Time Machine Theme Elements“We should strive to embrace change and challenges, because they are what help us grow. Without them we become as weak as the Eloi in comfort and security. We must constantly test ourselves to strengthen our character and increase our intelligence." This quote comes from a novel that inspired the science fiction genre. The Time Machine was the first work of fiction written by HG Wells. This novel inspired not Wells himself to explore new possibilities in science fiction, but a generation of science fiction writers. Themes of science, evolution, progress, and class struggle are the main elements that Wells explores in his groundbreaking novel. One of the biggest themes present in Time Machine is the theme of class struggle. England, at the time the novel was written, was leaving the Victorian age and entering the industrial age. Instead of a caste system, where the job that a person is born with remains until death, a class system has emerged. This is mainly due to the increase in the number of literate people in England. David Galens points out: “More people had access to old professions, such as medicine and law, and to new professions, such as writing and psychology… However, with the Industrial Revolution and the mass migration of rural workers to cities, the differences among the haves and have-nots became more clearly visible.” Wells plays on this aspect a lot in the novel. Once the Traveler reaches his final destination, nearly 800,000 years in the future, he encounters a class of people known as Eloi. When he meets them the traveler believes he has entered a communist society. As time passed, however, the Journey... in the center of the paper... was for a 19th century author to see the world as continually evolving. Some see this novel as a parable, a parable of what could happen if the human race did not make fundamental changes. Works Cited Aubrey, Bryan. “The time machine”. Masterplots II: Fiction Series for Children and Young Adults (1991): 1-3. MagillOnLiteratura Plus. Rete. 16 April 2014. Galens, David A, ed. "The time machine." Novels for Students 17 (2003) 247-58. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Network. April 21, 2014. Ruddick, Nicholas. “The time machine”. Magill's Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature (1996): 1-2. MagillOnLiteratura Plus. Rete. 16 April 2014.Semansky,Chris. "The time machine." Novels for Students 17 (2003) 247-58. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Network. April 21, 2014.Stableford, Brian. “The time machine”. Masterplots, fourth edition (2010): 1-4. MagillOnLiteratura Plus. Network. 16 April. 2014.