War of the Worlds

Penguin Readers
Chapter by Chapter
http://www.penguinreaders.com/pdf/downloads/pr/teachers-notes/9781405880213.pdf
http://www.penguinreaders.com/pdf/downloads/pr/activity-worksheets/9781405880213.pdf
http://penguin.longmanhomeusa.com/content/9781405865241_AK.pdf

Contents
About the author:....................................................................................................................... 3
Summary:................................................................................................................................... 3
Background and themes:........................................................................................................... 3
Pre-reading activities:................................................................................................................. 3
Introduction:............................................................................................................................... 3
Vocabulary activities............................................................................................................... 3
Chapters 1 2............................................................................................................................ 3
Vocabulary activities............................................................................................................... 3
Chapters 3 4............................................................................................................................ 3
Vocabulary activities............................................................................................................... 3
Progress test........................................................................................................................... 3
Chapter 1 3 Reading activities.............................................................................................. 3
Chapters 5 6............................................................................................................................ 3
Vocabulary activities............................................................................................................... 3
Chapter 4 6 Reading activities.............................................................................................. 3
Chapters 7 8............................................................................................................................ 3
Vocabulary activities............................................................................................................... 3
Progress test........................................................................................................................... 3
Chapters 7 9 Reading activities............................................................................................ 3
Chapters 9 10.......................................................................................................................... 3
Vocabulary activities............................................................................................................... 3
Progress test........................................................................................................................... 3
Chapters 11 12........................................................................................................................ 3
Vocabulary activities............................................................................................................... 3
Progress test........................................................................................................................... 3
Chapter 10 12 Reading activities.......................................................................................... 3
Chapters 13 15........................................................................................................................ 3
Vocabulary activities............................................................................................................... 3
Progress test........................................................................................................................... 3
Chapter 13 15 Reading activities.......................................................................................... 3
Extra activities........................................................................................................................... 3
Writing........................................................................................................................................ 3
Themes...................................................................................................................................... 3
Foreignness and the other.................................................................................................... 3
Warfare................................................................................................................................... 3
Rules and order....................................................................................................................... 3

Community.............................................................................................................................. 3
Exile........................................................................................................................................ 3
Power...................................................................................................................................... 3
Foolishness and folly............................................................................................................... 3
Fear......................................................................................................................................... 3
Technology and modernization................................................................................................ 3
Fate and free will..................................................................................................................... 3
Word list..................................................................................................................................... 3

About the author:

H.G. Wells was born in England in 1866. After a number of unsuccessful years working in a shop, he left
work to study biology in 1883. He later became a teacher, but he was not suited to this work either and
so decided to become a full-time writer in 1893. His first novel, The Time Machine, was published in
1895. In it, Wells criticizes British society and warns that human progress is not inevitable. His next
novels, The Island of Dr Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898), all
question the relationship between man and science and are regarded as science fiction classics. Wells
used his position as a well known and popular author to try to change society for the better. After the
First World War (191418) Wells became increasingly involved in politics at an international level. He
worked for the League of Nations an organization whose main objective was to prevent another war
on the scale of the last. He met with important leaders, including Lenin, and worked in the Labour party
in Britain. His high profile political career continued through the next decades until his death in 1946.
Wells lived through the Second World War in his house in central London, refusing to let the war force
him from his home.

Summary:
The War of the Worlds is one of the most important science fiction classics of all time. It tells the story
of Martians arriving on Earth with a plan to destroy human life and make the planet their own. The story
is reported directly by a survivor of the Martian war a writer, whose name we never learn. One
summer night, at the end of the nineteenth century, a strange cylinder falls to Earth near the English
town of Woking. Few people are interested at first, but then the end of the cylinder unscrews and a
strange, grey creature a Martian emerges. Within minutes the Martians are attacking people with
rays of heat, which destroy everything in their path. When the Martians start moving towards London
and the news spreads, the population panics. Within days there are six million refugees fighting to
escape London. Thousands of people are being killed every day and the Martians are only becoming
stronger. Just when things seem most desperate, the writer discovers that the Martians are being killed
by Earths germs. Against the odds he is reunited with his wife and left to reflect upon the huge
influence that the war has had upon humankind

