Evie Summers
When the Sleeper Wakes, also known as The Sleeper Awakes, is an 1899 dystopian science fiction novel by H.G. Wells. The novel is centered around Graham, a Victorian man who falls into a coma in 1897 and wakes up 203 years later in a transformed London. Graham discovers that while he was asleep, his wealth had been put into a trust and his money was invested in a new world order, making him the richest and most powerful man in the world. The novel explores themes of political and social dominance, as well as the loss of democracy and the rise of a plutocracy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Author | H.G. Wells |
| Year of Publication | 1899 |
| Genre | Dystopian Science Fiction |
| Main Character | Graham |
| Main Plot | A man sleeps for 203 years and wakes up to a transformed London |
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What You'll Learn
Graham's coma and awakening
In the 1899 dystopian science fiction novel "When the Sleeper Wakes" by H.G. Wells, Graham is a Victorian man living in London in the 1890s. He is struck by a strange ailment and falls into a sudden coma, only to wake up in the year 2100—203 years later.
Upon waking, Graham finds himself encased in glass, in some sort of museum. He notices that his awakening alarms those around him, and it becomes clear that they never expected him to regain consciousness. London is not at all how he remembers it—it has transformed into a gleaming steel and glass metropolis, with virtually everything automated and mechanized.
During his coma, a trust, set up by the executors of his estate, had grown exponentially. His assets were repeatedly invested, and he is now the richest and most powerful man on Earth. The world is run by a council that acts "on behalf of the Sleeper" and rules in his name. They have established their own vision of political and social dominance, sweeping away parliament and the monarchy.
However, the council wants Graham dead. He finds himself stuck in the middle of an uprising as a politician named Ostrog breaks him free from the council's prison and promises to restore his power. Ostrog retains power while Graham becomes his puppet ruler.
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The White Council's rule
In the book *When the Sleeper Wakes*, also known as *The Sleeper Awakes*, the White Council is a group of trustees who manage the wealth and assets of the Sleeper, the protagonist Graham, while he sleeps for 203 years. During this time, the Council invests his money to gain control of industries and political entities worldwide, establishing a plutocracy and sweeping away parliament and the monarchy.
Upon waking up in the year 2100, Graham discovers that he is now the default owner of almost everything and the most powerful man in the world. However, the White Council has no intention of giving up control and wants Graham dead.
The White Council rules in the Sleeper's name, using him as a figurehead to brainwash and control the population. The people are unaware that the Sleeper has awakened and demand that he should rule, not knowing that he is being kept as a puppet ruler by Ostrog, who has seized power from the Council.
Overall, the White Council's rule in *When the Sleeper Wakes* represents a dystopian vision of a world where wealth and power have concentrated into the hands of a few, resulting in social and political dominance, and the loss of democracy and freedom for the majority.
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The Sleeper's wealth and power
In the 1899 dystopian science fiction novel When the Sleeper Wakes, Graham, a Victorian man from London, falls into a coma in the 1890s and wakes up 203 years later in the year 2100. During his sleep, his wealth has grown exponentially, and he is now the richest man in the world, with ownership of almost everything.
Before his coma, Graham was a radical pamphleteer who suffered from insomnia. He took drugs that caused insomnia and fell into a coma. During his sleep, his trustees, known as the White Council, invested his money wisely and bought up industries and political entities worldwide. They established a plutocracy and swept away parliament and the monarchy, ruling the world in his name. As a result, Graham woke up to find himself not only incredibly wealthy but also the most powerful man on the planet, with legal ownership of the majority of the Earth.
The White Council maintained antiseptic conditions around Graham while he slept, believing him to be dead. When he woke up, they were alarmed and wanted him dead. Graham, now known as the Sleeper, was a legendary figure, and the people of London demanded to see him. He met an old man who told him about the evildoings of the White Council and how they had invested the Sleeper's money to gain control.
Graham, confused and overwhelmed, found himself in the middle of an uprising. He met Ostrog, a politician who promised to restore Graham's power and overthrow the White Council's reign. Ostrog retained power while making Graham his puppet ruler. Graham was now in a position of immense wealth and power but was expected to fix the world he knew nothing about.
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London's transformation
In the novel When the Sleeper Wakes, Graham, a Victorian Englishman living in London, falls into a coma in the year 1897. He wakes up 203 years later in a transformed city. London is now a gleaming steel and glass metropolis, with virtually everything automated and mechanized. The city is ruled by a plutocracy, with Graham's wealth having been used to buy up industries and political entities, sweeping away parliament and the monarchy. The people of London are now either brainless and hedonistic or brutalized slaves, overseen by a militarized police force.
The novel's protagonist, Graham, is now the richest and most powerful man in the world, with his wealth and power used to establish a new world order. However, he knows nothing about this new world and is ill-equipped to navigate it. The council, which had been ruling in his name, wants him dead. Graham becomes entangled in an uprising, with rebels demanding that he, as the Sleeper, should rule.
The transformation of London is not just physical, with technological advancements and a new political system, but also social. The city's inhabitants have become polarized, with the rich living in hedonistic indulgence while the poor are enslaved and brutalized. This is a stark contrast to the London of Graham's time, a city of stark inequalities but also of vibrant democracy and cultural life.
The London that Graham wakes up to is also a place of confusion and danger. He is now a legendary figure, with people flocking to catch a glimpse of him. However, his awakening also threatens the established order, as the council that had been ruling in his name fears their loss of power. Graham becomes a puppet ruler, with the rebel leader Ostrog using him to maintain his grip on power.
The transformation of London is thus complete, from a bustling Victorian city to a gleaming, mechanized metropolis, ruled by a plutocracy and marked by stark social inequalities. The city has become a place of both advanced technology and brutal oppression, with the once-democratic London now a distant memory.
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Ostrog's rise and fall
Ostrog is a politician who frees Graham from the White Council's prison. The White Council, or simply "the Council", is a group of trustees that rules the world "on behalf of the Sleeper". While Graham was asleep, the trustees invested his money to buy up industries and political entities, establishing a plutocracy and sweeping away parliament and the monarchy. Ostrog promises to restore Graham's power and bring an end to the Council's reign. Ostrog retains power while Graham becomes his puppet ruler. Ostrog's rise is marked by his liberation of Graham and his subsequent use of Graham as a figurehead. Ostrog's fall is implied in the revised ending of "When the Sleeper Wakes", where it is made clear that Ostrog will be overthrown.
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Frequently asked questions
H.G. Wells.
Graham.
Graham is a radical pamphleteer.
Graham, an Englishman living in London in the 1890s, takes drugs that cause insomnia and falls into a coma. He wakes up in the year 2100 and discovers that he has become the richest and most powerful man in the world.
'When the Sleeper Wakes' is a dystopian science fiction novel.
