Aftermath of "The War of The Worlds"

Paper Summary:

This paper extracts the major social themes from the book "The War of the Worlds". The paper utilizes specific examples from the text to support the argument that the novel was more than just science fiction. The issues Wells addresses are - survival, evolution, natural selection, colonization and technology.

From the Paper:

"Imagine running down a crowded London street, with a hundred or so friends and neighbors, trying to escape a three legged, Heat-Ray wielding alien. H.G. Wells puts the reader in this scenario in his novel, The War of The Worlds. The novel was published in 1898 and is at least partly responsible for the popularity of literature on the subject of extra terrestrial invasion. The book describes a twenty-one day period where alien invaders from Mars land on Earth and attempt to colonize the planet for themselves. The story is filled with all of the technology and futuristic speculation that science fiction readers crave. However, there is something else in this work. Looking deeper than the surface level entertainment of wanton destruction reveals a layer of social commentary on the human condition. There are times Wells uses the aliens to contrast the human race and times that he draws specifically eerie correlations. The unnamed narrator in the text recounts the story after he lived through the experience. Because this allowed the narrator a period of reflection before telling his tale, the audience is given a privileged view of his perspective during and after the invasion. Wells utilizes the narrator's voice to convey his messages about the state of human affairs. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells provides readers with both a fantastic tale of science fiction and insightful social commentary."

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