Background and themes:

The War of the Worlds is set in and around London at the end of the nineteenth century. At this time,
Britain was the most powerful country in the world. It had made great advances in trade and science in
the Victorian era and people felt confident and optimistic about the future.
Scientific progress: In The War of the Worlds, Wells warns the reader against such complacency. He
urges that advances in scientific understanding should not be taken for granted, and predicts the
negative effect upon society that technological advances might have if they are not used responsibly or
intelligently.
Future scientific inventions: When The War of the Worlds was written, wars were fought between
men on the ground. But Wells depicts the horrors of a war fought with giant fighting machines, flying
machines and chemical weapons. Less than twenty years later these horrors became reality when
Europe was ripped apart by the First World War (191418). Sometimes called the first modern war, the
First World War used tanks, aeroplanes and chemical weapons with disastrous effects on both sides.
Fight for survival: As well as the science of war, Wells considers the effects of such large-scale
destruction upon society. When men are forced to fight for survival, society breaks down. The books
description of the panic that sweeps through London, as people steal and fight to save their own lives,
is frightening because it is realistic. But amongst the chaos, Wells portrays individual acts of kindness
and bravery. The book tells us that human beings have the potential to be good if they try.

Pre-reading activities:
Discuss: The War of the Worlds is one of the most famous science fiction stories of all time. Ask the
class to give you names of other famous science fiction stories from literature, film or television.
Students then work in pairs to write a short description of a famous science fiction story but without
mentioning the title or main character. Each pair then reads their description out loud and the rest of
the class tries to guess the title of the story.
Research: Using available books and the Internet students look for the latest information regarding the
possibility of intelligent life in the universe and, more specifically, the possibility of life on Mars. Each
student writes down the most interesting piece of information discovered and reads it to the class.

Introduction:
Discuss: Ask students: What kind of books do you like reading? Have you read science fiction before?
What authors have you read? Do you think that H.G. Wells, who wrote this novel more than a hundred
years ago, will be as interesting as a modern writer?
In 1938, Orson Welless radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds had an unexpected effect on its
listeners. Ask the students if they know about it. If not, can they guess what happened? After you have
solicited the students ideas, ask them to read the Introduction (pages vvii). Did anyone guess
correctly? Could the same thing happen today? Why/why not?
Discuss: Ask students to read the first two sentences in italics at the beginning of the Introduction.
Then say to students: All the Martian cylinders land in England. Why do you think that the Martians
chose that country? What country would they choose today?

Vocabulary activities
Complete the following sentences by matching the beginnings and endings [These are correct below]
These creatures have weapons that

no human being has ever known

Wells understood a great deal about

human behaviour and the psychology of terror

Wells was given a free place at college

While Wells recovered from an accident
Wellss first novel was
Wells fell in love with Moura Budgerd,
When Orson Wells made a radio broadcast of The
War of the Worlds
Wells lived through

to study science
he had time to write.
The Time Machine
his translator
people thought it was real and they panicked
two world wars

Chapters 1 2
Although the people of Earth do not know it, they are being watched by Mars. Mars, a planet that is
older than Earth, is also growing colder with age, and the Martians want to come to Earth to live. The
Martians fire missiles at Earth as they begin the first stage of their attack. The writer of the story says
one night he went to the house of Ogilvy, an astronomer, and saw a flash on Mars through a telescope.
It was a second missile that the Martians had fired. A few nights later Ogilvy sees what he thinks is a
meteorite falling on Horsell Common and he goes out to investigate. He discovers an enormous cylinder
in a pit, and he realizes that it is hollow and that there may be someone inside. Ogilvy tells a journalist
and soon a great crowd of people comes to see the strange object.

