The First Men in the Moon · Chapter
Endnotes explained
The endnotes provide additional observations about the explorers' physiological experiences on the Moon, including a lack of hunger and reduced carbon dioxide output, as well as notes on the Selenites' use of metal, particularly gold, for c
What happens
The endnotes provide additional observations about the explorers' physiological experiences on the Moon, including a lack of hunger and reduced carbon dioxide output, as well as notes on the Selenites' use of metal, particularly gold, for construction.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Resolution.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it depicts Bedford's psychological and emotional peak of terror an…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- The Limits of Knowledge
Bedford admits he cannot explain the low carbonic acid production, highlighting the boundaries of human understanding.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Bedford
Narrator reflecting on the lack of hunger and low carbonic acid production during the lunar journey.
- Mr. Cavor
Implicitly part of the 'we' experiencing the same physiological phenomena.
Key passages
“It is a curious thing, that while we were in the sphere we felt not the slightest desire for food, nor did we feel the want of it when we abstained.”
Strangely, inside the sphere we never felt hungry, even when we chose not to eat.
Bedford notes the unusual absence of hunger during their space voyage.
“I do not remember seeing any wooden things on the moon; doors, tables, everything corresponding to our terrestrial joinery was made of metal, and I believe for the most part of gold...”
I recall no wooden objects on the moon; all furniture and fittings were metal, mostly gold.
Observation of the Selenites' preference for gold in construction.
