Skip to content

Emotion Quote by H.G. Wells

“For that moment I touched an emotion beyond the common range of men, yet one the poor brutes we dominate know only too well. I felt as a rabbit might feel returning to his burrow, and suddenly confronted by the work of a dozen busy navvies digging the foundations of a house. I felt the first…” quote by H.G. Wells
Download Open image
““For that moment I touched an emotion beyond the common range of men, yet one the poor brutes we dominate know only too well. I felt as a rabbit might feel returning to his burrow, and suddenly confronted by the work of a dozen busy navvies digging the foundations of a house. I felt the first inkling of a thing that presently grew quite clear in my mind, that oppressed me for many days, a sense of dethronement, a persuasion that I was no longer master, but an animal among animals; under the Martian heel.””

H.G. Wells

About This Quote

Source Novel: The Time Machine, 1895

The narrator feels a loss of dominance, likening himself to a subjugated animal under oppressive forces.

In simple terms: Feeling powerless under overwhelming power.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and resist oppressive dynamics.

Themes

power subjugation identity

Mood

melancholic introspective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • personal crisis
  • political oppression
  • psychological struggle

Key Concepts

existential dread social hierarchy

Questions to Reflect On

  • What structures make you feel powerless?
  • How can you reclaim agency?
A Different Perspective

Perspective may be personal, not universal.

4.0 out of 5 (10 ratings)

More by H.G. Wells

Explore all 246 H.G. Wells quotes

More Emotion quotes

Browse all 7,204 Emotion quotes