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Literary Devices
Definition of Allegory
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The Tortoise and The Hare" is... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and... read full definition
Book 1, Chapter 17: The “Thunder Child”
Explanation and Analysis—Colonial Conquest:
The War of the Worlds is an allegory for the conquest of primitive peoples by brutal, technologically advanced colonists. It was written during a period of political instability in Europe and reflected the precipice of hysteria upon which most countries tottered. (Similar tensions became evident in 1938 when a radio adaptation of the novel scared Americans into thinking Martians had invaded New Jersey, as well as in 1939 when the very real World War II began.) Capitalizing on the political pressures and anxieties of his own time, Wells crafted a novel about well-equipped outsiders coming to dominate a once-proud nation of ignorant people.
Wells also foresaw the use of industrial weaponry both domestically and internationally. The invading aliens represent powerful European states, or Europe as a whole, striving for power and dominance. Much like major European states, the Martians also try to colonize Earth and exploit its natural resources. In Book 1, Chapter 17, the narrator describes how the Martians have taken possession of England:
And beyond, over the blue hills that rise southward of the river, the glittering Martians went to and fro, calmly and methodically spreading their poison-cloud over this patch of country and then over that, laying it again with their steam-jets when it had served its purpose, and taking possession of the conquered country. They do not seem to have aimed at extermination so much as at complete demoralization and the destruction of any opposition. [...] They were hamstringing mankind.
In this passage, the "glittering Martians" seem grand and lofty. Up close, these creatures terrify the narrator, but from a distance, he can appreciate the sheer brilliance of their technology. The aliens also "calmly and methodically" commit violent acts. These two tendencies—of appearing grand, calm, and methodical while killing hundreds or thousands of people—reflect those of many colonizers. Europeans who colonized Africa and the Americas abused their economic and technological power to take advantage of many developing nations.
Related Themes:
