The story also contains many stereotypical and Edwardian views. Firstly the main character is a middle class white man, who to us seems to sound rather orotund. This well-to-do man of society has many set views, with which HG Wells probably agrees. Firstly he seems rather prejudiced. As is seen from the description of the anarchist given in the first paragraph and his reaction to him, “He was musing on the ethnology of his visitor. Certainly the man was not a Teutonic type nor a common Latin one. ‘A morbid product, anyhow, I am afraid,’ said the Bacteriologist to himself. 'How he gloated on those cultivations of disease-germs!’ A disturbing thought struck him. He turned to the bench by the vapour-bath, and then very quickly to his writing-table. Then he felt hastily in his pockets, and then rushed to the door. ‘I may have put it down on the hall table,’ he said.” This shows his view on foreigners which is rather racist, as well as HG Wells’ view which is that the white English are superior and could never be an anarchist. Even Europeans are not as good as he. But worse of all is the unknown race of this man. The pity he takes on him seems to make it even worse. HG Wells also reveals his belief in the psychology of a criminal. “All those people who had sneered at him, neglected him, preferred other people to him, found his company undesirable, should consider him at last. Death, death, death! They had always treated him as a man of no importance. All the world had been in a conspiracy to keep him under. He would teach them yet what it is to isolate a man.” This idea that criminals were all poor or had a bad upbringing seems ludicrous. But at the time, as can be seen by the class system, these beliefs that only poor children would have the psychological trauma to turn to anarchy, was widely believed.
The story also contains out dated and sexist views. His wife Minnie is portrayed as a naïve woman who has concern for unimportant matters her place is at home and making sure her husband is attired suitably to fit their class. “But running about London- in the height of the season, too- in his socks!” Its seems absurd that she seems so concerned about this and not about the fact that the anarchist has stolen the Bacillus and is about to poison the water supply. Other evidence of the views and roles of women are evident at the end of the story. “Put on my coat on this hot day! Why? Because we might meet Mrs. Jabber. My dear, Mrs. Jabber is not a draught. But why should I wear a coat on a hot day because of Mrs.--? Oh! very well.” The sarcasm here seems quite rude and it seems astonishing that this could be the relationship of two people who are married. It seems more like a mother scolding a child. On examination, we realize that Minnie is not really interested in her husband being underdressed for the weather. Clearly it is warm and sunny. Her concerns are that her husband gets seen not wearing the attire that signals his social class (such as the "high hat").
The writer's views on class shows further prejudice. “It's old George,’ said Old Tootles, ‘and he's drivin' a loonatic, as you say. Ain't he a-clawin' out of the keb? Wonder if he's after 'Arry 'Icks?” It is evident that he believes that only one type of people are suitable to be a cab driver, an uneducated man with poor English. He has also tried to emulate their speech and attempted ‘common cockney and slang’, however it seems rather unsuccessful. As far as HG Wells is concerned no cab driver has proper pronunciation, and they all do not intonate the ‘h’. As well as the fact that since they are such simple products they all call each other by ridiculous derogatory names and find a great deal of enjoyment at this far fetched scene. “That’s Arry ‘Icks…here’s another bloomin’ loonatic, blowed if there ain’t”. A modern author would have different type of people playing the cab drivers. He also would probably research into the speech, visit an elocutionist or people who spoke in a similar manner to that which he was aiming for.
The Genre of the story is questionable as is the ending. Contemporary fiction would be much clearer and also be marketed as a certain genre. Instead the story starts out as being serious but it changes and has many comic interludes and the ending is somewhat uncertain. The audience is left somewhat confused by it. Why chase after the anarchist if he realised that it was ‘blue ruin’? Why did the anarchist bump onto people. The story shows many Edwardian features which seem bizarre and quaint to modern fiction readers. However the story as a whole was successful and were it emulated by a modern day author would probably be as popular as during its period, especially since we are hearing so much about germ warfare in the present crisis over Iraq.
