OConnell, Brendan Professor Holloway, ENG 475 24 October 2010 Thoughts on religion in Lord of the Dynamos Lord of the

Dynamos is a story about religion and how it affects people. Looking at the story more closely its easy to see that H.G Wells used his own thoughts about religion to set up a situation that would make the reader think about what religion can do to people and the power that it can have over mankind. Because Wells was mostly without religion, it appears in his work as an element of satire that is attempting to teach his readers. He gives the religion that Azuma-zi creates a power that enthralls the character and makes him do things that he probably wouldnt without his devotion. Similar to most religions, people use religion and belief as an excuse to do terrible things. Wells used this short story to show the danger of religion and idolatry, and spotlight the grotesqueness that man is capable of. This story highlights why Wells never had a religion and said all these religionshave a purpose, they have workedthey do not work for me(First 77). In addition to showing that religion can have a darkside, he also does show the happiness and power that Azuma-zi has. To give a character that is supposed to be the mere black of the story so much power, Wells does something unexpected of the time and also forces the reader to think about how racism and religion divide people and only lead to violence. He shows the effects of segregation in stories like The Time Machine and The Sleeper Awakes. Wells is a creative writer that wants his audience to think. He wrote interesting stories that captured imaginations and kept people reading, but the subtle and not-so-subtle messages that are written make every reader think about the actions, beliefs and ideas that they have every day. Religion is a serious topic that everyone in the world can relate to in some way. Whether it be lack of religion or a full embrace of a specific religion, there is not one universal thought on whether religion is good or bad. Wells never really shows that all religion is bad, but instead this

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story shows a version of what could possibly be. Showing a new religion that is created because of a fascination with technology is something that can be seen today with brand loyalty, specifically in the Mac versus PC world. Wells ideas about a God dont seem to be reflective of one pre-existing religion, because he is not saying that all religion can cause death and sadness, he shows that idolatry and accepting an inanimate object as something that has control is not the way that people should live. Early in the story its shown that Azuma-zi is not a smart character by noting that a sound that signaled defect in the dynamo, he accounted it unto the monster for mightiness and pride(Country 71). By making Azuma-zi a dumb person that doesnt understand most things, Wells is insinuating that people with religion are also ignorant of the real world and dont know how to live a good life on their own. The need of a God, or gods, is shown as something that should be talked about, as evidenced by him saying that the people in London hid their gods(Country 72). For Azuma-zi the Dynamo is not only his god, but also a companion that makes him have some self-worth. For Wells, this is his way of showing that religion can work at certain points. By having this slight glimpse of a religion that makes a person feel good, the audience has to rethink what Wells might be really saying about religion. Wells is attempting to show how people with religion might think and feel about their own religion. Showing this part makes the reader think that the Dynamo is helping Azuma-zi, a character that we want to like as people take advantage of him and is being mistreated. As his character changes though, the readers become wary of Azuma-zi and he appears to be going crazy, not accepting a new religion. If this is what Wells is trying to show, it makes readers think about how they view religious people. This is only one section of the story though and it is a small part where most of the story is shown with devotion to the Dynamo and then the idea of making Holyroyd a sacrifice (Country 74). This is not the way that most religions
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think, and in almost every major religion, killing is a bad thing, though there are exceptions. He ends the story with saying it could at least boast a Martyrdom and a Human Sacrifice(Country 77). A religion that is only associated with death is not something that should be boasted though. In this way its a sort of joke that Wells ends with using sarcasm, which is quite difficult to do in writing. Wells as a reader seems to not want the story to end with death and sadness, but he must show it this way as the author to get his point across that religion and worship of an idol can do bad things and hurt people. Apart from religion, this is also a story about being judgmental and making snap decisions. Most readers likely feel that Azuma-zi is the one without power in this story, though upon closer inspection he is the one that really does the killing and although the things that Holyroyd and the others did to him are hurtful and cruel, he has the idea in his mind that he will be avenged. This way of thinking is common to the most popular traditions now and is perhaps a way that religion can be a good thing. The creation of an idol gives the impression that humans need something to believe in, or they go crazy. Wells counters this by showing that the creation of Azuma-zis religion is exactly what made him go crazy and eventually kill someone, and attempt to kill another. Azuma-zi does it all wrong though and instead of waiting like his Lord does, he takes action and assumes that his Lord wanted him to do it. Using religion as an excuse is wrong is what Wells seems to be saying with this. Wells doesnt want to come straight out and say that religion is bad, but he wants to show the ways that it could be used to do harmful things. Showing both sides of the argument about religion he forces his readers to constantly rethink what he is saying about his own opinions. His words are used to make people think and realize that perhaps they are doing something wrong. Perhaps Wells was a writer of Utopian worlds because he wished to get away from the atrocities of mankind, so many of which have been caused by religion. Wells was the type of person that advocated for intelligence and thinking. He
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wanted all people to be logical, scientific, and hopeful for the future. Though he recognizes that not all people think exactly as he does, he still wants people to think for themselves. H.G. Wells is most commonly thought of as a Science-Fiction author, though he is much more than that, and in this particular story shows that he wants his audience to think about the things that he has written. His writing is deeper than they can be read. Because they are so entertaining, its possible to miss the point. In this story, his message is still unclear as he shows both sides of an issue. The nature of humans with a religion is that they need to have something to believe in. Although his own idea of God did not draw upon traditional religions of the world (God 17), Lord of the Dynamos shows a belief of his own that wants all people to reject religion and think freely. Showing the harm that religion is capable of is not entirely something new to literature, but the fact that so many people read Wells makes this an important statement from an important author. His rejection of religion is used to make the audience constantly think and be engaged in the story. There are obvious counter arguments that could show how religion helps people cope and feel like they have a purpose, but Wells is interested in the harm that every religion is capable of. As a writer Wells seems to show a feeling of responsibility to the world and make people realize that change and evolution of mankind is needed in order to thrive as a species and continue living comfortably. The world has changed, there is still religion and fighting every day, most of the wars that have happened or are happening have had religion involved in some way. People kill for religion, but people also give money, abilities, and aid to others because of religion. Its impossible to say whether religion is purely good or bad, and Wells was knowledgeable about this fact. Religion will either be the uniting factor that brings all of humanity, or it will be the defining factor that leads to the end of civilization as we know it, lets hope its the former. Wells would not be pleased with the world that we have created and continue to live in.
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Resources: Wells, H. G. Lord of the Dynamos. The Country of the Blind and Other Stories T. Nelson & Sons 1894 Wells, H. G. First & last things; a confession of faith and rules of life. Putnam 1908 Wells, H. G. "Preface". God the Invisible King. London: Cassell 1917

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