Question

Match each excerpt from H. G. Wells's The Time Machine with the theme it expresses.
humankind and nature
good versus evil
horrors of science
evolution
society and class
So, in the end, above ground you must have
the Haves, pursuing pleasure and comfort and beauty,
and below ground the Have-nots,
the Workers getting continually adapted
to the conditions of their labour.
arrowRight
We improve our favourite plants and
animals—and how few they are—gradually
by selective breeding; now a new and better peach,
now a seedless grape, now a sweeter and larger flower,
now a more convenient breed of cattle.
arrowRight
Plainly, this second species of Man was subterranean.
There were three circumstances in particular
which made me think that its rare emergence
above ground was the outcome of a long-continued
underground habit. In the first place,
there was the bleached look common
in most animals that live largely
in the dark—the white fish of the Kentucky caves, for instance.
arrowRight

Answer 1

Answer:

Match each excerpt from H. G. Wells's The Time Machine with the theme it expresses. humankind and nature good versus evil horrors of science evolution society and class Pairs So, in the end, above ground you must have the Haves, pursuing pleasure and comfort and beauty, and below ground the Have-nots, the Workers getting continually adapted to the conditions of their labour. We improve our favourite plants and animals—and how few they are—gradually by selective breeding; now a new and better peach, now a seedless grape, now a sweeter and larger flower, now a more convenient breed of cattle. Plainly, this second species of Man was subterranean. There were three circumstances in particular which made me think that its rare emergence above ground was the outcome of a long-continued underground habit. In the first place, there was the bleached look common in most animals that live largely in the dark—the white fish of the Kentucky caves, for instance

Answer 2

Excerpt 1:

So, in the end, above ground you must have

the Haves, pursuing pleasure and comfort and beauty,

and below ground the Have-nots,

the Workers getting continually adapted

to the conditions of their labour.

The theme here is society and class. The author touches upon how society is divided into two main categories- of the Haves and the Have-nots. The Haves are evidently the rich while the Have-nots are the downtrodden poor. While the Haves have the time and means to enjoy a pleasurable life, make life more comfortable and enjoy things of beauty, the poor can only think of earning their daily bread and hence are over-engaged in ‘adapting’ to the demands of their work.  

 

Excerpt 2:

We improve our favourite plants and

animals—and how few they are—gradually

by selective breeding; now a new and better peach,

now a seedless grape, now a sweeter and larger flower,

now a more convenient breed of cattle.

 

The theme here is the horrors of science. If you consider the first few lines, one feels that everything sounds positive, However, the last line highlights the author’s concerns in terms of ‘a more convenient breed’. This suggests that man has developed immense power and is now misusing it to interfere with nature. Even animals are created according to convenience and human desires. This is not advancement, but a horrific development. Too much power in man’s hands can lead to doom.

Excerpt 3:

Plainly, this second species of Man was subterranean.

There were three circumstances in particular

which made me think that its rare emergence

above ground was the outcome of a long-continued

underground habit. In the first place,

there was the bleached look common

in most animals that live largely

in the dark—the white fish of the Kentucky caves, for instance.

 

The theme of this extract is evolution. The first clue is the word ‘species’. The next clue is the background of the species, stating that it is the ‘second species’  that is under consideration. It means that there is a history behind this species. Further, when the author gives reasons behind the ‘rare-emergence’ of man, it becomes clear that the text is trying to find reasons behind the occurrence. Also, evolution studies often link habits with features, which is exactly what is being done here.