How does the setting affect the story plot?

The setting of The Time Machine is England, specifically, South Kensington, a suburb of London.... present and future. When the time machine moves the traveler into the year A.D. 802,701, he finds himself in a society that has evolved into two races, the upper-world Eloi and the lower-world Morlocks.... a society very unlike his own. Although the Traveller only remains in the future for about a week, most of the action occurs during this time.

The novel's plot is centered around the traveller's time in the future, the changes in both the landscape and its inhabitants. As he explores the upper world, the Traveller frequently refers to the Thames (a river), which has changed its course slightly since 1895. His primary fascination, however, is the idyllic rural surroundings and his perceived innocence of the world's childlike inhabitants. He attributes the relaxed nature and good health of the Eloi to the abundance of fruit and flowers, and the absence of annoying insects and weeds. Both of these things lead him to believe that humanity has successfully mastered the problems of his own day. His discovery that he is wrong is a major part of the plot.