Definition of Simile
Wells uses the simile of a "beast in a trap" to depict the Time Traveller's sense of entrapment in the distant future. In the novel, the Time Traveller finds himself in a world that is vastly different from his own, and, after losing his time machine, is unable to return to his own era. This sense of isolation and helplessness is conveyed by his description of his experience:
Before, I had felt as a man might feel who had fallen into a pit: my concern was with the pit and how to get out of it. Now I felt like a beast in a trap, whose enemy would come upon him soon.
Several times, the Time Traveller refers to the Eloi metaphorically as cattle. This comparison serves to highlight the Eloi's apathetic and passive nature; the Time Traveller's comparison suggests that the Eloi have become docile and easily manipulated by their environment. This comparison draws attention to the dangers of complacency and the loss of individuality and freedom that can result from societal regression. In Chapter 10, the Time Traveller uses a simile to express this idea:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Very pleasant was their day, as pleasant as the day of the cattle in the field. Like the cattle, they knew of no enemies and provided against no needs. And their end was the same.
Several times, the Time Traveller refers to the Eloi metaphorically as cattle. This comparison serves to highlight the Eloi's apathetic and passive nature; the Time Traveller's comparison suggests that the Eloi have become docile and easily manipulated by their environment. This comparison draws attention to the dangers of complacency and the loss of individuality and freedom that can result from societal regression. In Chapter 10, the Time Traveller uses a simile to express this idea:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Very pleasant was their day, as pleasant as the day of the cattle in the field. Like the cattle, they knew of no enemies and provided against no needs. And their end was the same.