Answer TWO of the following...
Q1: In Chapter 2, “From
the Ruined House,” the narrator discusses Martian anatomy and evolution,
explaining (among other things), that “is it quite credible that the Martians
may be descended from beings not unlike ourselves, by a gradual development of
brain and hands...at the expense of the rest of the body” (127). Why is this
passage significant for the metaphor of Wells’ book? What fate does this
predict for mankind if it continues along current lines of development?
Q2: In a shocking passage,
the narrator more or less kills the Curate. Why does he do this, and does this
symbolize the last gasp of civilization for the narrator (and mankind)? Have
the laws of God and man finally broken down in this passage—and have the
Martians ‘won’?
Q3: At one point, the Man
on Putney Hill wants to create a secret stash of books, but "not novels
and poetry swipes, but ideas, science books" (Ch.7). Why does he place so little value on
imaginative literature and so great a value on scientific literature? If there was a global catastrophe,
should we save the art as well as the science?
Q4: In the Epilogue, the
narrator reflects that "We have learned now that we cannot regard this
planet as being fenced in and a secure abiding-place for Man; we can never
anticipate the unseen good or evil that may come upon us suddenly from
space." Though talking about Mars,
how might this also reflect on Britain England
1)The narrator goes into great detail about the Martians and how they evolved, which is probably a pretty good indicator that Wells is trying to tell us something. I think he is warning us about just becoming detached brains and becoming too dependent on technology. The narrator is perplexed that the Martians' machines didn't even have a wheel; I saw that as a possible metaphor for technology taking over and being in complete control, when humans are no longer even needed to control or guide technology.
ReplyDelete4) This is entire book is somewhat of an eerie prediction of what is to come for Britain. Not even twenty years after this book was published, England was caught in the First World War. I think this idea probably scared Wells more than an alien invasion; this war was waged on our own world, by its own people. He could very well have been warning England of what it might be bringing upon itself.
Ashley Bean
ReplyDelete1. It shows that they really aren’t so different. The Martians are a direct reflection of the humans, and possibly gives them a peek into their future. Humans value technology and science over the arts, and that could shift the adaptations and evolution of humans, like the Martians. Brain and brawn aren’t separate or mutually exclusive, they are both important. Humans can go in many directions for the future, and this is an important turning point.
3. He’s probably thinking, after seeing the Martians, that science and technology is the most important thing that they should worry about. But really, in order to progress scientifically, you need to imagine the impossible, which is just one way that fiction is so necessary. The arts and sciences go hand in hand, especially in this book. Wells, I think, is trying to emphasize this point. He’s writing a book about the first aliens, which is seemingly impossible, and yet we think that WWI was influenced by this fiction. The arts broaden perspectives and are just as necessary as the sciences.
1.) I see the necessary description of the aliens as a little different than what we discussed. While it does detach us from the human form, it says something that we don't want to admit about our own form - that it is essentially flawed. While we parade about thinking we are the perfect gift of anatomy, something that has transformed into nothing more than a head and appendages is far more advanced than we are. This is actually a more positive - in my opinion - prediction for mankind, as it has made them far more adaptable and intelligent. However, the downside is the aggression from the aliens, but we express that same kind of aggression towards what we think is a "lower life form." For example, almost every child I've ever known as decided to go step on a bunch of ant hills for no good reason other than their superior size and capability.
ReplyDelete3.) By getting rid of the novels, poetry, etc., he would be getting rid of any means of romanticizing the notion that nothing like this (the attack from Mars) could ever happen again. He is stating that the need for sciences and ideas to be the key literature in the future is what could possibly save the future, but the idleness of fantasizing will not help the race prevail at all.
Elyse Marquardt
ReplyDeleteQ1: Wells is making a point here that we could easily become like the Martians if we continue down the path we have set for ourselves. We keep developing new technologies to "ease" our lifestyles, when in reality they are merely inventions to eliminate the uses of the faculties we are currently in possession of: imagination, creativity, sensitivity, compassion, etc. Wells is warning us that, if we continue to cut off all that makes us human, we will eventually end up like the Martians. We will be emotionless masses of cold intellect, machines for thinking processes and nothing else.
Q2: I believe the narrator allows the Curate to be killed because he realizes that sacrifice must be made. In a way, he is beginning to think like the Martians. For a moment he becomes a machine of logic, thinking only that in order for one to survive, another must die. As the Martians' reign of terror spreads over England, mankind does indeed start becoming more like the Martians with each passing day. We see this in the narrator's startling killing of the Curate, and we see it in the chilling plans of the artilleryman to eliminate all that makes us emotional, sensitive humans in favor of overcoming the Martians. This is very "Planet of the Apes"-esque, as we see the humans starting to become the very things that they are fighting.
