The Time Machine by H. G. Wells. Chapter 10-17- complete summary

Chapter 10: When Night Came

The Time Traveller’s hope of escape vanished when he came to know about the Marlocks.  Before he thought that he just had to deal with the Childish and feeble Eloi’s but the inhuman attitude of the Marlocks made him to feel bad. He felt like being caught in a trap. The Time Traveller, being a man of logic, started to fear the new moon day. Weena had said about those dark nights and Time Traveller too thought that some danger is going to come on those days. He now understood the reason behind the fear of the Elois. He now came to a conclusion that his previous speculation that the Eloi’s are the aristocrats and the Marlocks are the servants are wrong.

The time Traveller came to a conclusion that the Marlocks are in charge of the Eloi’s. He understood that it is the Marlocks who make ready the garments of the Elois.  He thought that the Marlocks were like those men who enjoy killing animals in sport. Suddenly he thought of the meat that he saw underground.  He thought that he knew what it is, but still he could not find out what meat it is. The Time Traveller decided to defend himself. He planned to make ready arms, that is weapons and to make ready a safe and secure place for him. He thought that he could not sleep until he makes secure his bed.

He wandered all around in the valley,  but could not find a secure place for him. Then suddenly he thought of the Green Porcelain Palace, which he came across in the evening one day. He thought it would be a safer place. So in the evening he took Weena and went up the hill in search of the Green Palace. He nearly went 18 miles but still he could not find it. Before, on his previous expedition, the moist climate made him to believe that the palace was nearby. But now with his damaged boots, he found it difficult to walk. After a long and tired some walk, he could see the building from a top of hill, in the evening sun’s rays. Weena, who first enjoyed being carried by Time Traveller, later went by walk along with the Time Traveller. She plucked the flowers that was found in the sides of the path and put in the Time Traveller’s pocket. While the Time Traveller narrated this incident,  he stopped for a while and took two withered flowers from his pocket and placed it on the table.

The narrator continued his story. They came across the hill in the evening and when Weena felt tired and wanted to go back to the big building, the Time Traveller, made her to understand that they are going to the Green Palace. Somehow the stillness of the evening sky frightened the Time Traveller. That night frightened him more. He thought that he could feel the hollowness of the ground beneath his feat. The night grew darker. Weena’s fear increased. The time Traveller took her in his arms and cared for her. They went down a long slope. In the darkness, he crossed a river and reached the opposite side of the valley. He crossed a statue which had no head. Though the Time Traveller thought that the Marlocks were out of sight, he also realised that the dark night is yet to come. When they reached the next hill, he saw a thick forest lying in their path. The Time Traveller felt afraid To cross the hill, in that dark night. So he decided to stay on the hill that night.

Weena was asleep and the Time Traveller sat beside her. The quite and deserted hill side and the stars above in the clear sky comforted him. The twinkling stars and the milky way occupied his thought.  He realized that The Revolutions in nature has changed everything about and regarding man.  While he was immersed in such thoughts, he suddenly got to know, about the meat that was found on the table. Yes… of course it is the meat of the Eloi’s. This thought was like a sudden shock to the Time Traveller.

Luckily no Marlocks attacked that night. Once the Morning came the Time Taveller thought that his fears are unreasonable. Before continuing his journey towards the Green Palace, the Time Traveller, removed his shoes and threw them away. They started their journey into the woods, that is the forest. In the day light the forest seemed more green and pleasant. They even enjoyed the fruits in the forest. On his walk, he thought that the Marlocks would have started eating the Elois, once their food like rat and other vermin ran short. He tried to give a scientific reason behind the behavior of Marlocks and felt that the Marlocks are less human and more remote than the human’s cannibal ancestors. But he thought that why he is worrying himself about such thoughts, and so he started to think about some other things.

He thought about the thing he need to protect himself. He thought that a safe place, a weapon are must to safe guard himself. He also thought that he should make ready fire by some means, because it would be a efficient thing against the Marlocks. He also wanted to be prepared to break open the doors of the well to get back his Time Machine. He has also decided to take Weena, to his age.

Chapter 11 The Palace of the Green Porcelain

The Time Traveller and Weena, reached the Palace of Green Porcelain in afternoon. The Palace of Green Porcelain was in a very bad state. The windows were all broken and there were huge cracks in the walls. The Time Traveller saw an inscription on the outer wall, but he could not read it. He foolishly thought that Weena could read, but she is of no use. On seeing the Long gallery hall, the time Traveller was reminded of a museum.