After reading:
Discuss: Ask students to look up the word complacency in their dictionaries. Then ask students: Why
do you think that people in England did not believe in threats from other planets at the end of the
nineteenth century? Do people still feel as safe today as when the novel was written?
Role play: In pairs. Students take the roles of the writer and Ogilvy as they look through the telescope
at Mars and see a flash on the planet. Students are encouraged to see more than is reported in the
story.
Write: Students write a newspaper paragraph with information about the arrival of the cylinder on
Horsell Common. Who, what, where, when, are questions that need to be answered. Ask students to
think of a headline that will get readers attention. Students read out their headlines to the class.

Vocabulary activities
Are these statements about Mars true (T) or false (F) according to the book?
Mars receives half the light and heat from the sun that our world does.
Mars is younger than our world.
Life on Marss surface began a long time before this Earth cooled down.
Mars has air but no water.
Mars is getting warmer all the time
The oceans of Mars cover two thirds of its surface
The end of all life is an immediate problem for the Martians.
Martians mathematical knowledge appears to be much more developed
than ours.
A great light was seen in 1894, on the surface of Mars.

True

False

Read this paragraph about Chapter 2. There are 10 wrong words. Write the correct words
(a) Ogilvy was the last (first) person to see the Thing. (b) He got up soon (early) to find it. (c) When
he found the Thing he saw the top of the box (cylinder) beginning to turn. (d) He thought that
someone was trying to hide (escape) and he wanted to help. (e) The Thing was too dirty (hot) and
he couldnt get his hands on it. (f ) He ran to Woking and told some tourists (local people) but
nobody believed him. (g) Then he saw Henderson, the astronomer (journalist), and told him the
news. (h) He said that a meteorite (cylinder) had landed. (i) But Henderson was deaf in both ears
(one ear) and he couldnt hear him. (j) After visiting the Thing again, Henderson and Ogilvy went to
the post office (railway station) to send a telegram to London.

Chapters 3 4
The cylinder opens and the Martians appear. Their tentacles give them the appearance of snakes, and
their round, dark bodies are similar to the bodies of bears. The crowd is afraid and runs away but later
that night people come back to look again. Suddenly, an invisible ray from a round object above the pit
sets men and trees on fire. The writer runs away. In the pit the Martians are making machines equipped
with these Heat-Rays. A second cylinder falls nearby in Woking. The Army arrives and begins to shoot
field guns against the two cylinders. The writer, his wife and servant, leave their house and go to the
village of Leatherhead. However, most people in England do not realize the danger and continue to live
as usual.

Before reading
Predict with artwork: Have students read the title to Chapter 3, The Cylinder Opens. Ask them to
imagine what the Martians will look like and draw a picture. Students will then show their pictures to
the class and name the various parts of the body. Students will vote for the picture they think is most
Martian. Be sure to tell students that the cover picture is not that of the Martians, but of their
machines.

After reading
Write: Chapter 2 begins with the main character sitting in his comfortable English home and writing in
his study. By the end of Chapter 3 he is alone on a blackened common and running for his life. In pairs,
students write a different story but they must start and end with these key scenes. Walk round the class
and help students as they write. Finally, choose some of the students to read out their stories to the
rest of the class.
Check predictions with artwork: Ask students to compare Wells description of the Martians on
pages 89 with the pictures they have drawn. Students can draw a picture of the Martians according to
Wellss description. Then ask them whose description they prefer, that of Wells or that of the artwork
they voted for.
Role play: Tell students that on page 13 there are arguments that Ogilvy made against the possibility
of the Martians capturing the Earth. There are also objections to his argument. Put the students into
pairs, one taking the role of Ogilvy, the other the role of the writer. They have an argument for and
against the possibility of the Martians capturing the Earth. They should also make up new arguments.
Students will judge who has made the most convincing argument.

