What are the themes in The War of the Worlds?
- print Print
- list Cite
Expert Answers

calendarEducator since 2010
write1,332 answers
starTop subjects are Literature, History, and Arts
Nineteenth-century science fiction often focuses upon man's ability to achieve things beyond the scope of what had been thought possible in the pre-technological, pre-industrial age. Jules Verne, for instance, presents fantastic scenarios that extend both outward, to space (in From the Earth to the Moon), inward (Journey to the Center of the Earth), and everywhere, so to speak, in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in Eighty Days. H. G. Wells's fiction, while continuing these predictions of achievement, generally has much darker themes than that of Verne. In The War of the Worlds, the principal idea is that of humanity's vulnerability, his weakness in the face of a "futuristic" technology, but one in the hands of ruthless and (at first) seemingly all-powerful aliens.
The message in Wells is not only...
(The entire section contains 423 words.)
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial to unlock this answer and thousands more. Enjoy eNotes ad-free and cancel anytime.
Related Questions
- What are some important quotes in The War of the Worlds?
- 2 Educator Answers
- What are some examples of imagery in The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells?
- 1 Educator Answer
- Who are the main characters of The War of the Worlds?
- 2 Educator Answers
- What are two relative traits of the artilleryman in The War of the Worlds?
- 1 Educator Answer
- What is the message of The War of the Worlds?
- 3 Educator Answers