Discussion Questions
1. Why would H.G. Wells never give a name to his hero/protagonist in The War of the Worlds ? What is the significance of his anonymty?
2. Wells attended the Normal School of Science where he became a biologist. His prime passions, however, remained reading and writing. What effect did this combination of interests have on H.G. Wells' style as a writer?
3. The character of the curate represents organized religion in The War of the Worlds . What is H.G. Wells saying about the role of organized religion in dealing with the Martians and metaphorically, with the real world's political and social problems? Do you agree or disagree with his assessment?
4. Criticize or defend H.G. Wells' conclusion to the Martians' invasion. Was the Martians' defeat appropriate or should the novel have ended differently? What does the ending say about the control humans have over life?
5. In Well's novel, after the Martians have died, the protagonist reflects upon how similar the Martian's attack was to the destruction that people have wrought upon one another. Discuss some examples from history in which one group of people has attempted to destroy another group of people. What, if anything, could be done to try to prevent such acts from happening in the future?
6. H.G. Wells has been accused by some critics as advocating social engineering, an idea whereby society attempts to hasten the rise of the strong and the demise of the weak. In The War of the Worlds , do you think that Wells was agreeing or disagreeing with this idea