Two Groups Lead to Capitalism, The Time Machine

In all ages of time there has been some degree of differences among two diverse groups. In the 21st century, this diversity has been on the decline. In The Time Machine this variation is near that of night and day. As the Time Traveler theorizes, the working class has been pushed underground for so long that it has evolved into a distinct and nocturnal species. The upper class, on the other hand, has remained above ground. The advanced civilization of Eloi has led them to be weak, lazy, and dependent creatures. At an unknown point of time the underground group, the Morlocks, ran out of food and were forced to hunt Eloi. This massive hunt causes even more disparity between the groups. The Time Traveler claims this turning of the tables is an act of survival, but Wells hints to capitalism. While the two creatures have basically been at war with each other for centuries, they have been able to maintain a far advanced society and live as a 21st century human would expect them to, with respect to the basic living criteria.

The most fundamental unit of difference between Morlocks and Eloi is the fact that one lives above ground the other below ground. Because of this, the Morlocks have completely turned into hard working and creepy creatures that are nocturnal. The Eloi, on the other side of the coin, have evolved into lazy and beautiful creatures. This idea plays off the fear of capitalism taking over the world in Wells’ time. In capitalism, the fear exists a strong working class will eventually end up doing all the work, and the rich will get richer. This is especially true in The Time Machine. Wells even feared the strong capitalism presence would be due cause for the end of time. Communism is also a cornerstone idea in this novel, showing the vast separation of classes. “The ruddy sunset set me thinking of the sunset of mankind” (Wells 48.) Although it may seem as a simple concept, the struggle between underground and above ground creatures is far from straightforward.

Whether we believe it or not, there are many conceptions on stereotypes in the 20th century world. In Well’s years, workers were thought to be less attractive and upper sectors of society were thought to be beautiful. This belief is played out to its full extent in the future portions of the novel. The Time Traveler depicts, in his story telling sessions, that Morlocks are “ape-like” (Wells 71.) On the other hand, he expresses the Eloi as beautiful and perfect specimens. “He tells of how he encountered a small, beautiful, but frail-looking race known as the Eloi, who were clad in rich silk robes” (Aubrey 15.) The vastness in characters plays even more on the idea of capitalism, ultimately ending the world.

Reverting back to the capitalism state of mind Wells continues to push ideas of the future in which humans of his time can relate to. During the times of Wells, the push and want for money was a topic that was roaring among businessmen. In The Time Machine the Morlocks are the pour working class and the Eloi are the relaxed and rich business class. “The Morlocks represent the end point of a progressively restrictive oppression of the laboring classes, and industry itself is pushed underground, as buried as the guilt of enslaving an entire (white) sector of the population in England” (Caldwell 4). The Eloi sit and relax all day while the Morlocks work constantly and provid the major necessities for the Eloi. In the end, the Morlocks make a modest profit. The profit relative to the Eloi is tremendously low for the work and hours they put in. The Eloi do little to no work and make plentiful amounts of money. The disparity among the two above ground dwelling creatures and below grounders is rooted from the capitalistic ideas in which Wells had imposed to him from bystanders during his life. At the bottom of the page, capitalism ultimately leads to some people working far too much and the others working far to less. Wells hoped to bridge the gap between these two unnecessary extremes in the future.

The most influential theme that relates Morlocks to Eloi is that of capitalism and communism, which essentially in this case are the same idea. The Time Machine capitalism shows up in the difference of looks, the difference of personal capital and even the difference in living conditions. It is clearly evident that Wells used this book to express his personal fear he felt the world was headed to. The most impressive thing about The Time Machine was it effectively projected the propaganda used in the futuristic place of the novel. The only drawback Wells was incorrect on the ability to travel in time, so far.