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Study Guide
Bibliography
Course Hero. "The War of the Worlds Study Guide." Course Hero. 17 May 2017. Web. 10 June 2023. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-War-of-the-Worlds/>.
In text
(Course Hero)
Bibliography
Course Hero. (2017, May 17). The War of the Worlds Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved June 10, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-War-of-the-Worlds/
In text
(Course Hero, 2017)
Bibliography
Course Hero. "The War of the Worlds Study Guide." May 17, 2017. Accessed June 10, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-War-of-the-Worlds/.
Footnote
Course Hero, "The War of the Worlds Study Guide," May 17, 2017, accessed June 10, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-War-of-the-Worlds/.
H.G. Wells
1897
Novel
Dystopian, Science Fiction
The War of the Worlds is described by a first-person, unnamed narrator who recalls his own experiences, as well as those of his younger brother, during a Martian invasion of London.
The War of the Worlds is told in a mix of tenses. The narrator uses past tense to recount his past experiences, as well as those of his brother, and present tense to reflect on his present thoughts on past events.
The origins of the title, The War of the Worlds, can be found in the book's epigraph, which is a quotation by astronomer Johannes Kepler found in Robert Burton's The Anatomy of Melancholy: "But who shall dwell in these worlds if they be inhabited? ... Are we or they Lords of the World? ... And how are all things made for man?" The title foreshadows the plot of the novel: a conflict between two civilizations, one human and one Martian.
This study guide and infographic for H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds offer summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. Explore Course Hero's library of literature materials, including documents and Q&A pairs.
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