Vocabulary activities
Recall: Read Chapter 3 carefully then close the book. How much can you remember about the
Martians? What do they look like? How did they arrive? Write as much as you can.
Choose the correct answer:
Choose the correct word
The newspaper reports of the
Martian attacks are
The writer borrows a horse and
cart so he can
The writer hides from the
tripods in
Both the writer and the soldier
are
I ran crying

frightening

unbelievable

inaccurate

escape

attack the
martians

go home

the common

his house

Woking
station

exhausted

safe

burnt

loudly

quietly

silently

as a child might
do

A Martian would weigh

three

five

times more on
Earth than on
Mars.

eight

Progress test
Are these statements true or false?
True
The first thing that came out of the cylinder was a man, a little like a person
on Earth.
Ogilvy, Stent, Henderson, and others went to the pit waving a white flag.
The writers wife didnt believe what he told her about the Martians.
At night a light-ray swept around the common and the Heat-Ray followed it.
At about eleven, soldiers came, but they didnt take the situation very
seriously
The milkman thought the Martians should all be killed.

False

Chapter 1 3
Reading activities
Before you read
1. Look at the word list and answer these questions:
a. Are germs visible if you look at them through a telescope?
b. When there is a sudden threat of terrible destruction, do people panic?
c. Are astronomers interested in the laws of gravity and in meteorites?

No
Yes
Yes

2. Writing at the end of the nineteenth century, H. G. Wells had to think of a way for the Martians
to travel. Which of these methods do you think he uses to send their spaceship from Mars to
Earth?
a. It is fired out of a large gun
b. It uses a jet engine, which burns gas
c. It uses the suns energy
3. Find London, the grey area on the map.
a. Is Woking south or north of London?
South
b. Is Barnet south or north of London?
North
c. Which is closer to London, Richmond or Stanmore?
Richmond

While you read

1. What information does the writer give us in Chapter 1? Are these sentences True or False?
Mars is cooler and darker than Earth
Mars is older than Earth
Mars is seven times larger than Earth
Martians are not as intelligent as people on Earth
Mars will soon be too cold for life to continue there.

True

False

2. Ovilvy, the astronomer, is the first person to see the Martian cylinder. Put these events in the
correct order that they happen in Chapter 2: (These are in the correct order below)
a. He hears movement
b. He climbs down into the pit
c. He realises that the cylinder is hollow
d. He tries to help the thing in the cylinder
e. He runs to Woking
f. He meets some local people
3. Circle
a.
b.
c.
d.

the correct words as you read Chapter 3:

The Thing from Mars is the shape of a meteorite / cylinder
When the lid falls onto the sand, everyone expects to see a Martian / man
The big, greyish round creatures have long heads / tentacles
A group of men with a white flag approach the pit because they want to talk to / kill the
creatures
e. The Martians kill many men with their ray of light / swords
f. The writer says that he runs from the common and the fires / stillness around him

After you read

1. Discuss how the writers feelings about his own safety change in this part of the book. Why?
He feels nervous interest, then worry, then fear and horror after the deaths of Ogilvy
and the others.
2. In Wells opinion, how do people behave when they are faced with an unknown threat? Do you
agree or disagree with him?
Work with another student. Have this conversation:
Student A:
You are the writer at the end of Chapter 3. Make a phone call to a newspaper and
describe what has happened
Student B:
You are the reporter at the newspaper. Ask some questions to get the full story.

Chapters 5 6
After leaving his wife and servant in Leatherhead the writer returns to his house. As he comes to his
village the writer sees a flash of light, it is the third Martian cylinder that has landed on Earth. Then he
sees two enormous tripods that are walking toward the third cylinder. The writer meets a soldier who
tells him that the Army field gun team had been destroyed by the Heat-Ray from the Martians tripod.
The writer and the soldier decide to go north to London to escape from the Martians. They arrive at the
River Thames where an excited crowd is trying to cross the water. Suddenly several Martian tripods
appear. The writer escapes in a boat and meets a curate, who is confused by the destruction. Together
they continue toward London.

