Perfection in Wells\' the Time

Perfection in Wells' the Time Machine

Perfection is an illusion. However, trying to achieve it keeps the ball rolling. No matter what one does, trying to perfect the process, to make things more efficient, is the motor that keeps one motivated to improve. As long as this motor is running and everything is in balance all is well, but it is interesting to consider what would happen if this goal is achieved but is no longer interesting. The novel the Time Machine by H.G. Wells discusses this topic. The Time Traveller comes from his time, the beginning of the twentieth century, where the world is far from being perfect, to the year 802,701 to see a world that seemingly has achieved perfection. But when looking behind the facade, it looks very different. The Eloi seem to have perfected their world. There are no diseases, hunger, or war. They appear to be happy and content. However, upon closer inspection, they cannot concentrate, and they are dumb and childish. The Morlock's seem to be even more detestable than the Eloi. These two races of humanity - supposedly descendants of man fall extremely short of the ideal of perfection we consider when we think of the future.

The first group of beings the traveler encounters is the Eloi. H thinks of communism when he first sees how the Eloi live. He notices that they are beautiful but lazy and their mental capacity does not extend far beyond the range of a young child. The traveler observes that the Eloi live with "ease and security" (Wells 49). He also notices that because of the social structure of this community, there is "less necessity -- indeed there is no necessity -- for an efficient family, and the specialization of the sexes with reference to their children's needs disappears" (Wells 49). Of course, it is important to not that this is the traveler's initial impression of the beings. Later, he sees the sinister side of their fate in that they are never allowed to fully mature because the Morlocks cannibalize them.

The second group of beings the traveler encounters is the Morlocks. They dwell underground and appear to be more savage than the Eloi. The traveler witnesses a "real aristocracy, armed with a perfected science and working to a logical conclusion the industrial system of today" (Wells 63). He also notes, "My explanation may be absolutely wrong. I still think it is the most plausible one. But even on this supposition the balanced civilization that was at last attained must have long since passed its zenith, and was now far fallen into decay" (Wells 63). He surmises that the "too-perfect security of the Upper-worlders had led them to a slow movement of degeneration, to a general dwindling in size, strength, and intelligence" (Wells 63).

The Time Traveller can only believe that the Eloi and Morlock's are what are left from the human race. His adventures with them bring him no hope for the future - at least in the sense that we would have reached perfection as a society. Bergonzi notes, "The image of the 'golden age' as it has presented itself to him on his arrival has been destroyed" (Bergonzi). We read that the traveler discovers an "altogether new element in the sickening quality of the Morlocks -- a something inhuman and malign" (Wells 68). Upon watching the Morlocks work, he must abandon his original notion that the Eloi were superior beings. Instead, they are inferior and clearly the Morlock's victims. Bergonzi states that the traveler's experience underground has "shattered his previous euphoria" (Bergonzi). His shattered dream serves as a warning for the rest of us as we soar into the future thinking that we will evolve into perfection.

Perfection is something that cannot be attained but surrendering to that premise only leads to further destruction. Kathryn Hume maintains that the Time Machine is a "social satire to justify our expecting a reasonably coherent warning" (Hume).