Topic Eight (1.8): The Set Novel (1)

It is helpful and important to gain an overview of the social, historical and political context of the novel before studying. One of the Assessment Objectives asks for students to “demonstrate their understanding of the ways in which understanding of a text is informed by their understanding of context.” Understanding a bit of background will also help you to gain a deeper insight into the novel’s themes and the issues it addresses. It will also help you to gain a greater understanding of Wells’s purpose and message.

 Links

Before you start reading, then, take a look at the following websites, which will introduce you to some of this key information.

READ - H. G. Wells (Britannica) Links to an external site.

READ - H. G. Wells (Wikipedia) Links to an external site.

READ - The War of the Worlds (Britannica) Links to an external site.

Make notes on the following key points (using your own words as far as possible):

  • Wells’s life and background.
  • His other literary work, particularly science fiction, and its major themes.
  • The social and political context of the novel.

Before you start reading the novel in the OUP World’s Classics edition, make sure you take a close look at the maps on pp.xxxvii-xxxviii. As the maps make clear, every location in the novel is a real place in the South of England – so think about the effect on its first readers of hearing about places they knew and loved destroyed by Martians and their war machines.

Some of the towns mentioned in the novel are very proud of their part in it: Woking has even erected a statue of a Martian fighting machine in a shopping street!

READ – The Martian (AtlasObscura) Links to an external site.

 Read

Now read Book I Chapters I-XII of The War of the Worlds (pp.7-60) once more. (Make sure you refer to the notes at the end of the book, as these will explain unfamiliar words and concepts, and keep you aware of the locations of the novel.) You should make notes on your impressions of the characters and story as you go along. The questions below will help guide your notes, but you can develop these further if you wish.

 Download

You can use this summary table Download summary table to keep your notes organised.

 Interact

At the end of each chapter, write a brief summary of what has happened and what you have learned about each character. It will be helpful to consider the following ideas:

  • The key plot points in that chapter.
  • First impressions of the characters and key quotations that help support those impressions
  • The main characters of the novel include:
    • The narrator
    • His wife
    • His brother
    • The curate
    • The artilleryman
    • Ogilvy
    • The Martians
  • How your impressions of each character change/develop as you read each chapter and reasons for this. Why are so many characters unnamed? What is the effect of this?
  • Your impressions of the setting.
  • Your impressions of the author’s style.
  • How the novel’s key themes are introduced and developed.

It is helpful to get into the habit of writing down short quotations from the novel that you can use as evidence to support your ideas.

 Links

Read the summaries of Chapters 1-12 found in Spark Notes.

READ - About The War of the Worlds (SparkNotes) Links to an external site.

Use the information to add more detail to your chapter summary table.

In addition to commenting on the language Wells uses, you will be expected to refer to his authorial techniques. You can find out more about this here:

EXPLORE – The War of the Worlds Analysis (shmoop) Links to an external site. (NB. This link contains plot spoilers.)

EXPLORE – The War of the Worlds Themes (shmoop) Links to an external site.

Assignment

When you are fully prepared and feel confident with the material, you should complete Assignment One and submit it to your tutor for marking and feedback. 
Remember that you must not copy directly from any resources you use in your research. You may use the information to help shape your ideas, but copying or lifting material counts as plagiarism and this will result in being awarded zero for your work.