The floor was thick with dust and the rain water had dropped through the roof and has damaged many parts of the building. He found the skeleton of Brontosaurus, and confirmed that it was a museum. He found glasses of his own time being preserved there. The fossils that were preserved there were in a very bad condition. Few fossils were totally destroyed and the Time Traveller thought that it was done by the Marlocks. On exploring the building further, the Time Traveller came across another big hall, which was devoted to minerals. On seeing sulphur there the Time Traveller searched for a gun powder mineral but he could not find any such minerals there. Next he came across a hall, which was devoted to natural history. He could not find any traces about the revolution of nature there.

Next he came across a building of machines, which interested the Time Traveller. But most of the machines there were corroded and broken. Suddenly Weena came near him and saved him from the slippery of the floor. Is the floor so clean and tidy for someone to slip. No obviously not. But that part of the museum was built in the sloping of the hills. But down that hill slope, it was quite dark and few foot prints was found there is the midst of dusty floor. Suddenly the fear of Marlocks occupied his mind and he realized that he was spending his time in admiring the machines than in search of weapons to attack the Marlocks. He even thought that he heard the same sound there which he heard from inside the well. He then turned and broke a lever from a machine with a heavy force. Once he got hold of this lever, he thought that he had got a great tool to oppose the Marlocks. He suddenly felt like killing some Marlocks using it. But the presence of Weena and his search for Time Machine alone prevented him from killing the Marlocks.

Holding the mace, that is the iron weapon, which he forced out from the machine, and holding Weena in the Other hand, he moved to the next gallery hall. That hall seemed like a military chapel. He came across a book shelf there and he searched for his own papers on the physical optics there. They climbed a stair case and came across the section of technical chemistry. Except few damages, this gallery hall was well preserved and the Time Traveller luckily got a match stick box here, which was in perfect condition. The Time Traveller felt like dancing. He thought that he has got a greatest weapon against the Marlocks.

Besides match sticks the Time Traveller also found camphor her. In was sealed perfectly and after smelling it only the Time Traveller believed that it was a camphor.  At first he thought to throw it away, but later he realized that he could use this camphor as a candle light and kept it safely in his pockets. He searched for a explosive to break the doors of the well, but unfortunately he could not find anything. He was satisfied with his mace that is the iron bars, which he broke from a machine. Guns, pistols and rifles were there but the cartridges were rotted into dust. In one corner, he saw vast idols and the Time Traveller wrote his name, on one of the idol. He wandered around all the galleries. Suddenly in one gallery, he came across cartridges… he felt so happy but unfortunately it was short lived. Very soon he realized that those cartridges were dummy. They came across a open court and they rested there for some time. The Time Traveller thought that he is now prepared to fight with the Marlocks. The Match stick, the Camphor, the mace gave him more confidence.

Chapter 12: In the Darkness

The Time Traveller and Weena, started their return journey from the Green Palace, he thought to reach the white sphinx statue by the morning. He was not afraid of the woods instead he planned how to face it. He thought to build a fire in the night and to sleep in its protection.  So he gathered sticks along the way. Their movement was much slower than the Time Traveller thought. Both Weena and he were tired.

When they reached near the woods it was full night. But still the Time Traveller continued his journey, with the fire woods in his hands. He thought that if he could cross the woods, the hill side in the other end of it will be safer place to rest. He thought that he can keep his path illuminated while he cross the wood. So to fire the match stick and to light the camphor he abandoned the fire wood that he collected all through his path.  He lighted up the woods. This was a playful sight for Weena. If the Time Traveller had not pulled her aside, she would have burnt herself in the fire. They started moving in that flame. But as they moved the darkness frightened Weena and she hold tightly the Time Traveller.

He could not light the match sticks because he had Weena in one hand and the mace in other hand. He walked into the woods in the silence of the night. He could only hear the sound of the crackling of twigs under his feet. But little later, he heard the queer sound and noises of the underworld. He realized that the Marlocks have surrounded them. He could even feel their hands upon him.

It’s time to light his match sticks so he placed Weena down and lighted the match sticks. In that light he could saw the Marlocks retrieving back and he fired few camphor and threw in the ground. He Saw Weena lying in the ground. She even felt afraid to breath. The Camphor light made the Marlocks to retrieve back but still the Time Traveller could feel a great company around him.  He lifted Weena and tried to move, but unfortunately in his fight with the Marlocks, he forgot his direction. He felt confused about his direction.

 Since he felt confused of the direction the Time Traveller decided to encamp there itself. He collected few sticks around them and created fire. He too sat beside Weena and tried to wake up her. But she was still. The fire was burning bright and the whole air was covered with the smoke of the fire. He felt so tired. It seemed for him that he just nodded a little but when he opened his eyes he was under the control of the Marlocks.

