War of the Worlds
Summary / intro
‘War of the worlds’ written by Wells is a post Victorian period eschatological
thriller. The novel details catastrophic conflict between humans and “Martians”
through the voice of an ambiguous narrator. It is considered a landmark work of
science fiction, what can be called a seminal text.
Genre:
Science Fiction -speculative fiction related to aliens, invasion and
technology.
Invasion fiction – “Never before in the history of warfare had destruction
been so indiscriminate and so universal,”- book 1 chapter 11
o typifies a world of war and conflict.
o Wells taps into the insecurities of the British empire that they would be
overthrown and invaded.
Action-thriller
Allegory – A critique of Victorian society
Eschatological – apocalyptic/ end of the world
Context:
The historical social and political relationship
Wells explores the class system and its problems as well as his
criticisms of imperialism.
o Imperialism: a policy of extending a country's power and influence
through colonisation, use of military force, or other means.
o The empire is vulnerable
The problems of European countries taking other countries are their own.
He also opens up the debate of creationism and the theory of evolution.
However, there are elements of Christianity in his story for example the
battle between good and evil.
Invasion anxiety – invasion about being taken over – origin of the
species 1859 – peak of colonialism 19th century
Technological revolution – manual labour is no longer needed
Seminal – allowed the development of sci-fi stories
Opening sentence: The novel details catastrophic conflict between humans and
“Martians”. It is considered a landmark work of science fiction, what can be
called a seminal text.
Narrative voice and style:
Anonymous/ambiguous/enigmatic narrative voice
Reportage - a written account of an act, event, history, etc., based on
direct observation or on thorough research and documentation.
First person narrative perspective
Sense of realism
The narrative voice is a stoic and pragmatic character. The narrator is a
sensible and not emotional. He endures the trials put before him but he is
not developed (why). He is the lens through which the reader sees the
invasion. His characterisation is secondary to the story he tells. The
, narrator is alert and perspective, the general public are not – they are
complacent, unwilling and inert. He is a contrast to this – heighten the
storytelling and provide the reader with entertainment.
Language and meaning:
Arrogance of now – false beilif and security in the present
Eschatological – apocalyptic
Invasion anxiety – invasion about being taken over – peak of colonialism
19th century
Darwinism - origin of the species 1859
Themes
Qualities of humanity- The novel explores courage and resilience but also
cowardice and panic. Interestingly, the weapons given to the Martians –
the HeatRay and Black Smoke, and even the Tripods themselves - were
HG Wells' predictions for the future of
warfare - chemical warfare, laser-like weapons, and industrial robots.
Religion- its presence and absence, and the notion of a higher power are
prominent themes in The War of the Worlds. Wells' novel deals with the
in/ability to retain faith in the wake of devastation and catastrophe.
Technological Superiority: The story contrasts the advanced technology of
the Martians with the limited capabilities of humans, highlighting the
power of technology in warfare.
Fear and the Unknown: The sudden and overwhelming nature of the
Martian invasion evokes a primal fear in the human characters,
emphasizing the psychological impact of the unknown.
War and Destruction: The novel depicts the devastating effects of war,
both physical and psychological, as the Martians' attacks leave a trail of
destruction and chaos.
Nature vs. Evolution: The story explores the concept of evolution and the
ultimate triumph of nature, as simple earthly bacteria defeat the
technologically superior Martians.
Order, Subordination, and Hierarchy: The novel examines how social
structures and hierarchies are disrupted during the invasion, highlighting
the breakdown of order.
Survival: The story is ultimately about the human struggle to survive in
the face of an overwhelming threat, emphasizing the resilience of the
human spirit.
Symbols
Red weed - the red weed is a powerful symbol of the Martians' invasive
and destructive nature, representing their swift and complete takeover of
Earth. It also highlights the potential vulnerability of Earth's delicate
ecosystem to external forces and the Martian's disregard for the
established order.
Darkness and Light: The novel uses darkness and light interchangeably to
emphasize the unsettling nature of the Martian invasion, which occurs
both day and night.
Characters
‘War of the Worlds’
Martian/s How did the Martians look like
The War of the Worlds?
The Martians are described as
, octopus-like creatures: the
"body" consisting of a
disembodied head nearly 4 ft
(1.22 m) across, having two
eyes; a V-shaped, beak-like
mouth; and two branches each
of eight 'almost whip-like'
tentacles, grouped around the
mouth, referred to as the
'hands'.
How do the Martians feed?
They drain blood
What happened to the Martians
in The War of the Worlds?
The flabby, shapeless alien
creatures who controlled them
had been felled by the
common cold, to which they
had no resistance. “After all
man's devices had failed,” the
narrator concludes, the
Martians were destroyed by
“the humblest things that
God, in his wisdom, has put
upon this earth.”
Narrator Sees the shooting star
indicating the Martian arrival
on Thursday
A man who tells the story of
the Martian invasion. The
narrator describes himself as a
“professed and recognised
writer on philosophical
themes.” He is an
intellectually curious, open-
minded person who possesses
more scientific knowledge than
the average civilian.
He’s not provided with a name
or presented as an individual
Has a wife and a brother also
detailed throughout the story
Curate The Curate is introduced as
follows: ‘His face was a fair
weakness, his chin retreated,
and his hair lay in crisp, almost
flaxen curls on his low
forehead; his eyes were rather
large, pale blue, and blankly
staring.’
