Evie Summers
H.G. Wells' 1899 dystopian novel, 'When the Sleeper Wakes' (also published as 'The Sleeper Awakes'), centres on Graham, a Victorian man who falls into a deep sleep for 203 years, only to wake up in a transformed London in the year 2100. Upon waking, Graham discovers that he has become the richest man in the world, with his wealth and influence extending across the globe. However, he also finds himself in the midst of a revolution, as rebels led by Ostrog seek to overthrow the ruling White Council. As Graham navigates this new world, he uncovers the dark realities of a society that has been drastically reshaped during his long slumber.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Genre | Dystopian science fiction |
| Author | H.G. Wells |
| Year of first publication | 1899 |
| Revised edition | 1910 |
| Publication type | Serial, book |
| Main character | Graham |
| Setting | Late 21st to early 22nd century London |
| Plot | A man sleeps for 203 years, waking up in a transformed London where he is the richest man in the world |
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What You'll Learn
The Sleeper's wealth
In the 1899 dystopian novel *When the Sleeper Wakes*, Graham, the protagonist, is a middle-aged Victorian man who falls into a mesmeric trance and wakes up 203 years later in a transformed London. During his sleep, the income in his bank accounts had compounded, and he discovers that he has inherited huge wealth. He is now the legal owner and master of most of the world, and the richest man in the world.
The people around Graham are alarmed and disoriented by his awakening. A mob gathers and demands to see the fabled Sleeper. Graham is placed under house arrest by the White Council, who want him dead and attempt to assassinate him. However, he is rescued by revolutionary workers led by Ostrog, a rebel leader. Ostrog uses Graham's awakening to mobilise the people and overthrow the controllers, setting himself up as the new despot. Graham reluctantly goes with the rebels, finding himself in the midst of a burgeoning revolution.
The White Council, a combination of political despots and capitalist exploiters, had invested Graham's wealth to buy up industries and political entities across the world, establishing a plutocracy and sweeping away the existing world order, including Parliament and the monarchy in Great Britain. This resulted in a mechanised city of polished steel and glass, with the proletarian masses herded along an elaborate public transport system to long, mindless hours of work. They have no privacy, their children are raised by state-run mechanical "mothers", and they are brainwashed by phonographic machines that blurt out hypnotic suggestions.
When Graham meets an old man during the revolution, he learns about the extent of the Sleeper's wealth and influence. The old man tells him that the Sleeper is just a figurehead, a made-up figure used to brainwash and control the population. Graham becomes a puppet ruler, with Ostrog retaining the real power. Graham's carefree life comes to an end when he realises that, for the lower class, the revolution has changed nothing. Ostrog admits that the lower classes are still dominated and exploited, but he defends the system.
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The White Council
In the novel When the Sleeper Wakes, the White Council is a group of powerful men who control London when the protagonist, Graham, wakes up from his 203-year-long sleep. The White Council is a combination of political despots and capitalist exploiters who have established a vast political and economic world order. They are the controllers of Graham's wealth and, by extension, the world.
When Graham wakes up, the White Council wants him dead and attempts to assassinate him. However, Graham is rescued by a group of revolutionary workers led by Ostrog, who is referred to as "the Boss." Ostrog uses Graham's awakening to mobilise the people and overthrow the controllers, setting himself up as the new despot.
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Revolution
In the novel *When the Sleeper Wakes*, revolution is a central theme, with the protagonist Graham finding himself at the heart of a revolutionary movement upon his awakening in the future. Graham, a Victorian man, falls asleep for 203 years and wakes up to a transformed London, discovering that he has become the richest man in the world due to his wealth compounding over the centuries. This sudden accumulation of wealth and power positions Graham as a pivotal figure in the class struggle between the oppressed workers and the ruling White Council, a group of powerful men who control the city and exploit the masses.
The revolution in the novel is driven by the stark inequality and oppressive conditions faced by the workers in this future London. The White Council, a combination of political despots and capitalist exploiters, has established a plutocracy, abolishing the existing world order, including Parliament and the monarchy. The workers, on the other hand, are herded like cattle, forced to work long, mindless hours with neither property nor privacy. Their children are raised by state-run mechanical "mothers," and their thoughts and actions are controlled through incessant subliminal brainwashing.
