The Time Machine Dystopian Society

It is difficult to guess where or how society is going to end up in the next couple of hundred years. Fortunately, in H. G. Wells novel, “The Time Machine,” the readers get a perspective of how the Earth could possibly look like in the year 802,701. In the novel, it is evident that humans are no longer the humans we see in today’s world. Instead, they have evolved into two different groups of people: The Eloi, being the group that stayed on the surface of the Earth and the Morlocks who live underground. At first impression, it seems that society has undergone a form of communism as the Eloi live their lives in a calm and worry-free state. However, as the story progresses, it turns out that the Eloi live in a dystopian society. Using Darwin’s

Charles Darwin’s theories of natural selection and evolution helps the readers envision a civilization in the future. When Darwin went to the Galapagos Islands and developed his theories, he came up with a theory of what is known as the “survival of the fittest”. However, this is not to say that only the “fit” will survive, but that the ones that are able to survive and reproduce the most will be able to survive (Ker Than). In H. G. Wells novel, it can be seen that the human population has significantly been reduced as well as having evolved. Because the Eloi receive clothing from the Morlocks while being able to live at the surface of the Earth, it appears as if the Eloi were at some point in the past the stronger or most successful society compared to that of the Morlocks. Unfortunately for the Eloi, it appears as if the Morlocks slowly became stronger over time. The Morlocks are not only physically stronger and faster than the Eloi, but they also feed off of stray Eloi at night. While this

The idea of communism is evident in the way in which it affects the lifestyle of the Eloi. As the narrator looks around and eats with the Eloi, he begins to realize that the Eloi seem to live in a society run by communism. The Time Traveler later explains his thoughts when he says, “Then, in a flash, I perceived that all had the same form of costume, the same soft hairless visage, and the same girlish rotundity of limb… these people of the future were alike” (H. G. Wells 25). The narrator soon realizes that the Eloi live under some form of communism. There is no Eloi that is stronger than others nor smarter than others. They all live in one place and are all entitled to eating the same thing: fruits and vegetables. While this has so far helped the Eloi survive, it does not necessarily mean that it is the best option for their civilization. For example, the lack of creativity and opinion that comes with communism has severely limited the Eloi over time. There is no urge to industrialize nor to preserve the language that was once known as English in the Eloi civilization, and it’s all due to communism. With everyone being equal, no one has the urge to become better than others in order to succeed or gain more than someone else. Not only is communism seen through the Eloi, but Marx’s idea of communism can also be applied to the Morlocks and their society.