Article #552-2 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

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

I am forced to admit that even though I had traveled a long distance to
place Bowen Tyler's manuscript in the hands of his father, I was still
a trifle skeptical as to its sincerity, since I could not but recall
that it had not been many years since Bowen had been one of the most
notorious practical jokers of his alma mater. The truth was that as I
sat in the Tyler library at Santa Monica I commenced to feel a trifle
foolish and to wish that I had merely forwarded the manuscript by
express instead of bearing it personally, for I confess that I do not
enjoy being laughed at. I have a well-developed sense of humor--when
the joke is not on me.

Mr. Tyler, Sr., was expected almost hourly. The last steamer in from
Honolulu had brought information of the date of the expected sailing of
his yacht Toreador, which was now twenty-four hours overdue. Mr.
Tyler's assistant secretary, who had been left at home, assured me that
there was no doubt but that the Toreador had sailed as promised, since
he knew his employer well enough to be positive that nothing short of
an act of God would prevent his doing what he had planned to do. I was
also aware of the fact that the sending apparatus of the Toreador's
wireless equipment was sealed, and that it would only be used in event
of dire necessity. There was, therefore, nothing to do but wait, and
we waited.

We discussed the manuscript and hazarded guesses concerning it and the
strange events it narrated. The torpedoing of the liner upon which
Bowen J. Tyler, Jr., had taken passage for France to join the American
Ambulance was a well-known fact, and I had further substantiated by
wire to the New York office of the owners, that a Miss La Rue had been
booked for passage. Further, neither she nor Bowen had been mentioned
among the list of survivors; nor had the body of either of them been
recovered.

Explanation

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

1. Context of the Source

The People That Time Forgot (1918) is the second novel in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Casparian Trilogy, a series of adventure-fantasy stories set in a lost world called Caprona (also known as Casparia), a hidden land where prehistoric creatures and ancient civilizations still exist. The first novel, The Land That Time Forgot (1917), follows Bowen Tyler Jr. and Lisle La Rue as they survive a shipwreck, discover Caprona, and encounter its strange inhabitants. The excerpt provided comes from the sequel, where the narrator (an unnamed friend of Bowen’s) delivers a manuscript detailing Bowen’s adventures to his father, Mr. Tyler Sr.

Burroughs was a master of pulp adventure fiction, known for creating Tarzan and John Carter of Mars. His works often blended exploration, survival, lost civilizations, and scientific speculation, appealing to early 20th-century readers fascinated by Darwinism, archaeology, and the unknown.

2. Summary of the Excerpt

The narrator has traveled to the Tyler estate in Santa Monica to personally deliver Bowen Tyler Jr.’s manuscript to his father. Despite verifying some facts (such as the torpedoing of the liner and the disappearance of Bowen and Lisle La Rue), the narrator remains skeptical about the manuscript’s authenticity, fearing it might be an elaborate prank—Bowen was known for his practical jokes in college.

While waiting for Mr. Tyler Sr.’s arrival (delayed by his yacht, the Toreador), the narrator and the assistant secretary discuss the manuscript, which recounts bizarre events. The narrator has confirmed that Bowen and Lisle were indeed on the torpedoed ship and were never found, adding a layer of plausibility—but also unease—to the story.

3. Key Themes

Skepticism vs. Belief – The narrator’s doubt mirrors the reader’s likely reaction to fantastical tales. Burroughs often plays with this tension, making the extraordinary seem just plausible enough.
The Unreliable Narrator (or Source) – Bowen’s reputation as a prankster casts doubt on his manuscript, raising questions about truth in storytelling.
The Lost World Trope – The excerpt hints at the larger theme of hidden, prehistoric lands (Caprona), a staple of adventure fiction.
Human Resilience & Mystery – The disappearance of Bowen and Lisle suggests survival against odds, a common theme in Burroughs’ works.
Technology & Isolation – The sealed wireless on the Toreador implies a world where communication is limited, heightening suspense.

