Article #551-2 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from The Land That Time Forgot, by Edgar Rice Burroughs

The inadequate boat finally arrived at a precarious landing, the natives,
waist-deep in the surf, assisting. I was carried ashore, and while the evening
meal was being prepared, I wandered to and fro along the rocky, shattered
shore. Bits of surf-harried beach clove the worn granite, or whatever the rocks
of Cape Farewell may be composed of, and as I followed the ebbing tide down one
of these soft stretches, I saw the thing. Were one to bump into a Bengal tiger
in the ravine behind the Bimini Baths, one could be no more surprised than was
I to see a perfectly good quart thermos bottle turning and twisting in the surf
of Cape Farewell at the southern extremity of Greenland. I rescued it, but I
was soaked above the knees doing it; and then I sat down in the sand and opened
it, and in the long twilight read the manuscript, neatly written and tightly
folded, which was its contents.

You have read the opening paragraph, and if you are an imaginative idiot like
myself, you will want to read the rest of it; so I shall give it to you here,
omitting quotation marks—which are difficult of remembrance. In two minutes you
will forget me.

My home is in Santa Monica. I am, or was, junior member of my father’s firm. We
are ship-builders. Of recent years we have specialized on submarines, which we
have built for Germany, England, France and the United States. I know a sub as
a mother knows her baby’s face, and have commanded a score of them on their
trial runs. Yet my inclinations were all toward aviation. I graduated under
Curtiss, and after a long siege with my father obtained his permission to try
for the Lafayette Escadrille. As a stepping-stone I obtained an appointment in
the American ambulance service and was on my way to France when three shrill
whistles altered, in as many seconds, my entire scheme of life.

Explanation

**Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The Land That Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs**

1. Context of the Source

Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950) was an American writer best known for creating Tarzan and John Carter of Mars. The Land That Time Forgot (1918) is part of his Caspak trilogy, a lost-world adventure novel blending science fiction, exploration, and prehistoric survival. The story follows Bowen J. Tyler Jr., an American submarine commander who, after his ship is sunk during World War I, finds himself stranded in a mysterious, prehistoric land.

The excerpt serves as the framing device—a narrative technique where an outer story introduces an inner one. Here, an unnamed narrator discovers a thermos bottle containing a manuscript on a desolate Greenland shore, setting up the first-person account of Tyler’s adventures.

2. Themes in the Excerpt

Discovery & the Unknown – The narrator stumbles upon an inexplicable object (a thermos bottle) in an unlikely place (Greenland), foreshadowing the strange world Tyler will encounter. The bottle acts as a portal to another reality.
Adventure & Fate – The abrupt shift from Tyler’s planned journey (ambulance service → Lafayette Escadrille) to an unexpected crisis ("three shrill whistles") underscores how quickly life can change, a common theme in adventure literature.
Modernity vs. Primitivism – The thermos (a modern object) contrasts with the "shattered" ancient shore, hinting at the clash between civilization and the primordial world Tyler will explore.
War & Disruption – The mention of WWI (submarines, the Lafayette Escadrille) grounds the story in historical turmoil, suggesting that Tyler’s adventure is both an escape from and a consequence of war.

3. Literary Devices & Stylistic Choices

In Medias Res (Starting in the Middle) – The story begins after Tyler’s adventure, with the narrator finding his manuscript. This creates immediate intrigue: How did this bottle get here?
Juxtaposition – The absurdity of a thermos bottle (a mundane, modern object) appearing in a remote, rugged landscape (Greenland’s "shattered shore") heightens mystery. Burroughs uses this contrast to hook the reader.
Direct Address & Metafiction – The narrator breaks the fourth wall:
"If you are an imaginative idiot like myself, you will want to read the rest of it..." This playful, self-aware tone invites the reader into the story while acknowledging its fantastical nature.
Foreshadowing – The "three shrill whistles" hint at the submarine attack that will strand Tyler, setting the plot in motion.
Sensory & Kinetic Imagery –
- "Bits of surf-harried beach clove the worn granite" → Evokes the harsh, jagged coastline.
- "turning and twisting in the surf" → The bottle’s movement mirrors the unpredictability of Tyler’s fate.
Irony – A shipbuilder’s son (expert in submarines) is ironically imperiled by the very machines he knows intimately.

4. Significance of the Excerpt

Framing the Adventure – The thermos bottle is a physical link between the "real" world (the narrator on the shore) and the fantastical (Tyler’s manuscript). This device was common in early 20th-century adventure fiction (e.g., The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym).
Establishing Credibility – By presenting Tyler’s story as a "found manuscript," Burroughs lends it an air of authenticity, a trick used in Gothic and speculative fiction.
World-Building – The mention of submarines, WWI, and aviation grounds the story in a recognizable historical moment before plunging into the unknown.
Character Introduction – Tyler is introduced as:
- Skilled but restless (shipbuilder turned aviator).
- Patriotic (eager to join the Lafayette Escadrille).
- Vulnerable to fate (his plans are upended in seconds). This sets up his resilience in the coming survival narrative.

5. Line-by-Line Analysis of Key Passages

"Were one to bump into a Bengal tiger in the ravine behind the Bimini Baths, one could be no more surprised than was I to see a perfectly good quart thermos bottle..."

Comparison to the Impossible – A tiger in a California bathhouse is as absurd as a thermos in Greenland, emphasizing the surreal nature of the discovery.
Humor & Tone – The exaggerated simile lightens the mood while underscoring the narrator’s shock.

