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Essay / Analysis of the novel “The Time Machine” by Hg Wells
“The Time Machine” by HG Wells is a novel published in 1895, it gave rise to several film adaptations, including the 1960 version directed by George Pal. Although it is essentially the same story, the film adaptation also took multiple liberties with certain plot points and characters. Some might think for the better and others will say that the film strayed too far from the book and had a more negative impact. For example, from the beginning, the characters and their characteristics were largely changed in the film. The main character, George aka the Time Traveler, played by Rod Taylor, was never named in the novel. Other small character names have been changed but the biggest character change, in my opinion, is that of Eloi. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In the novel, they are described as small, almost child-like creatures with very little understanding of language and knowing very few words or expressions. In the film adaptation, some of these characteristics are present but greatly downplayed. For example, the Eloi still appear very young but more like young grown adults than children. As for language, it is still a species of few words, but the language barrier described in the book seems to be less prevalent as they are more successful in understanding and communicating with The Time Traveler. I believe they did this for one major reason; for the public. In the novel, Wells has much more freedom in what he is able to create and represent and what his audience would accept and understand. It seems that the reasoning for humanizing the Eloi was to appeal to modern audiences, knowing that in order to sell tickets he would have to create something that audiences could relate to and understand. For similar reasons, the relationship centered around the two main characters, George and Weena, were also changed. In the novel, the two meet when George saved Weena from drowning while the rest of the Eloi stood around and watched. This remains true in the film, but as their relationship develops throughout the novel, you can see that it is like that of a child and a parent or a mentor and his protégé. However, watching the film, it is very clear that a romantic aspect was added to their relationship, completely changing the dynamic. Once again, this was an attempt to please the audience knowing that they would rather see a love story than try to understand the complexity of the relationship established in the novel. As I mentioned earlier, the Eloi were these childlike creatures that George finds in the future. . The Eloi are only one of the species inhabiting Earth at this time, the other being the Morlocks. The Morlocks are essentially the opposite of the Eloi, they are depicted as monstrous creatures that remain isolated underground while remaining the more intelligent of the two groups, capable of operating machines and such. In the novel, The Time Traveler speculates that the reason for this division has to do with social classes. The Eloi remain above ground, free from work and worry while the Morlocks remain isolated underground, working to support the Eloi. However, in the 1960 film adaptation, we learn that the reason for their division was a war that poisoned the land. The surviving group went underground to fight and survive, with some remaining there and others rising to the surface, creating the Eloi and the Morlocks...