A Second Theory of the End of the World

After class I came to a second potential theory for the inclusion of the end of the world in The Time Machine. By including the end of the world he is suggesting the potential for a world without humanity--the key being that somehow we died out. I don't claim a strong understanding of the mind of a late 1800s Brit, but I would assume that they did not see the potential for the end of humanity. In a Post Atomic, post World War, world with our understanding of the rather fragile and small place we hold both on earth and in the universe it's quite easy to foresee a future that does not contain humanity. The section could have been intended to serve as a further call to action, suggesting that if trends continued as he (Wells) saw them humanity would come to an end. This would seem to agree with the other conclusions we reached about the book speaking to a kind of human pride, the idea that the current society in which he lived was not dangerous to countries, classes, individuals, etc., but to humanity as a whole--there can be no worse fate for a species than extinction and that was, perhaps, what Wells intended to draw our attention to.

On a side note: On a number of occasions in class the idea of the Murlocks being evil and Eloi being good, but I am not sure Wells' characterizations of the two fall into these distinct categories. Granted, during the story itself the Murlocks take on a barbaric nature and dark character, but during the time the Traveler spends pondering his theories about the future society the Murlocks are treated quite well. He holds exstensive sympathies for the Murlocks. Even after he realizes the "true" nature of the relationship, he recognizes a certain ironic justice in the idea that the formerly oppressed would rise up to sit as the oppressors, and since the book serves as a warning against complacency the Eloi, who do nothing and don't seem to care that they are being eaten, not the Murlocks, who retain a certain amount of ingenuity and craftiness, are the true evil in the story.

Time Machine Thoughts

I felt the reading was quite interesting. However, I feel that conflict will never depart from humanity. I mainly feel this way because the world past and present has always focused on the differences, not similarities in humanity. If humanity does atrophy, like Wells suggests, I think the differences will only grow and that there will not be two classes, but multiple that will be locked in combat.