4. Literary Devices & Stylistic Choices

First-Person Narration – The narrator’s personal perspective makes the story feel immediate and subjective. His skepticism invites the reader to question the events alongside him.
Foreshadowing – The mention of the Toreador’s sealed wireless suggests future urgency (it will only be used in "dire necessity"), hinting at upcoming drama.
Irony – The narrator, despite his "well-developed sense of humor," dislikes being the butt of a joke—yet he may be about to experience exactly that if the manuscript is a hoax.
Realistic Details for Plausibility – Burroughs grounds the fantastic in reality by:
- Confirming the torpedoing of the liner (a real WWI-era danger).
- Verifying passenger lists (Bowen and Lisle were indeed on board).
- Describing the Toreador’s wireless protocol (a technological detail that adds authenticity).
Suspense Through Delay – The waiting for Mr. Tyler Sr. builds tension, making the reader anticipate the reaction to the manuscript.
Characterization Through Reputation – Bowen’s past as a "notorious practical joker" colors the narrator’s (and the reader’s) interpretation of his manuscript.

5. Significance of the Passage

Sets Up the Frame Narrative – The excerpt establishes that The People That Time Forgot is a story within a story, with the narrator acting as a bridge between Bowen’s manuscript and the reader. This device was common in 19th- and early 20th-century adventure fiction (e.g., Frankenstein, Heart of Darkness) to create a sense of authenticity.
Creates Narrative Uncertainty – By making the narrator (and thus the reader) question the manuscript’s validity, Burroughs engages the audience in an active reading experience. Are the events real, or is Bowen playing an elaborate trick?
Connects to the First Book – The excerpt assumes the reader is familiar with The Land That Time Forgot, where Bowen’s initial adventures were recounted. This sequel deepens the mystery of Caprona.
Reflects Early 20th-Century Fascination with the Unknown – The passage taps into contemporary interests in exploration, cryptzoology, and survival stories, especially in the aftermath of WWI, when tales of heroism and discovery were popular.
Introduces the Theme of Inherited Adventure – The fact that the narrator is delivering the manuscript to Bowen’s father suggests a generational link, possibly foreshadowing further explorations or conflicts tied to the Tyler family.

6. Close Reading of Key Lines

"I am forced to admit that even though I had traveled a long distance... I was still a trifle skeptical..."
- The narrator’s reluctant admission of doubt sets a tone of cautious curiosity. His skepticism makes the reader question whether they, too, should be doubtful.
"I do not enjoy being laughed at. I have a well-developed sense of humor—when the joke is not on me."
- This line reveals the narrator’s vanity and insecurity, making him a more human and flawed character. It also hints that the manuscript might indeed be a prank, playing on the reader’s expectations.
"nothing short of an act of God would prevent his doing what he had planned to do."
- The assistant secretary’s remark about Mr. Tyler Sr. foreshadows the supernatural or extraordinary events that may unfold—if an "act of God" is the only thing that could stop him, what does that imply about the manuscript’s contents?
"neither she nor Bowen had been mentioned among the list of survivors; nor had the body of either of them been recovered."
- This deliberate ambiguity leaves room for the fantastic. Their disappearance could mean death—or something far stranger.

7. Connection to Broader Literary Traditions

Lost World Genre – Burroughs’ work follows in the tradition of Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World (1912) and H. Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines (1885), where explorers discover hidden civilizations.
Unreliable Documentation – The manuscript device echoes Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818), where letters and journals piece together a incredible story.
Adventure & Survival – Like Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island (1883), the story blends real-world details with escapist fantasy.
Skepticism as a Narrative Tool – Similar to H.P. Lovecraft’s later works, where narrators (or characters) doubt the reality of supernatural events, Burroughs uses skepticism to make the impossible seem plausible.

Conclusion: Why This Excerpt Matters

This passage serves as a meta-commentary on storytelling itself. The narrator’s doubt mirrors the reader’s potential skepticism, making the eventual revelation of Caprona’s wonders more impactful. By framing the tale as a possibly false manuscript, Burroughs plays with the boundaries between fact and fiction, a hallmark of pulp adventure writing.

The excerpt also establishes the stakes:

If Bowen’s story is true, it means a lost world exists.
If it’s a hoax, the narrator (and reader) have been duped. Either way, the tension between belief and disbelief drives the narrative forward, making the reader eager to uncover the truth—just as the characters are.

