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The Lord of the Dynamos

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While Holroyd is depicted as a thuggish, unthinking bully who "liked a nigger because he would stand kicking", the narration, although sympathetic to Azuma-zi, nevertheless describes him in terms that would be considered unacceptable in modern times. He is described as a "savage" and a "mere black",
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Holroyd's bullying and Azuma-zi's dynamo worship combine to convince Azuma-zi that his god disapproves of Holroyd and eventually that it desires Holroyd as a human sacrifice. Azuma-zi surprises Holroyd, trips him and throws him against the exposed live terminals on the end of the dynamo, where he is
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Holroyd is replaced by a character named only as "the scientific manager"; in contrast to Holroyd's bullying, he takes very little notice of Azuma-zi at all. Nevertheless, impressed by the swift death inflicted on Holroyd by the dynamo, Azuma-zi decides to make the scientific manager a sacrifice as
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well. The scientific manager fights back, and manages to keep himself clear of the live parts until a third person happens to arrive on the scene, at which Azuma-zi panics, abandons the struggle and seizes the live terminals in his own hands.
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in 1895, and subsequently in his Complete Short Stories. It deals with what Wells describes as "certain odd possibilities of the negro mind brought into abrupt contact with the crown of our civilisation" and the narration displays
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it with oil – by which he unintentionally damages an area of the insulating varnish on the coils, and on discovering this Holroyd orders him to stay away from the machine with threats of violence.
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while on duty and beats Azuma-zi with a rod of copper wire. He is irreligious; he lectures Azuma-zi against religion, and suggests to him that the largest and most impressive of the three
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Azuma-zi is powerfully impressed by the humming, whirling machinery and comes to believe that the big dynamo is indeed a god. He starts to worship it; he
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Azuma-zi, a character of ill-defined but dark-skinned race, apparently of South-East Asian origin, arrives in London from the
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attitudes common among British society of the time, in addition to the overt thuggish racism of the character Holroyd.
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to it when he arrives at work, prays to it to save him from Holroyd, cleans and polishes it with devotional care, and
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which supplies power to an underground electric railway (given the date of publication, this can only be the
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and it is implied that his worship of the dynamo is not merely the result of
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The power station is in the charge of one James Holroyd, an electrician from
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Travels of a Republican Radical in Search of Hot Water
1265: 1238: 1017: 964: 729: 310: 75: 65: 57: 23: 1410:Works originally published in The Strand Magazine 214:, but also owes something to the "negro mind". 843:Mr. Belloc Objects to "The Outline of History" 1369: 399:The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth 279: 8: 1376: 1362: 973:The Country of the Blind and Other Stories 286: 272: 264: 40: 1344:(or stories) published in the 1890s is a 941:The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind 255:The complete short fiction of H. G. Wells 1166:The Queer Story of Brownlow's Newspaper 994:The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents 223: 103:The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents 46:Opening illustration for the story in 20: 94:. It was originally published in the 7: 1327: 1325: 987:Select Conversations with an Uncle 615:Mr. Blettsworthy on Rampole Island 237:H. G. Wells: The Critical Heritage 127:on board a steamer where he was a 14: 1415:Science fiction short story stubs 906:The Story of a Great Schoolmaster 234:(1997). Patrick Parrinder (ed.). 1329: 766:An Englishman Looks at the World 1255:The Man Who Could Work Miracles 1138:The Man Who Could Work Miracles 567:The Secret Places of the Heart 1: 980:The Plattner Story and Others 836:Mind at the End of Its Tether 599:The World of William Clissold 141:City and South London Railway 1400:Short stories by H. G. Wells 1348:. You can help Knowledge by 1293:Simon Wells (great-grandson) 899:A Short History of the World 535:Mr. Britling Sees It Through 495:The Wife of Sir Isaac Harman 1201:A Story of the Days to Come 773:Experiment in Autobiography 759:The Discovery of the Future 639:The Shape of Things to Come 623:The Autocracy of Mr. Parham 335:The Island of Doctor Moreau 174:" than the one preached by 170:in the plant is more of a " 1436: 1324: 1008:Twelve Stories and a Dream 934:The Way the World Is Going 703:Babes in the Darkling Wood 591:Christina Alberta's Father 16:Short story by H. G. Wells 1215:Triumphs of a Taxidermist 383:The First Men in the Moon 301: 240:. Routledge. p. 313. 