Led by the revolutionary "boss" Ostrog, the workers recognize the potential of Graham's wealth and influence to challenge the White Council's rule. They rescue Graham from an assassination attempt by the Council and use his awakening as a rallying cry to mobilize the people. Graham, unsure of whom to trust, reluctantly joins the revolutionaries. He soon finds himself at the center of their movement, with the workers demanding that he assume the role of leader, seeing him as a messianic figure who will bring about change.
However, despite Graham's symbolic importance to the revolution, the true power behind it is Ostrog, who manipulates Graham into becoming a puppet ruler. Ostrog uses the momentum of the uprising to overthrow the White Council and establish himself as the new despot. While Graham initially enjoys a carefree life, he eventually learns the truth about the ongoing exploitation of the lower classes and the false hopes that the revolution had raised. Ostrog's true motives are revealed, and Graham is forced to accept the reality that, despite the upheaval, the underlying power structures and inequalities remain intact.
The revolution in *When the Sleeper Wakes* serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting the dangers of a society driven by extreme wealth inequality and the potential for revolutionary movements to be co-opted or manipulated for personal gain. It also explores the complexities of power dynamics, the nature of leadership, and the challenges of bringing about meaningful change in a world where systems of exploitation are deeply entrenched.
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London's transformation
In H.G. Wells' 1899 dystopian novel, *When the Sleeper Wakes*, the protagonist, Graham, falls asleep in 1897 and wakes up 203 years later in a transformed London. The London that greets him is a stark contrast to the one he knew, having become a mechanised city of polished steel and glass. The city is controlled by a council of powerful men, a combination of political despots and capitalist exploiters, known as the White Council. The White Council has invested Graham's wealth to buy up industries and political entities across the world, establishing a plutocracy that has abolished the existing world order, including Parliament and the monarchy in Great Britain.
The people of London have become herded along an elaborate public transport system of moving sidewalks to long, mindless hours of work. They have neither property nor privacy, and their children are raised by state-run mechanical "mothers". Their revolutionary consciousness is numbed by incessant subliminal brainwashing effected by phonographic machines that blurt out hypnotic suggestions.
Upon waking, Graham is disoriented and alarmed to find himself in this future London. He learns that he has become the richest man in the world, with his income compounded over the years, and that he legally owns and controls most of the world. This has made him a figure of messianic hope for the masses, who see him as a symbol of resistance against the oppressive White Council. Rebels led by Ostrog, a revolutionary boss, help Graham escape from those who want him dead and encourage him to lead the revolution.
Graham reluctantly joins the rebels and soon finds himself at the centre of their cause. However, he is unsure who to trust and remains skeptical of their intentions. During a march, the state police attack the revolutionaries, and in the confusion, Graham escapes and meets an old man who tells him about the true nature of the Sleeper. Graham learns that the Sleeper is merely a figurehead, a fictional figure used by the White Council to brainwash and control the population.
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Graham's disorientation
As the story progresses, Graham's disorientation only increases as he learns that he has slept for 203 years and that he is now the richest man in the world, with legal ownership of most of the planet. He is also met with the shocking realisation that his dreams have been realised, but they have resulted in a horrible litany of unintended consequences.
Furthermore, Graham is thrust into a world of political intrigue and revolution. He is saved from an assassination attempt by the White Council, who want him dead, and is reluctantly swept up in the rebellion led by Ostrog. Graham's disorientation is likely heightened by the fact that he does not know who to trust and is unsure of his role in the uprising.
As the story unfolds, Graham's disorientation continues as he learns more about the world he now finds himself in. He discovers that the White Council has used his wealth to establish a new world order, abolishing the existing Parliament and monarchy in Great Britain. Graham also finds out that he is merely a figurehead, with Ostrog being the true leader.
Overall, Graham's disorientation is a key aspect of the story, as he tries to navigate a future world that is vastly different from the one he knew, both physically and socially. He must come to terms with his newfound wealth and power, as well as the realisation that his dreams of a better world have not come to fruition in the way he had hoped.
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Frequently asked questions
'When the Sleeper Wakes' is a dystopian science fiction novel by H.G. Wells, about a man who sleeps for 203 years and wakes up in a transformed London where he has become the richest and most powerful man in the world.
The novel explores the following themes:
- Socialism
- The betrayal of revolution
- How an elite can manipulate a population through oppression, impoverishment, technology, and the provision of pleasure
Wells himself was not a fan of the novel's rushed latter part and its construction. He claimed he could no longer identify with his younger self, and so the work felt too remote for him to do any significant reconstruction.
