This belief was due in part to Charles Darwin's 1859 published work On the Origin of Species, which argued that species evolved and were constantly improving as a result of "survival of the fittest." Darwin proposed that varying environments encourage the procreation of species whose traits are best suited for survival in the given climate. Consequently, future generations of these species will be better adapted for the new environment (Darwin 354-55).
People of the late nineteenth-century adapted Charles Darwin's theories on evolution to justify the social stratification between the wealthy and the poor; the notion of "natural selection" was changed by socialists to best suit their needs. Proponents of Darwin's ideas were referred to as Social Darwinists, who firmly believed that those at the top of the social ladder were undoubtedly better than those who resided at the bottom. Wells uses Darwin's theory to present an exaggerated illustration of the extent to which a species can potentially devolve. The novel demonstrates the true concept behind Darwin's theory: species do not necessarily progress toward perfection over time, but instead adapt to their environments over time. Evolution leads to the increasing adaptability and complexity of a species, not the perfection of a species (Darwin 357-8). .
When the Time Traveler reaches the future, it is evident that many aspects of social class have changed, but there are also similarities. For instance, in both the present and the future, the working class tends to be invisible or hard to find. In nineteenth century England the poorer working class was hidden away in factories; in the future, the Morlocks reside underground and may only approach the surface under the cover of darkness. Upon seeing the living condition of the Morlocks, Wells compares them to the poor workers of his time period. "Even now, does not an East-end worker live in such artificial conditions as practically to be cut off from the natural surface of the earth?" (Wells 36).