The Marlocks had even taken away his matchsticks. They caught hold of the Time Traveller by his neck. The Time Traveller felt helpless. He felt someone biting him in his neck. The Time Traveller rolled over and managed to get hold of his mace. It gave him strength. He started to attack the Marlocks with the iron rod. He thrust it in darkness and hurt few Marlocks. He decided to stand against them at any cost. The iron bar gave him the confidence that he can win over the Marlocks. Suddenly the Marlocks, shouted in high pitch and seemed to move faster. He thought that the Marlocks were afraid of him but little later he realized that they were afraid of something behind him. And the Time Traveller could see them turn reddish,  he also saw a spark drifting across him. He understood the things. The time Traveller turned back and saw the flames of the burning forest.

The Time Traveller looked for Weena, but he could not find her. So he started to run form the fire. At times the fire seemed to engulf him but he managed to escape from it. At first the time Traveller struck the Marlocks up with his iron bar even while he was running. But once He understood that the mar locks were confused on seeing this fire and moving aimlessly, he stopped to struck them. He struck those few who came across his path.

The Time Traveller could not find Weena anywhere. He reached a hillock and saw the things from there. He saw the mar locks still left in confusion and fear. He felt that the whole night was a nightmarish experience. He called upon god to save him. He saw Marlocks rushing into the flames. And with the diminishing of those white creatures the Time Traveller felt that the light of the day came. He again searched for Weena, but he could not find her. From the hillock, he saw the Green Palace of Porcelain and made sure about his direction to the White Sphinx statue. So leaving the Marlocks behind, he crossed the smoking ashes, by tied the grass in his feet. He badly missed Weena, and his own world and his own people too. As he walked across the ashes, he found out that there were few match sticks left in his pocket…

Chapter 13: THE TRAP OF THE WHITE SPHINX

In the morning, the Time Traveller reached that hill where he first sat and examined the landscape. He laughed at himself for his first interpretation of the future. He now thought that the upper world people are like the cattle. Just like the cattle the people of the upper world too had no enemies, no needs and off course, they face a similar end like that of the cattle. He thought that the human intellect had committed suicide. According to the Time Traveller by attaining comfort, ease and a balanced society with security and permanency humans had put an end to themselves. He thought that the Perfect world would have been created, by rich becoming richer and comfortable and the worker would have got assurance of his life and work and there would have been no more employment problem and no unsolved questions left in the perfect world. A perfect mechanism was with the ones, who lived in perfect harmony with nature. Only those who thought to partake nature in intelligence have met a huge variety of needs and dangers. He thought that the upper world had moved towards prettiness and the under-world became like a mechanical industry. His tiredness and the pleasant climate upon the hill made him to fell asleep.

He woke up in the evening and he moved towards the white sphinx statue with the mace in one hand and the match stick in the other. When he went near the sphinx statue he got surprised to find the bronze door open. He felt hesitant to enter. But he saw the Time Machine inside it. He had the levers of the Time Machine safely in his pockets. He threw away the iron bar, because he thought that there is no use of it anymore. He went near his time machine and was surprised to see that the time machine was been oiled and maintained cleanly. When he was examining his Time Machine the bronze doors suddenly slid and it closed with a big sound.

The Time Traveller was left in complete darkness. He could hear the Marlocks coming towards him, with a murmuring laughter. He didn’t even have the iron bar to fight with them. But still he had few loose match sticks in his pocket. He tried to lighten them up. But unfortunately, without the box, the match sticks didn’t worked. When the Marlocks came close to him, he attacked them with the levers, and he tried to sit upon the saddle of the Time Machine. He tried to remove the Marlocks fingers from the levers and also tried to search for that particular place where the lever has to be placed in the time machine. He attacked few Marlocks with his head. This encounter, the Time Traveller thought was more dangerous than the one he had with the Marlocks in the forest. But at last he managed to fix the lever and pulled it over. The Marlocks hold was loosened and at once he could feel the light. Again the Time Traveller found himself in the grey light. Yes, Off course a great escape.

Chapter 14: THE FURTHER VISION

The Time Traveller managed to escape from the Marlocks with the help of his Time Machine but in his attempt to escape from the Marlocks, he didn’t sat properly in the saddle and he just clung to the machine. When he looked at the dials of the time machine, he was quite shocked. The dials of the Time Machine showed a thousand of millions year in future. Just then he realized that instead of pulling the lever backward, he had pulled it forward. As the time machine moved, he noticed the greyness around him grew darker.

