"The Time Machine" by Herbert George Wells – a re-examination of mythological tropes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15584/tik.2025.19Keywords:
Herbert George Wells, The Time Machine, The Time Traveller, Nemesis, Faeton, Ananke, Chronos AionAbstract
This article puts forward a reinterpretation of the presence of mythological tropes in H. G. Wells’s, The Time Machine. Once the various contexts within which the novel tends to be read have been presented, attention is drawn to the interpretative approaches adopted by literary critics, such as Bergonzi, Parrinder, Lake, Scafella, Ketterer, Prince to name but a few, who search for connections between the author’s chosen text and myths. Among the cited interpretations, we will find references to, among others, Sphinx, Oedipus and Prometheus. Availing himself of the research methodology adopted by John White and Marie Miguet-Ollagnier, the author identifies the sections where allusions to the myths pertaining to Nemesis, Ananke, Chronos Aion and Phaeton are to be most frequently encountered. At the same time, the author expands on the findings of previous research by highlighting newly-found mythological motifs. The author also refers to the category of tragedy and shows the influence of ancient tragedy on Wells’ novel.
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