After reading
Write: In these chapters, the main character makes several important decisions which save his life.
Ask students to work in small groups and make a list of these decisions and actions. Finally, ask each of
the groups in turn to read out one item on their list. Encourage classroom discussion of each item and
draw the students attention to the similarities and differences between the groups lists.
Artwork and discuss: The description of the tripod is on page 18. Have students draw a picture of the
tripod and then ask them: Why do you think that readers at the end of the nineteenth century and at
the beginning of the twentieth century would think that the tripod is so horrible? Are there any
similarities with contemporary conceptions of machines and beings from outer space, such as Darth
Vader?
Role play: Tell students: You will take the roles of the soldier that the writer meets and a newspaper
reporter. The reporter asks the soldier about what happened to the field gun team. The soldier tells the
reporter the information that is in the first full paragraph on page 21. The reporter also asks the soldier
what he thinks will happen. The soldier will try to predict what will happen to the Martians. Listen to the
pairs as they speak and help with pronunciation and intonation.
Role play: Put students into pairs. Student A is the curate who does not understand what is happening
and asks the Martian, What does it mean? Student B is a Martian and gives an explanation of why they
have come to Earth and are destroying buildings and killing people.

Vocabulary activities
What happens next?
Put these events in the correct order: (These are in the correct order, here)
The writer returned to Horsell Common.
The end of the cylinder was being screwed out from within.
Everyone expected a man to come out.
The creature fell over the edge of the cylinder and into the pit.
The invisible ray killed the group with the white flag.
Two men and a woman laughed at the writer.
The writer and his wife left their house and went to Maybury.

Chapter 4 6
Reading activities
Before you read
1. Which
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

of these sentences describe what will happen next? Why do you think that?
As the news of the deaths on the common spreads, people panic and start to run away.
The writer has to leave his home because of the Martian threat.
The Martians build large fighting machines and kill more people.
The army attacks the Martians and moves them back from London.
There are no more arrivals from Mars.
The Martians want to speak to people in government in London.

While you read

1. Put these events from Chapter 4 in the correct order: (These are in the correct order, here)
a. The writer arrives home and tells his shocked wife what he has seen
b. People who crawled near the Martians pit are killed by their invisible light-ray
c. A company of soldiers comes through Horsell and spreads out around the common
d. A second cylinder falls from the sky
e. The writer meets some engineers under the railway bridge and they ask him questions
f. The writer reads inaccurate descriptions in the newspapers about the deaths of Stent,
Henderson, Ogilvy and the others
g. People in Chertsey fire guns into the wood where the second cylinder has fallen
h. The Maritans destroy the Oriental College, so the writer decides to leave the town with
his wife and servant.
2. Are these sentences true or false?
True

The writer thinks that London will be safe

The officer believes everything that the soldier and the writer tell
him
People in Byfleet are packing and getting ready to leave town when
the writer arrives there
The writer tells others to jump into the river because he wants to
save them from the terrible Heat-Ray
After the creatures head explodes, it continues marching and
knocks down a church tower.

False

After you read

1. Who is speaking and to whom? What are they talking about?
a. Its no kindness to your wife for you to get killed
The soldier is talking to the writer, saying that he should not go straight across country
to get back to Leatherhead
b. You are the first people Ive seen coming this way this morning
The officer is talking to the soldier and the writer when they meet in the woods
c. I was explaining that these are valuable
An old man is talking to the writer about his flower-pots; he doesnt understand the
dangerous situation they are in.
d. You have been asking for water for the last hour
The curate is talking to the writer, when he wakes up and asks for water
e. Things have changed! You must stay calm. There is still hope
The writer is talking to the curate who is on the edge of madness and is asking if the
creatures have taken over the Earth

Chapters 7 8
The writers younger brother lives in London. During the weekend, reports about the Martians have
come slowly to the city. The writers brother is very worried about his brother and his family. On Monday
morning there is panic in the streets. People say that the Martians are coming with a Black Smoke that
poisons and kills. The writer sees the Martians using the Black Smoke as they approach London. The
Martians use the Black Smoke when they cannot see who they are fighting; otherwise they use the
Heat-Ray.

