Theme: modernism in american literature contents: introduction chapter the early twentieth century literature (1901-1939). Modernism

Herbert George Wells

1866-1946

H.G. Wells was born at Bromley, Kent, in a lower middle-class family. His father was a professional cricket player and his mother was a house keeper in a large country house. He studied at Midhurst Grammar School, combining his studying with the work at a draper’s, then as a chemist’s apprentice. Being a bright boy he won a scholarship of the Royal College of Science in London. After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree with honours at London University Wells took to teaching as a private tutor in biology, and even wrote a text-book on biology.
In 1893 he turned to journalism and literature contributing to the Saturday Review and the Pall Mall Gazette.
Like his whole literary heritage Wells’ novels may be divided into three groups: 1. The social-political science fiction novels of his early years, where he put his scientific knowledge to literary use in a series of semi scientific novels prognostic of the future (The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds, etc.). 2. The realistic novels of his great fiction period, which were as great an influence on the generation of that era as were the plays by Ibsen and Shaw (Marriage, Ann Veronica, Tono Bungay). 3. The novels and books of his latest period, vehicles for his political theories (The Shape of Things to Come, The Open Conspiracy, The Outline of History).
Being greatly influenced by the outstanding achievements of such celebrated scientists of his day as Faraday, Rontgen and Darwin, Wells begins to explore in his works the new world opened up by modern science. His books show not only the ability to make science the matter of a story, but a rare gift of scientific imagination, which makes the most extravagant happenings appear plausible.
Wells’ science-fiction novels are always built on a sound scientific basis. All of them are based on real scientific discoveries and hypotheses. So the chemical decolouring of tissue and the discovery of x-rays prompted Wells to write The Invisible Man. Wells tried his best to make his fantasies convincing. For this reason he would give accurate descriptions of non-existing machines, cite fictitious newspapers articles and scientific reports.
Some of his works show his scientific foresight. For instance in the novel The War in the Air (1908) Wells describes war planes which were first used during World War I. In the novel When the Sleeper Wakes (1899) Wells writes about A-bombs and their radioactive effect 30 years before their invention. These predictions testify to the author’s imagination and profound scientific knowledge.
The originality of Wells’ science-fiction novels lies in their social problems. Retaining their scientific value his stories and novels often acquire the characteristic features of social utopia or satire. The main trait of Wells’ creative work is his concern for the fate of mankind.
Thus in The Time Machine (1895) the theme of an unusual scientific invention – a machine capable of travelling through time – is interwoven with the theme of class struggle, class antagonism leading to the degeneration of mankind. The author describes a fantastic machine made of nickel, ivory and crystal and with great artistic mastery depicts the flight through time when days and nights seem like the flapping of a black wing and the sun and the moon become streaks of fire in the sky. However, it is not the main theme in the story. The principal idea of the book is the contrast of the two degenerated races – the Eloi and the Morlocks into which mankind has been divided. Having reached the year 802701, the Time Traveller meets the Eloi - beautiful and graceful, but utterly helpless creatures who live in dilapidated buildings surrounded by neglected gardens. They are the descendants of the ruling classes, the product of luxurious life and aversion for; work. The other race, the horrible and pale Morlocks, who live in the underground caverns resemble animals. The Morlocks are the descendants of workers who had lived in the dark underground factories many years before. Out of habit, they continue working for the Eloi, they provide them with clothes and food, but hunt the Eloi at night and feed on their meat. The more remote future visited by the Time Traveller is even grimmer. He sees a desert land of monster crabs creeping out of the sea.
In The Time Machine one can feel Wells’ pessimism. The writer does not see any ways of saving mankind from war and moral degradation. Wells thought the working class was too ignorant to fight for its happiness. This idea gave birth to the horrible figures of the Morlocks. Despite his pessimism Wells hoped that mankind would be able to escape degeneration and build life on more rational basis. The dreadful scenes depicted by the author serve as a warning to mankind, an appeal to give up exploitation and violence.
The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896) and The Invisible Man (1897) treat another theme, very characteristic of Wells – the loneliness of the scientist in the bourgeois world and the danger of science in the hands of individualists. For all his respect for science and scientists, Wells understood that science might become a destructive force if put in the hands of mercenary people and egoists. Wells does not approve of “superman”, an ideal of the bourgeoisie, created by Nietzsche. A superman indifferent to good and evil, coming to power through crime is shown by Wells as a miserable maniac, doomed to death. Such a superman is Doctor Moreau - a talented surgeon. Persecuted by hypocrites he flees to a desert island and continues experimenting on animals turning them into strange humanlike creatures. He does it for two purposes: to surround himself by obedient creatures who look upon him as God and to revenge upon the hateful world of human beings, creating a parody of mankind. The world of Doctor Moreau is horrible and hopeless and its creator and master - lonely and unhappy, in the end being killed by the humanlike creatures of his own making. Elements of social satire are apparent in this novel. Like the Yahoos in Jonathan Swift’s novel Gulliver’s Travels those half people, half beasts, remind of some people of the bourgeoisie. Their cruelty is combined with cowardice and hypocrisy. A man who accidentally finds himself on the island of Doctor Moreau and later returns to England is disappointed to see the same society of brutes among the civilized Englishmen.
The novel The Invisible Man deals with a similar theme – the tragic loneliness of a bourgeois scientist resulting in moral degradation. The action is set in a small town in the south of England. The talented physicist Griffin who becomes invisible having discovered the secret of the discolouring of tissue perishes struggling against the conservative world of Philistines. He turns into a savage and commits horrible crimes. A great scientist becomes a dangerous maniac and murderer.
Wells’ great period as a novelist began about 1905 with Kipps. Here at last he discovered something he had never possessed before - humour mixed with tender sympathy. He began to deal with the world he knew instead of the world he dreamt about.
Wells’ next bid for fame was as an historian and sociologist. His work The Outline of History (1920) issued in 2 volumes was an attempt to write the historical section of the World Encyclopedia which was Wells’ dream. This work provides a thorough analysis of different historical events and induces to think of history as a process of logical connections on a world scale.
Wells keenly felt the contradictions tearing apart English bourgeois society and was interested in social reforms by means of which he wanted to help people achieve better life. However, he was carried away by Fabian ideas. He did not understand the role of the proletariat and dreamed about talented intellectuals who should start a gradual reforming of the world. Wells hoped that some capitalists would finance them. His future world was that of an improved World Capitalist system.