"I sat down in the sand and opened it, and in the long twilight read the manuscript..."

Twilight as a Liminal Space – The fading light mirrors the threshold between the ordinary world and the extraordinary story within the bottle.
Ritualistic Reading – The act of sitting and unfolding the manuscript feels ceremonial, as if unlocking a secret.

"My home is in Santa Monica. I am, or was, junior member of my father’s firm..."

Past vs. Present Tense – The shift from "am" to "was" hints at Tyler’s transformation; his old life is already gone.
Contrast of Stability & Chaos – His structured life (shipbuilding, family business) is disrupted by war and adventure.

"Three shrill whistles altered, in as many seconds, my entire scheme of life."

Sudden Change – The whistles (likely a submarine alarm or torpedo warning) symbolize how war—and later, the lost world—will reshape Tyler’s destiny.
Economy of Language – Burroughs conveys a life-altering moment in just 12 words, demonstrating pulp fiction’s fast-paced style.

6. Connection to Broader Work

This opening exemplifies Burroughs’ lost-world trope, where:

A modern protagonist (Tyler) is thrust into a prehistoric or isolated environment.
The framing device (the manuscript) creates layers of storytelling.
Technology vs. Nature is a recurring conflict (submarines vs. dinosaurs, thermos vs. wilderness).

Later in The Land That Time Forgot, Tyler explores Caspak, a land where evolution runs backward, filled with dinosaurs, ape-men, and other primal dangers. The thermos bottle, then, is not just a plot device but a symbol of civilization’s fragility—a tiny, breakable container holding a story of survival against overwhelming odds.

Conclusion: Why This Excerpt Matters

Burroughs’ opening is a masterclass in hooking the reader through:

Mystery (How did the bottle get there?).
Contrast (modern vs. ancient, mundane vs. extraordinary).
Urgency (Tyler’s life changes in an instant).
Meta-Engagement (directly addressing the reader).

The excerpt sets the stage for a classic adventure narrative: a man out of place, a world out of time, and a story that blurs the line between reality and myth. Its significance lies in how it bridges the familiar and the fantastic, inviting readers to suspend disbelief and dive into the unknown—just as Tyler does.

Would you like a deeper dive into any specific aspect, such as the historical context of WWI submarines or comparisons to other lost-world stories?

Questions

Question 1

The narrator’s description of the thermos bottle as appearing in the surf of Cape Farewell serves primarily to:

A. establish the narrator’s credibility by grounding the fantastical discovery in a specific, verifiable location.
B. critique the absurdity of modern consumer objects intruding upon untouched natural landscapes.
C. foreshadow the technological sophistication of the civilization Tyler will later encounter in Caspak.
D. underscore the narrator’s isolation by contrasting the bottle’s domestic utility with the harshness of the environment.
E. disrupt the reader’s expectations of setting and genre, signaling a narrative that will defy conventional boundaries.

Question 2

The phrase "if you are an imaginative idiot like myself" functions most effectively as:

A. a self-deprecating aside to mitigate the implausibility of the thermos bottle’s appearance.
B. an appeal to the reader’s skepticism, framing the narrative as a test of credulity.
C. a meta-literary device that simultaneously invites participation and acknowledges the story’s artificiality.
D. a subtle indictment of readers who prefer escapist fiction over realistic portrayals of war.
E. an attempt to preemptively dismiss critics by classifying the story as intentionally far-fetched.

Question 3

Tyler’s statement "I know a sub as a mother knows her baby’s face" is structurally analogous to which of the following literary techniques?

A. Metonymy, where the submarine represents the broader industrial-military complex.
B. Simile, where the comparison emphasizes intimacy and instinctual knowledge rather than literal resemblance.
C. Synecdoche, where the submarine’s parts stand in for the whole of Tyler’s expertise.
D. Allegory, where the maternal bond symbolizes Tyler’s patriotic duty to his country’s war effort.
E. Irony, given that his expertise will ultimately fail to save him from the submarine’s destruction.

Question 4

The "three shrill whistles" serve as a narrative pivot primarily because they:

A. introduce an auditory motif that will recur in the prehistoric soundscape of Caspak.
B. symbolize the mechanized violence of war, which Tyler will later escape into a more "natural" brutality.
C. compress a life-altering transition into a single, abrupt sensory detail, mirroring the story’s broader theme of sudden disruption.
D. foreshadow the communication methods of the primitive societies Tyler will encounter.
E. highlight Tyler’s auditory acuity, a skill that will prove essential in his survival on the island.

Question 5

The excerpt’s framing device (the discovered manuscript) is most thematically resonant with which of the following ideas?

A. The fragility of human records in the face of nature’s indifference.
B. The inevitability of war as a catalyst for personal transformation.
C. The tension between scientific progress and humanity’s primal instincts.
D. The reliability of first-person narration in verifying extraordinary claims.
E. The arbitrary boundaries between reality and fiction, as mediated by the act of storytelling itself.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: E

Why E is most correct: The thermos bottle’s appearance in Greenland is a deliberate violation of reader expectations—both geographically (why is a modern object here?) and generically (this resembles a realist opening but swiftly pivots to adventure/fantasy). The passage’s power lies in its disruptive juxtaposition, using the bottle as a signal that the narrative will traverse conventional boundaries (e.g., realism → speculative fiction, civilization → primal wilderness). This aligns with Burroughs’ pulp tradition of blending genres to create disorienting, high-stakes storytelling.