The pervasion of horror in "The War of the Worlds" by H.G. Wells (PDF)

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2010 im Fachbereich Anglistik - Literatur, Note: 1,3, Universität zu Köln, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: This term paper researches into the pervasion of horror in H.G. Wells' novel "The War of the Worlds". The story's thrilling invasion of Martians punctures at the Victorian pretensions in the nineteenth century. Furthermore its imagination is based on the scientific progress which emerged in these days and develops the idea of evolution further and hence, calls its guarantee for a better tomorrow into question. With the help of focusing on the historical background and the socio-cultural situation of the nineteenth century, I will identify the major concerns of the novel and concentrate on their literarily transmission.

In the first chapter I will outline the most important historical events and social changes of the end of the Victorian era in order to present the Zeitgeist of the novel's year of origin. In addition I will focus on the general attitude and thinking of the British in the time of transition from the Victorian to the Edwardian era and before the outbreak of the First World War. The second chapter gives a description of Wells' scientific romances, because they show typical wellsian themes, stylistic devices and intentions. Moreover, the description will help to set the novel into a specific perspective.

In the following part of my term paper I will apply the basic knowledge of the first two chapters on the novel "The War Of The Worlds". First, I focus on the way the narrator considers of the aliens and include glimpses of information about the peoples' perspective on the invaders. Afterwards I analyse the Martians' anatomy, behaviour and their technical equipment in terms of Darwin's principle "survival of the fittest". With the invasion of a superior species Wells' confronts the reader with the cruelty of imperialism. So, I will research to what extent the Martians can be considered as colonizers.

By examining the curate's and artilleryman's reaction to the invasion I will point at the two contrary standpoints which refer to the evolution debate. The last part concentrates on the stylistic realization of the spread of horror and fear. Here, I will limit my paper by concentrating on the choice perspective and depiction of setting for the invasion.