Visions of the Human Condition

"He . . . thought but cheerlessly of the Advancement of Mankind,
and saw in the growing pile of civilisation only a foolish heaping that
must inevitably fall back upon and destroy its makers in the end" (76).

Points for Reflection

The Time Machine, chps. 9 thru epilogue

1. is Weena’s fate the fault of the Time Traveller? [sec 02: Alex T]
2. do the scientists among you—those familiar with biology, physics, astronomy, and other STEM fields—find any of Wells’s prognostications about the distant future to be plausible?
3. according to the Time Traveler, what distinctive qualities separate humanity from other species? Does he behave in accordance with his own claims?
4. why does the Time Traveller call humanity “decadent” as he returns to his own era, and identify familiar architecture as “petty” (71)?
5. in his approach to solving problems and facing crises, is the time traveler more like a Morlock than an Eloi? [Avi M]
6. is the Medical Man as doubtful about the Time Traveller’s tale as the traveler expects him to be?
7. do you think H. G. Wells himself intends us to take this tale as—to adopt the Time Traveller’s options—a mere story, an utter lie, or a prophecy (72)?
8. why does the Time Traveller himself begin to doubt the veracity of his tale?
9. is the Time Traveller better prepared for his next time-traveling trip? [sec 01: Liv M]
10. which does this tale ultimately value more, the mind or the heart?

Robert Browning's "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came" (1852; 1855), PDF

1. does Childe Roland correctly assess the character of the man who provides him directions in the opening to “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”?
2. what now motivates Roland as he continues to push forward on his long quest?
3. what is the epic simile of stanzas 5-6 (ll.25-36) intended to illustrate?
4. do any events in the poem appear unrealistic, fantastic even?
5. what does Nature, personified by the narrator, say is the only cure for the wasteland?
6. why does the narrator respond with hate to the horse he encounters (stanzas 13-14)?
7. how helpful do Roland's memories prove in motivating him to push forward?
8. do the river and opposite bank across which Roland travels provide a respite from the depressingly wasted terrain through which he has been trudging (stanzas 19-24)?
9. just after Roland notes a black bird flying overhead and wonders whether it is the guide he has been seeking, he realizes he has arrived at the tower. What else might the bird represent, besides a guide?
10. is the noise which surrounds Roland at the poem's close a product of an actual bell being tolled, or a function of his imagination?
11. is Roland actually surrounded by the spirits of dead adventurers in the final stanza?
12. does the poem conclude on a triumphant or tragic note?
13. do the various surroundings through which the narrator has traversed reflect the narrator’s emotional state? Do they ever provide a point of contrast for his thoughts?
14. what might be the significance of the "dark tower"? What of the journey itself? Does the poem lend itself to allegorical interpretation?
15. from what play by Shakespeare was the title of this poem drawn? Does knowing the play and its contents inflect the way you read this poem?
    
    
    
    Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came (1859)
    Thomas Moran
    

Dr. Paul Marchbanks
pmarchba@calpoly.edu