After reading
Discuss: When people are in extreme difficulty or danger they act in ways which they would not
usually. Ask students to find examples from these three chapters. Can they think of any other examples
from their own experiences or from true stories they have heard? Finally ask the class if they think that
people act better or worse under such circumstances. What is the most popular viewpoint?
Write: Have students look up declaration and martial law in their dictionaries. Tell students: You are
the Prime Minister and you have decided to declare martial law in London. You must write a declaration
to the citizens of London telling them what they can and cannot do. Students read their declarations of
martial law to the class and then vote on most convincing example.
Write: Tell students: You are the writers brother and you are going to send a telegram telling your
brother what is happening in London. But there are two conditions, you dont have very much money
and you dont want to alarm your brother. So, your telegram must be short, informative, and optimistic.
Students vote on the most amusing telegram. (There is the possibility of humorous telegrams because
of the contrast between the conditions in London and the need to be optimistic.)
Research and debate: Remind students that Wellss stories predicted many future scientific
inventions. One of them is the Black Smoke. Have students use the library or Internet to research the
mustard gas used in the First World War. Topics include: The effects of poison gas; which country first
used poison gas in the war; if more than one country used it; whether it was considered illegal
according to the rules of war, and why. With the saying Alls fair in love and war as a debatable theme,
and the history of nuclear and biological weapons as a backdrop, students can debate the morality of
the use of poison gas.

Vocabulary activities
Answer these questions:
1. Where does the writer want to escape to? Leatherhead / South Coast / another country
2. Why does the soldier want to go to London? To rejoin his company
3. How many tripods does the army hit? One
4. Where does the writer meet the curate? By the river near Walton
5. Where has the curate escaped from? Weybridge
6. How do the Martians react when one of them is hit? What does this suggest? Does it make you
feel differently about them?

Progress test
Choose the words in the box to answer these questions. Not all words in box will be used.
pub owner
thunder

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Death
tripod

soldier
curate

white
captain

pink

What colour was the face of the writers wife when he returned to Maybury? White
What burst like a gun overhead? Thunder
What was stepping over trees? Tripod
Whose body did the writer find? Pub owner
Who came into the writers garden? Soldier
Who did the writer say was coming to the old man? Death

Choose the best answer:

Choose the best
answer
The soldier suggested going
towards London where
In Byfleet the soldiers were
telling people to leave and
helping them to
Four Martian machines
disappeared, far away over
the
When some shells were fired
at the Martians and missed,
the fourth shell
The curate told the writer

he could look for his

family

he could hide from

the Martians

he could rejoin his

company

pack their belongings

load their carts

find food for the trip

low trees towards

Chertsey

burned house

River

went past and hit the

river

almost hit it

exploded right in
its face

to come and hide in

the church

that the church was

still standing

that the church was

destroyed by the
Martians.

Chapters 7 9
Reading activities
Before you read
1.

Discuss these questions:

a. The events in the early part of the story have taken place southwest of London. What do
you think will happen in Chapter 7?
b. How will the government react to the Martians, do you think?
c. How will news of their arrival spread?

While you read

1. Circle the correct ending for each sentence:

The Martians communicate with each other by

The more experienced fighters are the men
from

Select the best answer

waving their
howling
humming
tentacles
Ripley

Walton

Weybridge

When the writer and the curate see the

fighting machines, the writer

begins
running

crawls into
some
bushes

fires a gun

The cylinders inside the Martians tubes

contain

water

missiles

poisonous
smoke

a hospital tent

London

defeated by
the Martians

all dead

The writer and the curate escape to

By Sunday night, the people, the organised
opposition and the government are

an empty
house
beginning to
win the battle

2. What happens to the writers brother? Match the two halves of these sentences: (These are
correct, here)
After he tried unsuccessfully to
get on a train at Chalk Farm
After he leaves the bicycle with
the broken front wheel
After he tries to rescue two
women and has a fight
After he hears the womens
plans to catch a train at St.
Albans
After he gets the women
through Barnet

he manages to take a bicycle from a shop

he manages to get some food at a pub
he is given a gun by the younger woman
he manages to persuade the younger woman to drive to
Harwich and leave the country
he manages to turn to the east and climb a hill

After you read

1. Discuss the way the news of the Martians was reported in the newspapers and how the public
reacted .How were six million Londoners informed of the attack?
2. How well do you think the British government handled this attack from Mars? Would a modern
government be better prepared in a situation of this type?
3. Work with another student. Have this conversation:
Student A:
You are the writers brother. You have reached the hill with the two women and
you are
exhausted. It is evening and someone who is going in the direction from which you came has
stopped. Answer his / her questions from your own experience and from what people are saying
Student B:
You are on your way to Barnet. Ask the writers brother questions about what he
saw there. Try to get as much information from him as you can.

