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Class in The Time Machine

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Asmi Jain
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16 views

Class in The Time Machine

Uploaded by

Asmi Jain
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Class in The Time Machine

In The Time Machine, H.G. Wells uses the Eloi and Morlocks as metaphors for the class
divisions and economic disparities he observed in late 19th-century Britain. Through the
dystopian future society, Wells critiques the potential consequences of unchecked class
stratification and industrial exploitation, presenting a cautionary tale about the long-term
effects of social and economic inequality.

1. The Eloi as the Upper Class

 The Eloi represent the upper class or aristocracy, living in comfort and luxury but
detached from physical labor and industry. They are physically frail, childlike, and
intellectually stagnant, symbolizing a class that has grown complacent and weak due
to a life of ease and privilege.
 Example: The Eloi’s passivity and lack of ambition reflect Wells’s critique of the
Victorian upper class, which he saw as increasingly dependent on the labor of others
without contributing productively themselves. Their idyllic existence above ground,
surrounded by beautiful architecture and landscapes, mirrors the privileged lifestyle of
the elite in Wells’s time, who were often removed from the harsher realities faced by
the working class.

2. The Morlocks as the Working Class

 In contrast, the Morlocks represent the working class or proletariat, who live
underground and maintain the machinery that supports the Eloi’s way of life. The
Morlocks are physically stronger and adapted to darkness, yet their lives are
characterized by grueling labor, limited autonomy, and isolation from the surface.
 Example: The Morlocks’ subterranean existence reflects the conditions of the working
class in Victorian England, many of whom worked in factories, mines, and other
industrial settings under oppressive conditions. Their dark, underground world
represents the hidden, often ignored, realities of industrial labor, where workers toiled
to sustain the comfort of the upper classes.

3. The Exploitation of Labor

 Wells suggests that the Eloi depend on the Morlocks for survival, as the Morlocks
operate the machinery that sustains the society. This dependency mirrors the Victorian
social structure, in which the wealth of the upper class was built on the labor of the
working class. However, the Morlocks eventually revolt against this hierarchy by
preying on the Eloi for food, representing the potential for class struggle and
retribution.
 Example: This dynamic serves as a warning about the dangers of exploitation and
inequality. The relationship between the Eloi and Morlocks implies that a society built
on class oppression and exploitation will ultimately collapse under the weight of its
own unsustainable structures. The Morlocks’ role as both supporters and eventual
predators of the Eloi reflects the cyclical nature of exploitation and retribution in a
divided society.

4. Devolution as a Consequence of Class Division

 Wells uses the devolution of the Eloi and Morlocks to show the long-term
consequences of extreme social and economic disparity. Over generations, the upper
and lower classes have evolved into separate species, losing their humanity in the
process. The Eloi’s weakness and the Morlocks’ savagery symbolize the destructive
effects of a rigid class system that isolates and alienates different segments of society.
 Example: This devolution is a metaphor for Wells’s belief that unchecked class
division and inequality would lead to societal decay. The Eloi’s intellectual decline
and the Morlocks’ brutal nature suggest that humanity’s potential is diminished when
people are segregated by wealth and opportunity.

5. The Futility of Social Progress Without Unity

 In The Time Machine, the Time Traveller’s journey reveals that technological and
social “progress” has not resulted in a better world; instead, humanity has fractured
into two degraded species. Wells suggests that true progress requires social unity and
an equitable distribution of resources, as division only leads to mutual degradation.
 Example: The bleak future depicted in the novel reflects Wells’s skepticism about the
industrial age’s promise of social progress. Despite technological advancements, the
Eloi and Morlocks represent a future in which humanity is worse off, not better,
underscoring the necessity of addressing social inequalities to avoid such a fate.

In summary, Wells uses the Eloi and Morlocks as potent symbols of Victorian class
dynamics, critiquing the economic structures and social divisions of his time. By imagining a
future where these disparities result in humanity’s devolution, Wells warns of the societal
consequences if class exploitation and inequality are left unaddressed.

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