Elyse Marquardt
Ugh. I had half of my response typed out and I accidentally pushed the button that holds the battery in on my laptop so it erased all of the first half. Dumb.
ReplyDelete1. I think the brains and hands are a warning sign that this is what we could potentially become one day, but I also think it's a visual that all we need is our mind and our capabilities. But if we do away with the enjoyable things in life, like the arts, we will become martians with brains and hands. We discussed the video game/netflix binge thing today, but I think those are both artful in the way that video games are just one big interactive form of art and movies are drama--so I don't think binging on those things would necessarily make us martians since we are appreciating the art of them. Aliens wouldn't do that!
3. From a business standpoint, if you can personally collect art in the time of a catastrophic disaster, you should do it. Imagine how valuable a Lada Gaga song would be 50 years after anyone had heard it. And that's just a generic piece of art, imagine something like a Greek sculpture or French painting or texts that are lying in a museum right now! They'd be coveted items. So I think that the arts wouldn't be a necessity, but I don't think that someone would forget them, necessarily. A book on survival would probably be more valuable in the sense of necessity in a time like this. Also, like we discussed in class, it's things like Star Wars that influenced the sped-up production of electronics. I remember the students on Degrassi in like 2005 carrying giant phones--if they hadn't broadcast that technology, would teenagers today be carrying the web in their pocket? Art promotes science. That should be in a textbook.
Q1:Wells is worried about the movement toward a total removal from the flesh. While humans are creatures of the flesh, many individuals feel that life would be better if the brain and intelligence won. While this sounds like a good plan, it is important to look closely at the depiction of the Martians. We are repulsed by them at first sight; the narrator characterizes their kind of intelligence as "a mere selfish intelligence, without any of the emotional substratum of the human being" (127). It becomes clear, then, that the lifestyle of the Martians is not to be admired or elevated. We must be careful not to enter a world in which we are nothing but walking brains.
ReplyDeleteQ4: The British Empire, which is seen as "the greatest power in the world," (152) probably did view itself as its own earth. Wells is sending an ominous warning that the empire isn't as stable and safe as they would like to believe, because they are destroying themselves from within. This story has pointed out several flaws within English society, with the most emphasis placed on the monstrosity of conquest. One day, the empire may fall victim to the very acts it has carried out for decades.
Q1: The Martians seem like brains to me. They’re big, round, squishy things with tentacles to move things. They are a species that has evolved towards greater intelligence, but lost their bodies in the process. In Wells’ time, the world was becoming less “hands on” and more technological. All humans really needed was intelligence sufficient enough to make a machine that could perform certain functions for them. British citizens viewed themselves as more evolved than other races, and the Martians are a hypothetical evolution far beyond that of the British subjects. This shows that being more “evolved” can also turn you into a monster.
ReplyDeleteQ4: As far as the British were concerned, Britain was invincible and any kind of danger was so far away that it no longer felt real. The British would also go off and colonize rural civilizations that knew little of the outside world. This Epilogue drives home the idea that no matter how strong you are, no matter how advanced you are, or how detached you are from the rest of the word, your home can be invaded.
Q1: The anatomy of the martians is significant because it shows a potential evolutionary track for human beings. People say that the only thing that separates men from dogs are our highly developed brains and opposable thumbs. That is all the martians are: brains and hands. The rest of our body's are the animal part of humanity. The part that needs food and water and procreates. Wells is trying to tell us that if we continue on the path we are on, especially the upstanding British gentlemen and ladies, who did nothing all day that involved physical labor, we would become unsympathetic, weak beings who don't have much to do for entertainment or enrichment.
ReplyDeleteQ4: Britain saw the world in the nineteenth century like it owned all of it. Wells is saying that the world could rise up at any minute and decide that it doesn't want to be owned by one country. Wells wanted Britain to realize that it wasn't the center of the universe and bad things could indeed happen to it.
Q3. I think the narrator is criticizing the Man on Putney Hill for putting little value on novels imaginative literature. He thinks that the only way to beat the Martians is to out smart them, which is true. However, you need more than just intellect. You need the body to move and people to do the “dirty” work. He puts so much on just the scientist but he leaves out the people who bring reality to light. Sometimes humanity can get lost in science and fact, but do not look at the past and present social issues. I definitely think art will be saved in a global catastrophe because it has lasted longer than anything. Art should be saved because it speaks our culture. Without art, we have no culture.
ReplyDeleteQ4. I think that Britain was so sure of themselves and their ability to take over everybody smaller than others. Using Mars as a more powerful being allows Britain to see that they are fallible. That although these beings appear to be lower class because of their appearance, their intellect is what makes them better than the British. England was so sure of their abilities, yet they fell so quickly. The book really highlights what could happen because the British think they are too good for the rest of the world.