Final answer:
H.G. Wells uses the Elois and Morlocks in 'The Time Machine' to symbolically critique the class divide and foresee the dire outcomes of unchecked industrial capitalism, as well as to provide a critical perspective on societal inequality during his time.
Step-by-step explanation:
In H.G. Wells's The Time Machine, the Elois and Morlocks serve as symbolic representations of class divide and the social consequences of industrial capitalism. The Eloi, representing the upper class, live a carefree and docile life above ground, displaying docility and indolence fostered by their lack of challenges or work. On the other hand, the Morlocks, who symbolize the working class, live underground and maintain the machinery that supports the Eloi’s lifestyle, evoking the workers' alienation and exploitation during the Industrial Revolution.
Wells deliberately describes them differently to highlight the extreme evolution of social classes and to criticize the social inequality of his contemporary society. The leisurely life of the Eloi and the subterranean toil of the Morlocks imply that without social reform, the future could hold an even more exaggerated divide between the haves and the have-nots, a concept similar to issues raised in other works such as George Orwell's 1984 and Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward.