hall where hundreds had gathered to feast on fruits. These future peoples were all vegetarians as most types of large animals had been extinct and meat eaters could not exist.
The Time Traveler attempts to learn the language but finds that these futuristic people have little patients to teach him. In the town he notices the lack of individualized homes and theorizes that it was the lack of a struggle of survival that had altered these people. They lacked an existence of any need to work, create or learn. “I thought of the physical slightness of the people, their lack of intelligence, and those big abundant ruins, and it strengthened my belief in a perfect conquest of Nature.” Populations were not diminished by war, disease or hunger. Fruit was plentiful and even weeds and fungus no longer grew to inhibit crop growth.
After having explored the surrounding area, The Time Traveler returns to find his machine is missing. He wears himself out searching for it and demands information from these childlike people. Near the place where it first landed he examines a large sphinx made of white stone atop a large bronze base. He realizes that his machine could have been hidden in this hollow base but can’t find a way in. Upon further exploration he sees tall pillars that are giving off a warm exhaust, but there use he can’t understand. In other areas he finds covered wells that seem to not hold any water, but sound of engines.
During these days of exploration he saves the life of a drowning girl named Weena. Weena follows him everywhere even sleeping against his arm at night. It is through her that The Time Traveler begins to notice other peculiar behavior of these people. He notices that none of them are old and they seem to have a childish fear of the dark. He is still unable to understand most of their language and they haven’t been helpful in giving any clues toward finding his missing time machine.
Wondering outside one dawn he sees other creatures running among the shadows of a forest. During an exploration of the ruins of an unused building he sees one of these creatures hidden in the dark shadows. The white skinned creature escapes by climbing down one of the wells. This creates a new theory in his mind. He now believes the human species has divided into two types of beings. Those that existed above ground, who were known as Eloi. They were the descendants of wealthy land owners. Those that created a society underground were known as Morlocks. These, The Time Traveler believed were the poor of past human society. Centuries of living work-free lives above ground has caused Eloi to shrink in height, strength and intelligence. Living in the dark underground has had an opposite effect on the Morlocks. Their eyes are large, reflective and extremely sensitive to light. Their skin lacks any color and is a pure white.
The Time Traveler ventures down one of the wells. At the bottom of the 200 foot decent he enters a large cavern. In the center is a table of food surrounded by the strong smell of blood. All around, hiding in the shadows, the creatures wait for his torch to run out. In the dark they chase him, trying to keep him in their underground world. Using the light from his last remaining matches, The Time Traveler escapes back into the sunlight, above ground.
The Time Traveler realizes that his theory is still a little flawed. The meat that he saw, which they were eating underground must have been the body of an Eloi, as there weren’t any other large animals that could have supplied them with such meat. Fearing the darkness during the coming new moon he takes Weena to search for weapons and a secure location. They walk many miles to a structure that he describes as a Palace of Green Porcelain. This structure turns out to be the ruins of a museum. He finds an iron mace, matches and a jar of camphor.
The Time Traveler’s plan is now to use his iron mace to break into the white sphinx’s base and get into his time machine and travel back home. In his rush to return to the statue he travels through a darkened forest at night. To keep the Morlocks back he starts multiple fires. The Morlocks are able to temporarily capture Weena while fighting The Time Traveler. He is saved when the first fire he began races through the forest of dry leaves and branches. Its light completely blinds all of the Morlocks, making them defenseless. Weena is lost to the fires of the forest during their escape.
The final stage to The Time Traveler’s plan is to break into the Bronze base of the Sphinx. However the doors have been left open with the time machine sitting in plain sight inside. As he enters, the doors drop shut and he is once again attacked in the dark by the Morlocks. This time however he is able to reattach the levers he once removed and is transported out of that time period.
In his rush to escape the Morlocks, The Time Traveler pushes ahead into the very distant future. Repeatedly he stops then again advances on, further into time. With each stop the sun fills more of the sky and discontinues setting. It simply remains in the Southeastern sky. The seas fall quiet. Life dissolves and eventually turns from large crab-like monsters to a slimy plant life. In time even these pass away.
At the end The Time Traveler returns to his own time period. Those that he shares his experiences with have trouble believing in any of his story, even if they were entertained. The narrator still remains with a feeling that The Time Traveler’s story may be real. He revisits him only to witness the disappearance of the machine and man. This story is narrated three years later were these events are retold. The Time Traveler has yet to reappear.
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