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The Evolution Of Social Classes In The Time Machine By H. G. Wells

Decent Essays

In H.G. Wells' novel The Time Machine, the protagonist is an English scientist, referred to as the Time Traveller throughout the novel. He designs a small time machine and time travels to the year 802,701, where he loses his time machine. He discovers two life forms: the Morlock and Eloi. He quickly forms his beliefs and theories on their people and the evolution of them. These theories reflect those from Charles Darwin's Origins of the Species, where Darwin discussed natural selection and evolution. The repressed working class had evolved into the brutal, nocturnal Morlocks, while the leisured classes evolved into the beautiful, yet purposeless Eloi. The Time Traveller grows to realize that civilization's advancements weakened the Eloi, making …show more content…

He recognizes that the Eloi may be more physically appealing but have the largest struggle to survive, evolving from the higher-up, leisured classes. On the other hand, the Morlock are nocturnal, unappealing creatures but they are at the top, as they have found their way of living and surviving. The ecology of the Eloi and Morlock is the novel’s central interest in how the social classes evolve in time, as those on top may eventually find themselves on the bottom. This is one of the theories reflecting Darwin’s concept of natural selection in …show more content…

As the Time Traveller theorizes, the working class has been pushed underground for so long that it has evolved into a distinct, nocturnal species, while the upper class has been above ground, spoiled with amenities that make them weak and dependent. The Morlock’s experience being underground has strengthened and taught them how to keep themselves alive. For example, when they ran out of food, they discovered that they could hunt the Eloi. The Time traveler finds that the Morlocks actually tend to Eloi as if they were farm animals, with the obvious intention to use them as food. The Morlock adapt to environment very well. This is yet another example of natural selection, that being as the favorable traits are with the Morlocks, they are most capable of surviving, thriving and maintaining the favorable

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