Evie Summers
In H.G. Wells' 1899 dystopian novel, *When the Sleeper Wakes*, a man falls into a 203-year sleep and wakes up in a transformed London, where he has become the richest person in the world. The novel was first published as a serial in *The Graphic* and *Harper's Weekly* and later as a book. Wells revised the novel in 1910, changing the title to *The Sleeper Awakes*. The story follows Graham, a Victorian insomniac who takes a drug that induces a coma, and only wakes up in the year 2100. Upon waking, Graham discovers that his wealth has been used to establish a vast world order, and he becomes entangled in a revolution against the oppressive regime.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of first publication | 1899 |
| Author | H.G. Wells |
| Genre | Dystopian science fiction |
| Publication format | Serial, book |
| Main character | Graham |
| Setting | Late 21st to early 22nd century London |
| Sleep duration for the main character | 203 years |
| Circumstances of the main character's sleep | Insomnia, drugs |
| Main character's wealth | Richest man in the world |
| Story elements | Revolution, White Council, plutocracy, aristocracy, oppression |
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What You'll Learn
Graham's 203-year sleep
In H.G. Wells' 1899 dystopian novel, *When the Sleeper Wakes*, Graham, a Victorian man, falls into a 203-year sleep. Graham, an insomniac, takes drugs to help him sleep and ends up in a coma. He wakes up in the year 2100 to find himself in a transformed London.
During his sleep, Graham's money has been put into a trust, and the trustees, known as the "White Council", have used his wealth to establish a vast political and economic world order. As a result of compound interest, Graham has become the richest man in the world and, by default, the most powerful.
Upon waking, Graham is disoriented, and those around him are alarmed. The people had not expected him to wake up, and word spreads that the "Sleeper" has awakened. The White Council wants Graham dead and attempts to assassinate him. However, rebels led by the revolutionary Ostrog help him escape. Ostrog and the rebels want Graham to assume the role of leader in their revolution against the White Council, which has enslaved the workers.
Graham reluctantly agrees to lead the revolution, even though he is reluctant to trust anyone and is really only a figurehead. Ostrog is the true leader, and this arrangement suits Graham, who leads a carefree life. He takes an interest in flying machines and learns to fly them. From the pilot's seat, he sees how much his country has changed—the countryside in England is gone, and all agricultural work has been automated and moved to cities. Everyone now lives and works in one of four massive, windmill-powered metropolises.
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The White Council
In H.G. Wells' 1899 dystopian novel, *When the Sleeper Wakes*, the White Council are the trustees of the Sleeper, Graham. Graham is a man who, in 1897, takes drugs to cure his insomnia but instead falls into a deep coma, sleeping for 203 years. When he wakes up in 2100, he discovers that he has become the richest man in the world. During his long sleep, the White Council has used his wealth to establish a vast political and economic world order.
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Graham's wealth
In the novel When the Sleeper Wakes by H.G. Wells, Graham's wealth is a central element of the plot and a driving force behind the story's events. Graham, a Victorian man from the late 19th century, finds himself in an extraordinary circumstance after falling into a deep sleep that lasts for 203 years. During his long slumber, Graham's wealth accumulates through compound interest, and he becomes the richest man in the world by the time he wakes up.
Before his coma, Graham was a radical pamphleteer and a chronic insomniac. He takes drugs to help him sleep, but instead falls into a coma in 1897. During his sleep, he becomes a public wonder, often "on display". Unbeknownst to him, his money, along with the fortunes left to him by his richer solicitor cousin and a man named Isbister, continues to grow.
When Graham finally wakes up in the year 2100, he discovers that he essentially owns the world. His wealth has been put into a trust, and the trustees, known as the "White Council", have used his money to establish a vast political and economic world order. They have invested his wealth to buy up industries and political entities across the globe, creating a plutocracy that has swept away the existing world order, including parliament and the monarchy.
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The revolution
In H.G. Wells' 1899 dystopian novel, *When the Sleeper Wakes*, the protagonist, Graham, falls into a 203-year sleep in late 19th-century Cornwall. During his coma, Graham's wealth accumulates, and his money is put into a trust managed by the "White Council". By the time Graham wakes up in the late 21st century, the trustees have used his fortune to establish a global political and economic order, sweeping away the existing world order, including parliament and the monarchy.
Upon waking, Graham finds himself in a vastly different world, where he is now the richest man on Earth and the legal owner of most of the planet. However, his new world is one of oppression and a twisted aristocracy, funded by his own wealth. The people live and work in one of four massive, windmill-powered cities, with all agricultural work having been automated.
The White Council wants Graham dead and attempts to assassinate him. However, a group of rebels, led by the revolutionary boss Ostrog, intervenes and helps him escape. Ostrog and the workers are planning a revolution against the White Council, believing that Graham, as the richest man in the world, should be their leader. Graham reluctantly agrees to join them, even though he is unsure whom to trust.
During a march against the White Council, the revolutionaries are attacked by the state police. In the chaos, Graham gets separated from the group and meets an old man who reveals the truth about the "Sleeper". The old man explains that the Sleeper is merely a figurehead used by the White Council to brainwash the population. He believes that the Sleeper's wealth was used to buy up industries and political entities worldwide, establishing a plutocracy that overthrew the existing world order.
Despite his initial reluctance, Graham eventually assumes a leadership role in the revolution, serving as a figurehead for Ostrog, the true leader. Graham's unique perspective, gained from his bird's-eye view while flying airplanes, allows him to see just how much his country has changed during his long sleep.
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A transformed London
In the dystopian novel, "When the Sleeper Wakes", HG Wells paints a picture of a transformed London that is vastly different from the one the protagonist, Graham, knew in the 19th century. Graham, a Victorian man, falls into a deep sleep that lasts for 203 years, and during that time, the world changes drastically.
When Graham finally wakes up in the late 21st century to early 22nd century, he finds himself in an almost unrecognizable London. The novel hints at a futuristic cityscape, with "vague architectural forms" and "richly dressed" figures speaking in English. The London that Graham knew is long gone, replaced by a world where his wealth has been used to establish a new world order.
The White Council, a group of trustees, has used Graham's money to buy up industries and political entities, sweeping away the existing world order, including Parliament and the monarchy in Great Britain. As a result, a plutocracy has been established, with the White Council at the top. London, once a bustling city with diverse landscapes, has been transformed into one of four massive, windmill-powered metropolises that dominate the country.
The countryside in England no longer exists as all agricultural work has been automated and centralized in these cities. The people of London have also changed, with workers rising up against the oppressive rule of the White Council. Led by the revolutionary Ostrog, they march against the state police, demanding that the Sleeper, a mysterious figurehead, should rule.
As Graham navigates this transformed London, he struggles to adapt to the new world and decides to use his newfound power and influence to restore order and serve his people, despite constant opposing forces. HG Wells' London of the future is a dark and hierarchical place, a stark contrast to the city Graham knew before his long sleep.
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Frequently asked questions
*When the Sleeper Wakes* is a dystopian novel about a man who sleeps for 203 years, waking up in a transformed London where he has become the richest man in the world.
*When the Sleeper Wakes* was written by British author H.G. Wells.
*When the Sleeper Wakes* was first published in serial form in The Graphic between 1899 and 1903. In 1910, Wells expanded the story into a full-length novel, published by Harper & Brothers.
Wells wrote this novel during a time of rapid technological advancement, which influenced his dystopian vision of the future.
Some key themes in the novel include socialism, the betrayal of revolution, and the manipulation of the population by an elite class.
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