Chapters 9 10
The government tells the people of London to leave the city. Six million people leave the capital. Many
go to the east coast of England to take a boat to the Continent. The writers brother meets two women
whom he helps and they get on a steamboat. The Thunder Child, an English warship, attacks three
Martian tripods that appear on the coast. The Martians use Black Smoke and the Heat-Ray against the
warship, but the Thunder Child knocks down two tripods. The warship explodes as the steamboat with
the writer and the two women on board escapes.

Before reading
Guess: Ask students to guess what the title of the chapter, The Thunder Child, might mean. Each
student will explain what it could be and how it will affect the story.
Guess: The beginning of Chapter 10 says that the Martians could have killed the whole population of
London on Monday. But they did not. Ask students to guess why the Martians did not and what they
think the Martians are going to do.

After reading
Write: Students take the point of view of either the brother of the writer or Mrs Elphinstone. The
brother writes a letter to the writer describing the two women, and how he feels about them. The two
women write a letter to the doctor, Mrs Elphinstones husband who is also the young womans brother,
describing the writers brother and how they feel about him, and perhaps how they feel about each
other. Choose one or two of the best letters to be read to class.

Vocabulary activities
Match the sentences to the correct endings:
The Martians communicated to each other by
The Ripley gunners
The fallen Martian used its voice, and immediately
One of its three legs
Seven Martians spread out, at equal distances
between Weybridge and Ripley, each carrying
The writer crawled into some bushes
The tubes were used to fire large cylinders that,
when they hit the ground
The smoke was heavy and when it began to sink
down it

loud howls
had never been in action before
a second one answered it
had been broken
a thick black tube
by the side of the road
let out an enormous amount of thick black smoke
behaved like a liquid

Progress test
Choose names from the box to answer these questions
Mr Elphinstone
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Who
Who
Who
Who
Who

Writers brother

Mrs Elphinstone

Miss Elphinstone

is George? Mr Elphinstone
is the doctors wife? Mrs Elphinstone
is the doctors sister? Miss Elphinstone
steals a bicycle? Writers brother
is the brother of the person who lives in London? The Writer

The Writer

1.

Chapters 11 12
The writer and the curate hide in a house to escape the Black Smoke. They leave the house when it is
safe and then they see Martians picking people up and putting them in a large metal box. The writer
and the curate hide from the Martians in another house. A fifth cylinder from Mars falls upon the house
next to where they are and creates a huge pit in the ground. The writer watches the Martians as they
work in the pit. The increased gravity on Earth makes it difficult for the Martians to move their, round
bodies. The writer believes that the Martians can exchange thoughts. He argues with the curate as they
continue to hide in the house, which was almost destroyed by the explosion of the fifth cylinder when it
struck the house next to them. He discovers that the Martians are killing human beings and drinking
their blood. The curate goes mad and the writer kills him during a fight. A Martian hears the fight, takes
away the body of the curate and all the food in the house but does not find the writer. After many days
without eating, the writer leaves the house. Outside there are many houses in ruins and dead bodies of
human beings.