The Narrators survival
companion. Up until when the
narrator has to kill his to stop
the Martians from discovering
Summary / intro
‘War of the worlds’ written by Wells is a post Victorian period eschatological
thriller. The novel details catastrophic conflict between humans and “Martians”
through the voice of an ambiguous narrator. It is considered a landmark work of
science fiction, what can be called a seminal text.
Genre:
Science Fiction -speculative fiction related to aliens, invasion and
technology.
Invasion fiction – “Never before in the history of warfare had destruction
been so indiscriminate and so universal,”- book 1 chapter 11
o typifies a world of war and conflict.
o Wells taps into the insecurities of the British empire that they would be
overthrown and invaded.
Action-thriller
Allegory – A critique of Victorian society
Eschatological – apocalyptic/ end of the world
Context:
The historical social and political relationship
Wells explores the class system and its problems as well as his
criticisms of imperialism.
o Imperialism: a policy of extending a country's power and influence
through colonisation, use of military force, or other means.
o The empire is vulnerable
The problems of European countries taking other countries are their own.
He also opens up the debate of creationism and the theory of evolution.
However, there are elements of Christianity in his story for example the
battle between good and evil.
Invasion anxiety – invasion about being taken over – origin of the
species 1859 – peak of colonialism 19th century
Technological revolution – manual labour is no longer needed
Seminal – allowed the development of sci-fi stories
Opening sentence: The novel details catastrophic conflict between humans and
“Martians”. It is considered a landmark work of science fiction, what can be
called a seminal text.
Narrative voice and style:
Anonymous/ambiguous/enigmatic narrative voice
Reportage - a written account of an act, event, history, etc., based on
direct observation or on thorough research and documentation.
First person narrative perspective
Sense of realism
The narrative voice is a stoic and pragmatic character. The narrator is a
sensible and not emotional. He endures the trials put before him but he is
not developed (why). He is the lens through which the reader sees the
invasion. His characterisation is secondary to the story he tells. The
, narrator is alert and perspective, the general public are not – they are
complacent, unwilling and inert. He is a contrast to this – heighten the
storytelling and provide the reader with entertainment.
Language and meaning:
Arrogance of now – false beilif and security in the present
Eschatological – apocalyptic
Invasion anxiety – invasion about being taken over – peak of colonialism
19th century
Darwinism - origin of the species 1859
Themes
Qualities of humanity- The novel explores courage and resilience but also
cowardice and panic. Interestingly, the weapons given to the Martians –
the HeatRay and Black Smoke, and even the Tripods themselves - were
HG Wells' predictions for the future of
warfare - chemical warfare, laser-like weapons, and industrial robots.
Religion- its presence and absence, and the notion of a higher power are
prominent themes in The War of the Worlds. Wells' novel deals with the
in/ability to retain faith in the wake of devastation and catastrophe.
Technological Superiority: The story contrasts the advanced technology of
the Martians with the limited capabilities of humans, highlighting the
power of technology in warfare.
Fear and the Unknown: The sudden and overwhelming nature of the
Martian invasion evokes a primal fear in the human characters,
emphasizing the psychological impact of the unknown.
War and Destruction: The novel depicts the devastating effects of war,
both physical and psychological, as the Martians' attacks leave a trail of
destruction and chaos.
Nature vs. Evolution: The story explores the concept of evolution and the
ultimate triumph of nature, as simple earthly bacteria defeat the
technologically superior Martians.
Order, Subordination, and Hierarchy: The novel examines how social
structures and hierarchies are disrupted during the invasion, highlighting
the breakdown of order.
Survival: The story is ultimately about the human struggle to survive in
the face of an overwhelming threat, emphasizing the resilience of the
human spirit.
Symbols
Red weed - the red weed is a powerful symbol of the Martians' invasive
and destructive nature, representing their swift and complete takeover of
Earth. It also highlights the potential vulnerability of Earth's delicate
ecosystem to external forces and the Martian's disregard for the
established order.
Darkness and Light: The novel uses darkness and light interchangeably to
emphasize the unsettling nature of the Martian invasion, which occurs
both day and night.
Characters
‘War of the Worlds’
Martian/s How did the Martians look like
The War of the Worlds?
The Martians are described as
, octopus-like creatures: the
"body" consisting of a
disembodied head nearly 4 ft
(1.22 m) across, having two
eyes; a V-shaped, beak-like
mouth; and two branches each
of eight 'almost whip-like'
tentacles, grouped around the
mouth, referred to as the
'hands'.
How do the Martians feed?
They drain blood
What happened to the Martians
in The War of the Worlds?
The flabby, shapeless alien
creatures who controlled them
had been felled by the
common cold, to which they
had no resistance. “After all
man's devices had failed,” the
narrator concludes, the
Martians were destroyed by
“the humblest things that
God, in his wisdom, has put
upon this earth.”
Narrator Sees the shooting star
indicating the Martian arrival
on Thursday
A man who tells the story of
the Martian invasion. The
narrator describes himself as a
“professed and recognised
writer on philosophical
themes.” He is an
intellectually curious, open-
minded person who possesses
more scientific knowledge than
the average civilian.
He’s not provided with a name
or presented as an individual
Has a wife and a brother also
detailed throughout the story
Curate The Curate is introduced as
follows: ‘His face was a fair
weakness, his chin retreated,
and his hair lay in crisp, almost
flaxen curls on his low
forehead; his eyes were rather
large, pale blue, and blankly
staring.’
The Narrators survival
companion. Up until when the
narrator has to kill his to stop
the Martians from discovering