In essence, Burroughs doesn’t just tell a story; he invites the reader to question how stories are told, believed, and verified, a theme that resonates far beyond the pulp adventure genre.

Questions

Question 1

The narrator’s admission that he has “a well-developed sense of humor—when the joke is not on me” primarily serves to:

A. Establish his intellectual superiority over Bowen Tyler by contrasting his refined taste with Bowen’s juvenile pranks.
B. Reveal an underlying vulnerability that undermines his attempts to appear objective about the manuscript.
C. Foreshadow that the manuscript will ultimately be exposed as a hoax, given Bowen’s history of deception.
D. Create ironic distance between the narrator’s self-perception and the reader’s likely assessment of his credibility.
E. Suggest that his skepticism is justified by past experiences, thereby aligning the reader with his cautious perspective.

Question 2

The assistant secretary’s assertion that “nothing short of an act of God would prevent [Mr. Tyler Sr.] from doing what he had planned to do” functions most effectively as:

A. A subtle critique of Mr. Tyler Sr.’s rigid personality, implying that his obstinacy borders on the irrational.
B. An example of dramatic irony, since the reader knows the Toreador is already delayed by unforeseen circumstances.
C. A red herring that distracts from the manuscript’s implausibility by shifting focus to Mr. Tyler Sr.’s punctuality.
D. A literal setup for a deus ex machina resolution, where divine intervention will later explain the manuscript’s origins.
E. An indirect reinforcement of the manuscript’s potential credibility, by associating its events with forces beyond human control.

Question 3

The passage’s treatment of the torpedoed liner and the missing passengers (Bowen and La Rue) is structurally analogous to which of the following literary techniques?

A. Chekhov’s gun, in that the details are introduced early to ensure they will be narratively significant later.
B. Stream of consciousness, as the narrator’s thoughts meander between skepticism and factual verification.
C. Pathetic fallacy, where the external event (the torpedoing) mirrors the narrator’s internal state of unease.
D. Epistolary framing, since the manuscript functions as a document that mediates the reader’s access to the story.
E. Verisimilitude through selective realism, wherein mundane, verifiable facts are used to lend plausibility to an otherwise incredible narrative.

Question 4

Which of the following best describes the relationship between the narrator’s skepticism and the passage’s broader thematic concerns?

A. His doubt is a narrative contrivance to delay the revelation of the manuscript’s contents, serving no deeper thematic purpose.
B. It reflects a postmodern distrust of authored texts, anticipating later 20th-century meta-narrative techniques.
C. The skepticism mirrors the tension between empirical evidence and the allure of the unknown, a hallmark of adventure fiction.
D. His reluctance to believe the manuscript underscores the unreliability of all first-person narration in Burroughs’ works.
E. The skepticism is undermined by the passage’s closing lines, which confirm the manuscript’s authenticity beyond reasonable doubt.

Question 5

The most defensible inference about the narrator’s decision to deliver the manuscript in person, rather than sending it by express, is that it reveals:

A. An unconscious desire to be proven wrong, as his skepticism masks a deeper longing for the manuscript to be genuine.
B. A performative gesture intended to impress Mr. Tyler Sr., given the narrator’s admitted discomfort with potential ridicule.
C. A subconscious fear that the manuscript’s contents, if true, would be too dangerous to entrust to impersonal delivery methods.
D. An attempt to control the narrative surrounding the manuscript’s reception, ensuring he is present to mitigate any fallout.
E. A misplaced sense of obligation to Bowen, stemming from a history of enabling Bowen’s pranks despite personal misgivings.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: B

Why B is most correct: The narrator’s qualification—“when the joke is not on me”—exposes a defensive vulnerability that contradicts his attempts to present himself as a rational, detached observer. His need to assert his sense of humor only when he isn’t the target reveals an insecurity about being perceived as gullible, which undermines his claimed objectivity. This aligns with the passage’s broader exploration of how personal biases (e.g., past experiences with Bowen) color one’s engagement with extraordinary claims. The line doesn’t merely describe his humor; it betrays his emotional investment in not being duped, making his skepticism less about logic and more about self-preservation.