He noticed that the day seemed to prolong. The Time Traveller felt quite puzzled. The sun light seemed to stretch through centuries. He could see a comet crossing in the darkling sky. He said that the sun had become broader and red. And the sun was always there. He could not see the moon. When he stopped the time machine, the sun halted upon the horizon. When the time machine stopped he saw a beach. One side of the sky was inky blue and pale white stars shone brightly. In the other side the sun was red and motionless. He also saw intensely green lichen one side on the other side was a beach. Since there was no wind, there were no waves too in the beach.

He felt difficult to breath there. Suddenly he heard a huge scream and he saw a butterfly fluttering upon the sky and disappearing behind a hillock. The sound was so annoying and the time traveler seated more firmly in the Time Machine. He saw a big reddish crab moving slowly towards him. The crab was in the size of a huge rock, and it had many legs and its eyes were gleaming at him. While he was looking at this crab, something seemed to touch his face. He thought that it’s a fly, but he felt some thread like thing. When he turned back to see what it is, he was shocked to see a monster sized crab standing beside him. The monster was almost upon him and he suddenly pushed the lever and he found himself in the same beach a month back. He saw dozens of such crab, crawling here and there. The time traveler felt disgusted of the red eastern sky, the northward blackness, the dead sea, the slow moving rock like monstrous crab, the uniform-poisonous green layer, and the air that hurts the lungs.

Again the Time Traveller moved 100 years earlier and found the same place with a little difference. He saw the curved pale line of the new moon. He moved  thirty million years further, and found the red hot sun unclear. So he stopped once more and the crabs were not there and the beach was covered with white. He felt cold. The hillocks looked pinkish white in the evening sun’s rays. He searched around in fear of deadly creature.

The Time Traveller felt that some black object was moving but little later he realized that it was just a rock. The stars seemed very bright. Suddenly the sun seems to go hallow and only the outer ring of it was visible. He was quite shocked but little later he understood that it was an eclipse. As the darkness came the white flakes too increased. The eclipse was in its peak and the sky became absolutely black. He felt shivering. Suddenly he saw that black thing, which he thought as rock, moved. It was in the size of the football and the tentacles trailed down it, he felt like fainting, but somehow he managed to sit upon the saddle and escape from there too.

Chapter 15:THE TIME TRAVELLER’S RETURN:

The Time Traveller pulled the lever backwards. He could see the dials moving backwards. And slowly the time traveler landed in the present. And he could see Mrs. Watchett moving very slowly, in contrast to the previous movement of her. I hope you remember the incident that Mrs. Watchett seemed to zoom across, when he started his time travel. He stopped his machine and could see his old laboratory, his tools, and his appliances just as he had left it. He said that he saw the date in the Pall Mall Gazette, which was placed on a table and found it was the same day on which he started the time travelling. He said that the things that happened later were well known by the guest itself. Here the Time Traveller, ended his story regarding the experience of his time travelling.

Chapter 16: After The Story

The Time Traveller knew very well that the guests didn’t believed him and he thought that they might think that he has hatched up the whole story, he asked them what they thought of that story. He asked the medical man, what he thinks about his journey. The narrator saw the guests and he could see they were motionless. The Editor, expressed his first disbelief. The Time Traveller, too said that he too would have not believed it, if those withered flowers were not there. The time traveler refused to give the flowers to anyone. Suddenly the Time Traveller himself could not believe in Time Travelling. He went to the laboratory to make sure whether he really invented the time machine.

On seeing the time machine and its condition only the Time Traveler made sure about his time travel. All the guests went back and the narrator felt sleepless. The next day early morning, the narrator went to the Time Traveler’s house. He saw the time traveler holding a camera in his hands.

The narrator asked whether time travelling is real. The Time traveler asked him time till lunch to prove that time travelling is real. The time traveler agreed at first but latter remembered an important appointment and went to the laboratory to tell the Time Traveller about it. But, he could neither see the Time Traveller nor the time machine there. He guessed where he would have gone. So he waited for a stranger story this time and also for the photos too. But unfortunately, the narrator waited for 3 years, but still the Time Traveller didn’t return.

Chapter 17: Epilogue

Epilogue is actually giving a conclusion telling what would have happened. No one knew what happened to the time traveler. The narrator thought that he would have either gone into the future or into the past and into a scientific age, where all the unsolved questions of their age are answered. The narrator, waited for the Time Traveler along with those two withered flowers which proved him that gratitude will live in man’s heart though all other things undergo change.

------HAPPY LEARNING-----