When the Sleeper Wakes by H. G. Wells
"When the Sleeper Wakes" is a dystopian novel by H.G. Wells, first published in 1899, that explores themes of class struggle, control, and awakening consciousness. The story follows Graham, a middle-aged Victorian man who unexpectedly wakes from a deep trance into a future London dominated by a mechanized and oppressive society. In this new world, powerful elites exploit the working class, who are subjected to a life of monotonous labor and state control, with their children raised by automated systems. The narrative intensifies as Graham discovers that he possesses vast wealth and influence, inherited through a quirk of fate, marking him as a figure of hope for the masses.
As Graham navigates this complex reality, he becomes embroiled in a revolutionary struggle led by a character named Ostrog, who seeks to overthrow the current rulers. However, the dynamics of power shift as Graham realizes the true nature of the revolution and the plight of the people. The novel culminates in a dramatic aerial confrontation, symbolizing the clash between oppressive authority and the yearning for liberation. Through its rich social commentary, "When the Sleeper Wakes" invites readers to reflect on the consequences of unchecked capitalism and the potential for collective uprising against systemic oppression.
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When the Sleeper Wakes
First published: 1899
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Science fiction—dystopia
Time of work: 2100
Locale: London, England
The Plot
Although When the Sleeper Wakes was revised, altered, and republished in 1910 (under the title The Sleeper Wakes), the original 1899 edition is considered the standard text. The story concerns a middle-aged Victorian man named Graham who falls into a mesmeric trance and wakes in the future. The new London that greets him is a mechanized city of polished steel and glass controlled by a council of powerful men who are themselves a combination of political despots and capitalist exploiters. The proletarian masses are herded along an elaborate public transport system of moving sidewalks to long, mindless hours of work in the Labor Company. They have neither property nor privacy, their children are raised by state-run mechanical “mothers,” and their revolutionary consciousness is numbed by incessant subliminal brainwashing effected by phonographic machines that blurt out hypnotic suggestions. Members of the rich elite, who might have reforming ideas, are kept under control by being sent off to the Pleasure Cities, where both their desires to ease the evils of society and the excess wealth of the city are consumed.
The plot is propelled by the fact that, by a fluke of history, two childless industrialists willed their stocks to the sleeping Graham. Under the supervision of a board of trustees, these stocks grew into a huge economic-political cartel. When Graham wakes, he finds that he owns half the world, that the controllers have been controlling his stock for him, and that he is the focal point of a messianic hope on the part of the masses.
When the controllers attempt to assassinate Graham, he is rescued by revolutionary workers led by Ostrog, “the Boss.” Ostrog uses Graham’s awakening to mobilize the people and, by means of a lightning-strike coup d’état, overthrows the controllers and sets himself up as the new despot. At first, Graham trusts Ostrog; however, after being apprised of the misery of the masses by Ostrog’s niece, Graham accepts his messianic destiny and leads the workers in a mass uprising. Ostrog orders that foreign troops be flown in to quell the revolt. Graham, who has learned the secrets of aero-flight, engages in an aerial battle with the passenger planes. The novel ends in the midst of battle, with Graham’s plane about to plummet to earth.