The Time Machine Illuminator Post 4
Colin Easter
H.G. Wells leaves off the story of the Morlocks as soon as the Time Traveller gets his Time Machine back. ”But at last the lever was fitted and pulled over. The clinging hands slipped from me. The darkness presently fell from my eyes. I found myself in the same grey light and tumult I have already described.” From here, the Time Traveller discusses the twilight world of the future. The only time the world of the Morlocks and Eloi is mentioned afterword is about the flower in the Time Traveller pocket (offering proof of his travel). The story of that world is abruptly stopped and no more commentary is provided about it. This is interesting because the author spent a lot of time establishing the subplot, setting, commentary, and details about that world. However, by leaving the story off like that the author allows the reader to draw their own conclusions. It also allows the author to not have to write a conclusion or disappoint readers. The escape itself was not exciting. This makes me think that it is a combination of the two reasons. The author also uses this same tactic at the end of the story. The Time Traveller says that he’ll be back in half an hour, but he still hasn’t returned three years later. All we know is that he went somewhere with the Time Machine and a camera. Do you think that the author does this to allow the reader to draw their own conclusions so they that are not disappointed? Is he just lazy or uncreative enough to write his own endings? Does it fit with a science fiction theme to have a clear cut ending? Finally, do you prefer conclusions that are clear cut or ones that allow you to draw your own conclusions?
Category: Illuminator 4 comments »
April 18th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
I defenitly do not think that the author is too lazy or uncreative to come up with an ending, he planed everything else out perfectly he just wanted us to make our own ending. I do not think it fits science fiction to have a clear cut ending because there is a mysterious tone throughout the whole thing so it should end mysteriously. I prefer the endings you draw yourself because anything can happen and it is what you want, it also does not dissapoint any one too much like you said.
-Taran
April 19th, 2009 at 11:02 am
I do not believe that the author was being lazy, though I can see why you might think that. I believe that it was the authors plan from the end to leave the reader with some mystery. Though this can be annoying and highly disappointing in certain books, but with this one I think that it works well. I enjoy being able to create my own endings to this sort of book. Though I must agree with you in saying that the Time Travelers escape could have been written better.
~Erin Campbell =]
April 19th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Sonam Sherpa
Well, Easter Bunny to kill some space on this blog I would just like to say that only you would be able to use all of those big words in your blog and make sure it makes sense. And I personally do not think that the author was being lazy, I would personally agree more with the theory you came up with that he didn’t want to disappoint his readers. It does make perfect sense because without thier readers authors wouldn’t be able to spread their creativity, and by disappointing their readers they lose their readers to others. I do think that this ending fits a science fiction book because science fiction circles around the unkown and by leaving the ending with a question it causes the reader to … THINK! And I personally like the books that have a clear cut ending. The reason why is because if the book has no real ending then it is harder to rate the ending of the book, but if there is a clear cut ending then it leads the reader to think of other possibilities and to reflect on how good the author really was.
April 19th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
I do not think the author was being lazy because if he writes a conclusion it is not what every reader wants it to be. with leaving it cut off and leaving the reader wanting more it alows every reader to put in their own ending so every reader is happy. I thik it does fit with science fiction because it is making the reader think.
-Amber