Simplicity

Man’s need for a simple life was what HG Wells discussed in “The Star”. During his time, the Second Industrial Revolution was in full swing. Things changed rapidly as new inventions were produced. While some approved of the situation, Wells, among others, “lamented the momentous changes… to the landscape, social relations, and the very souls of England's people” (Koot par 4).

To understand the situation, let’s remember the inventions from the late-1800’s (Ryan par 12). The telephone, electric light, and typewriter were developed during the 1870’s.  The first skyscrapers and elevators showed up in the 1880’s, while the phonograph, electric generator and internal combustion engine came in 1890’s. These inventions led to machines of travel.

To the majority of Victorian Europeans, those things sound like wonderful innovations. This allowed for the freedom of exploration and independent living. However, that freedom brought the disintegration of village life. Previously, people needed each other for food and shelter. Sharing news had to be done via letter or visiting. To marry, people often relied on family to arrange the marriage. However, technology killed the intimacy of hamlet life.

In “The Star”, Wells explored how people, primed by the industrial revolutions progress, were initially excited by something new. Hordes of strangers from across Europe, jubilant by the idea of watching two planets collide, left their villages and joined together to watch this show. Their feelings were described as “suppressed excitement, rising almost to shouting pitch, as the two remote bodies had rushed together” (Wells par 6). Exaltation turned to apprehension when the impact created natural disasters. With the threat of Earth’s destruction, Europeans embraced the simpler and communal life they’d turned away.

The double-edged sword of revolution allowed for exploration and expansion. But, it changed and weakened whole societies. When faced with life-threatening events, simple things are what’s desired, not technology. Wells believed modern innovations wasn’t the futures key; inventions were the destruction of it. 

Works Cited:  

Koot, G. M. (2006). Aspects of the Industrial Revolution in Britian . Retrieved March 11, 2013, from U Mass - Darmouth : http://www1.umassd.edu/ir/
Ryan. (2012, Feburary 27). The Second Industrial Revolution, 1870-1914. Retrieved March 2013, 2013, from US History Scee : http://www.ushistoryscene.com/uncategorized/secondindustrialrevolution/
Wells, H. (2010). The Star. Retrieved March 11, 2013, from Classic Reader: http://www.classicreader.com/book/176/1/