39: 28: 24:"The Lord of the Dynamos" 1222:The Truth About Pyecraft 1208:A Story of the Stone Age 1124:Mr. Ledbetter's Vacation 1061:The Country of the Blind 1033:The Argonauts of the Air 745:Certain Personal Matters 719:You Can't Be Too Careful 527:The Research Magnificent 423:In the Days of the Comet 1420:1890s short story stubs 1131:The Lord of the Dynamos 1001:Tales of Space and Time 455:The History of Mr Polly 84:The Lord of the Dynamos 1103:The Empire of the Ants 878:The Outline of History 808:God the Invisible King 671:The Camford Visitation 631:The Bulpington of Blup 487:The Passionate Friends 367:When the Sleeper Wakes 1405:British short stories 1337:This article about a 1288:Joseph Wells (father) 1096:A Dream of Armageddon 1047:The Chronic Argonauts 955:A Year of Prophesying 885:Russia in the Shadows 829:Mankind in the Making 801:The Future in America 787:First and Last Things 711:All Aboard for Ararat 359:The War of the Worlds 1229:A Vision of Judgment 1089:The Door in the Wall 913:This Misery of Boots 543:The Soul of a Bishop 375:Love and Mr Lewisham 343:The Wheels of Chance 1298:H. G. Wells Society 1145:The New Accelerator 1075:A Deal in Ostriches 892:The Science of Life 871:The Open Conspiracy 857:The New World Order 471:The New Machiavelli 327:The Wonderful Visit 125:Straits Settlements 1395:1894 short stories 1283:Anthony West (son) 1159:The Plattner Story 1117:The Land Ironclads 1040:The Beautiful Suit 927:War and the Future 864:New Worlds for Old 815:In the Fourth Year 679:Apropos of Dolores 647:The Croquet Player 503:The World Set Free 463:The Sleeper Awakes 431:The War in the Air 1357: 1356: 1319: 1318: 1152:The Pearl of Love 1082:The Diamond Maker 351:The Invisible Man 108:Methuen & Co. 80: 79: 1427: 1378: 1371: 1364: 1333: 1326: 559:The Undying Fire 319:The Time Machine 288: 281: 274: 265: 242: 241: 228: 97:Pall Mall Budget 44: 21: 1435: 1434: 1430: 1429: 1428: 1426: 1425: 1424: 1385: 1384: 1383: 1382: 1339:science fiction 1322: 1320: 1315: 1309:Time After Time 1273:Political views 1261: 1234: 1194:The Stolen Body 1180:The Sea Raiders 1068:The Crystal Egg 1026:Æpyornis Island 1013: 960: 850:The New America 780:The Fate of Man 725: 695:The Holy Terror 415:A Modern Utopia 306: 297: 292: 259:Standard Ebooks 251: 246: 245: 232:Lawrence, T. 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P. Wells 1239:Screenplays 965:Collections 948:World Brain 822:Little Wars 794:Floor Games 752:Crux Ansata 439:Tono-Bungay 295:H. G. Wells 92:H. G. Wells 88:short story 76:Publication 34:H. G. Wells 30:Short story 1389:Categories 730:Nonfiction 218:References 154:. He is a 137:Camberwell 607:Meanwhile 583:The Dream 152:Yorkshire 145:Stockwell 1187:The Star 1054:The Cone 655:Brynhild 479:Marriage 66:Genre(s) 1266:Related 187:anoints 183:salaams 168:dynamos 58:Country 1258:(1937) 1250:(1936) 722:(1941) 714:(1940) 706:(1940) 698:(1939) 690:(1938) 682:(1938) 674:(1937) 666:(1937) 658:(1937) 650:(1936) 642:(1933) 634:(1932) 626:(1930) 618:(1928) 610:(1927) 602:(1926) 594:(1925) 586:(1924) 578:(1923) 570:(1922) 562:(1919) 554:(1918) 546:(1917) 538:(1916) 530:(1915) 522:(1915) 514:(1915) 511:Bealby 506:(1914) 498:(1914) 490:(1913) 482:(1912) 474:(1911) 466:(1910) 458:(1910) 450:(1909) 442:(1909) 434:(1908) 426:(1906) 418:(1905) 410:(1905) 402:(1904) 394:(1902) 386:(1901) 378:(1900) 370:(1899) 362:(1898) 354:(1897) 346:(1896) 338:(1896) 330:(1895) 322:(1895) 311:Novels 205:Racism 164:whisky 160:racist 158:and a 129:stoker 113:racist 407:Kipps 156:bully 1346:stub 519:Boon 172:Gord 257:at 147:). 135:at 90:by 32:by 1391:: 178:. 1377:e 1370:t 1363:v 1352:. 1231:" 1227:" 1224:" 1220:" 1217:" 1213:" 1210:" 1206:" 1203:" 1199:" 1196:" 1192:" 1189:" 1185:" 1182:" 1178:" 1175:" 1171:" 1168:" 1164:" 1161:" 1157:" 1154:" 1150:" 1147:" 1143:" 1140:" 1136:" 1133:" 1129:" 1126:" 1122:" 1119:" 1115:" 1112:" 1108:" 1105:" 1101:" 1098:" 1094:" 1091:" 1087:" 1084:" 1080:" 1077:" 1073:" 1070:" 1066:" 1063:" 1059:" 1056:" 1052:" 1049:" 1045:" 1042:" 1038:" 1035:" 1031:" 1028:" 1024:" 287:e 280:t 273:v 82:"

Index

Short story
H. G. Wells

Amazing Stories
Science fiction
short story
H. G. Wells
Pall Mall Budget
The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents
Methuen & Co.
racist
Straits Settlements
stoker
power station
Camberwell
City and South London Railway
Stockwell
Yorkshire
bully
racist
whisky
dynamos
Gord
missionaries
salaams
anoints
electrocuted
culture shock
Lawrence, T. E.
H. G. Wells: The Critical Heritage

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