Science fiction

Well’s Time Machine and Debunking White Masculine Supremacy Author’s Name The Institutional Affiliation Course Number and Name Instructor Name Assignment Due Date H.G. Well’s remarkable science fiction, The Time Machine, is a remarkable output of Well’s creative imagination as it foretells the future of humanity and reveals the dystopian aspects of humanity’s current pace toward science and technology. Published in 1895, this novel represents a typical critique of Britain’s colonial mindset. Using the mode of a dystopian novel, H.G. Wells presents an unnamed time traveler who visits the future world in 802 and 701 and finds humanity divided into Upperground Eloi and underground Morlocks. Using this distinction as the story's central theme, this novel uses symbolism, irony, and the time traveler’s personal experience and observation as the core means to belie the general assumption of the superiority of the White race over their colonial subjects. The reaction of the male White listeners of the time traveler’s narrative represents a typical negation of the ideas of effeminacy of White masculinity. Symbols like a white replica of the sphinx, the intellectual decline of Eloi that he observes, and the lowering of the typical human strengths manifest that views of masculine White supremacy represented by the delicate and comfort-loving Overlanders are nothing but a hoax, as indicated by the greater intellectual and physical strengths of the underground dark creatures they rule. Therefore, based on the story's events and the time traveler’s experience, one may infer that in addition to the critique of British colonialism, this novel provides a subtle but equal critique of the prevalent notion of White masculine superiority. The timeframe and setting of the novel serve to establish a platform for Wells to project his satire on the hollow notion of White supremacy symbolized primarily by its masculinity. In this regard, one critic refers to the guests' reaction at the meeting, where the time traveler recounts the story of the degeneration of humanity in general and masculinity in particular (Hanström, 2013). This aspect of the story links the theme and plot of the story to the issues related to White supremacy in all domains, especially the notion of masculine superiority. According to his point of view, the guests are males, and they belong to various factions of Victorian society; hence, they represent a curious mixture of educated White males believing in the supremacy of White masculine power (Hanström, 2013). For the same reason, the guests readily refuse the time traveler’s narrative about the degenerated and dystopian future, as believing in this narrative would mean discarding their false beliefs in the glory of White supremacy in the typical colonial context (Hanström, 2013). Using this aspect of the novel, one can elaborate further on the thesis of this essay. The male guests include respectable members of Victorian society, such as the Medical Man, the Provincial Mayor, and the Editor. Even though they belonged to an educated and upper-class White male fraternity, the time traveler’s experience conversing with them reveals their narrow frame of mind. For instance, when the time traveler explains how humans have limited capabilities to move only in forward and backward directions, the Medical Man refutes his argument by presenting the example of a moving balloon (Well, 2011). This response shows the stubbornness of the typical White mentality, which is not willing to acknowledge other than its own perception of humans and life. Wells uses this stubborn attitude to reflect the White males’ inherent weakness in grasping and recognizing a rational argument. One of the key findings or observations that time travelers make in the future world is the symbolic figure of a white sphinx on a bronze metal pedestal. Given the typical historical, cultural, and social context of the real sphinx, which links it to the Egyptian or the so-called inferior society, this historical symbol in white color manifests the dominance of White masculine ideals in this future world (SCHERR, 2019). Standing in a still and lifeless condition, this statue symbolizes the lack of vigor and virility of the White males. While moving around on the surface of this future world, the time traveler encounters various members of the dominant and the so-called superior white race. This encounter facilitates him to explore various hidden aspects of this technologically advanced society that alludes to the lack of advancement and superiority in the White male-dominated society. To elaborate on this point, one may refer to their size; as the time traveler narrates, they are hardly four feet tall (Wells, 2011); this short length signifies the lack of virility and masculinity as tallness and strength are the key features associated with the notion ...