One of the most well known books written by H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, is more than just a very good work of science fiction. Not only does it show how weak man might be in the event of an alien invasion, but also symbolically it reflects how the white European men have regarded those of "inferior" races. In this case the aliens would be the European men; the humans would symbolize the "inferior" races. Like the Europeans, the aliens systematically wiped out those they considered inferior to make room for themselves and their "superior" civilization. Many literary elements were important to and supported this theme of the story.
One important aspect to this story is point of view. A survivor of the alien invasion told this s
tory in the first person. The story (for the most part) is told from one character and what he went through. This point of view puts the reader in the narrator's shoes. The reader sees what the narrator sees, feels what the narrator feels, and hears what the narrator hears. This puts the reader in the midst of the action.
No less important to the story than point of view and plot is its setting. The story takes place in southern England in the late 1800s, in the country around and the city of London. The weapons used by the men of the time did not stand much of a chance against the highly advanced weapons of the aliens. This played an important role in the story. Also important is the fact that the story took place on an island-country. This concentrated the threat p
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