The War of the Worlds

ARROGANCE

VULNERABILITY

London London was one of the cities most involved in the book. London suffered damage and destruction due to the Martian invasion, with many citizens killed and many buildings and homes destroyed.

Germs Even though they are not physical objects, Earth's bacteria become a key element in defeating the Martians. Their vulnerability to these microorganisms represents a key twist in the plot, because by now the earth already seemed to be in the hands of the Martians, but simple terrestrial bacteria prevented all this.

My opinion about the book

My opinion about the book is very positive. At first I thought it wasn't good, because I didn't imagine that an author of those times could make such a masterpiece, in fact after a few pages I changed my opinion and read the whole book without realizing it. I was satisfied with the book again, particularly in the descriptions and the imagination that the author put into it.

“War of the Worlds” explores the theme of human vulnerability in front of superior forces. Humans consider themselves the dominant species on Earth, but the Martian invasion demonstrated how insignificant, helpless, and vulnerable we can be in front of advanced alien technology. This also raises the question of human arrogance in believing that we are invincible and have the right to dominate the planet and all living beings that inhabit it. The Book teaches us that humanity can be easily defeated and that survival requires humility and adaptability in the face of the unknown.

Human Vulnerability and Arrogance

H.G.Wells

HGWells is the author of the book. The author's genius is recognized because at the end of the 19th century he managed to write a work that went far beyond what people of the time could have ever thought of. In fact it can be said that he predicted the future a little, because at the time war machines did not yet exist, but after a few decades tanks were invented. But just think of the alien landing, no one could have ever imagined an invasion by an ethnic group from space.

Personages

Within the book we can recognize some characters such as: the protagonist, the curate and the soldier.

Protagonist The protagonist is not a hero, but a man trying to survive the devastation caused by the Martian invasion and furthermore his narrative voice is very important because it makes us understand what was happening in great detail.

Soldier The soldier is a young character with an action-oriented mindset. He immediately accepts the reality of the facts and begins to fight against the Martians thanks also to his military skill. The soldier is the contrasting character of the curate and represents the smaller part of the population that fights for survival and does not give in to desperation.

The Curate The curate is a man of religious faith, described as an elderly and kind man. Initially, the curate is only shocked by the invasion, but as events unfold he loses his mind and becomes mentally unstable. The curate represents the majority of people, that is: they are unable to accept reality and are lost in desperation.

The "Thunder Child" is a warship which becomes an important instrument of resistance against the Martian invasion. It was used by the British Navy, and in addition to the warship Thunder Child, it used the Havelock cannon, to attempt to counter the Martian invasion. The British Navy managed to shoot down a "Tripod" thanks to these instruments.

The "Thunder Child"

We can therefore blame the invasion on the cylinders because without them the arrival on earth would never have been accomplished.

Tripods The Tripods were a big war-machines, with three feet that shoots heat ray. Tripods played a very important role in history, because it is the main means of destruction of the Martians, with which they razed England to the ground.

The cylinders

The fall of the first cylinder on earth coincides with the first alien signal on earth and is the first event followed by the Martian invasion, starting a history of destruction and extermination of the human race.

Martians Martians arrived on earth via large iron cylinders. Martians are described as highly evolved creatures, but very different from humans. They have thin, jointed bodies with long, thin arms and are able to sense their surroundings through sensory organs located on their heads.

Woking's Martian Cylinder This "alien capsule" is part of the Martian sculpture designed by Michael Condron. It reflects the cylinder described by H. G. Wells in "The War of the Worlds" and is depicted after the fall while plowing the ground. This splendid sculpture can be visited in Woking, in the very place that Wells described in his book.