After reading
The curate is frightened and he is going mad. As a result, the writer kills him to save his own life. Why
does the writer hit the curate? Did he want to kill him, do you think? Was he right? Students work
individually or in small groups. Ask them to think of ways in which the writer could have prevented the
killing from happening.
Artwork: Have students read the description of the Martians on pages 5455. Then tell them they are
to make a mask of a Martian, according to the description they have read, or, if they prefer, as they
imagine the Martians to be. After having made the masks the students, in pairs, write and perform a
dialogue in front of the class about why they came to Earth and what they think about human beings.
Encourage students to use their bodies to communicate and, if you and they wish, to imitate the
howling sounds that are mentioned on page 35.
Check: Check if any students correctly guessed the Martians intentions in activity 22. Then, ask
students to discuss whether the Martians are similar to carnivorous human beings. Could planet Earth
then be considered an enormous farm that would supply the Martians with food? Would that be a
morally acceptable explanation for their behaviour? Are there any parallels in human history?
Research: Have students look up earthling in their dictionaries. Ask students: Why are the Martians
heavier on Earth than they are on Mars? If Earthlings, a delightful word generally only found in science
fiction, went to each of the planets in the solar system, would they be lighter or heavier? Have students
discuss and answer these questions in class, and before the next class they should find out through the
library or Internet if they were correct. Answers can be corroborated in the following class.
Research, discuss: Have students research telepathy on the Internet. Possible questions to be
answered are: Do scientists believe that telepathy exists? If so, what kind of communication is possible
with telepathy? Have there been famous cases of telepathy? Is it possible to develop telepathic
powers? Do certain cultures believe and practise telepathy? Students then discuss the theme, If
telepathy exists, what are its possible consequences?
Debate: At the end of the war the writer is put on trial for the murder of the curate. Students can take
the roles of the writer, his lawyer, the prosecution, and the judge. Other possible roles include the ghost
of the curate, the dog, and the Martian. The other students will be the jury and according to the
arguments made by the defence and the prosecution, they will decide the innocence or guilt of the
writer

Vocabulary activities
Complete these sentences:
1. The Martians moved backwards and forwards over the hill spreading thick black clouds.
2. There were many ships on the Thames, attracted by enormous sums of money offered by the
refugees.
3. Many ships became stuck together under the tower bridge and the sailors had to fight
against people who tried to get on from the riverside.
4. The sixth cylinder fell in Wimbledon
5. The Thunder Child was a warship.
Write the words from the box in the correct place:
Constant
Metallic
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Crawled
Refused

Destroyed
Surrounded

Increased
Unconscious

Intended

The writer and the curate are surrounded by Black Smoke for two days
Although the writer intended to travel alone, the curate decided to come with him.
The curate hid in a garden hut and refused to move
When the ceiling fell in, the writer was knocked unconscious
As soon as the writer began eating, the curate crawled towards him
With their increased weight on Earth, the Martians found it difficult to move without machines.
The writer soon grows tired of the curates constant talking
The Martians tentacle made a metallic sound on the kitchen floor.
When the writer finally leaves the house, he discovers that the local area has been completely
destroyed

Progress test
Swop the words in italics with the appropriate word from the box:
The writer
The dog

The Maritans
The tentacle

1.
2.

I think they are outside.

3.
4.
5.
6.

I thought that it might not be long enough to reach me.

The fifth cylinder

The curate
The Martians

Its hit this house and buried us under the ruins.

cylinder

The fifth
The tentacle

I thought that if I could attract it quietly, I might be able to kill it and eat it.

The dog

He fell forwards and lay flat on the floor.

The curate

I tried threatening him, and then I hit him.

The writer

Chapter 10 12
Reading activities
Before you read

1.

Chapter 10 begins: If the Martians had only wanted destruction they could have killed the whole
population of London on Monday.
Why did they not do that?

While you read

1. Answer these questions with a YES or NO:
a. Are people trying to escape London along the Thames?
b. Does the writers brother watch the sixth cylinder fall on Primrose Hill?
c. Does the writers brother give the horse to the Council of Public Safety?
d. Is the Thunder Child the only warship?
e. Does the writers brother see a Martian as the steamboat moves out to sea?
f. Is the Thunder Child blown up by the Martians Heat-Ray?
g. Does the Martians spaceship disappear into the night sky?

Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes

2. Complete this description of the Martians with information from Chapter 11:
The Martians have large, round bodies, about one and half metres across. They have very large
eyes and a small mouth, but no nose. They have something like an ear only one on the
back of their heads. Inside they have a very large brain and a heart, but there is no stomach
because they dont eat. Instead they take in fresh blood from a tube.
There are other differences between Martians and humans. First, Martians never sleep. Second,
they dont have a sex; a new Martian grows from the side of an old one. And third, they
communicate by thought.
3. In the
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

ruined house, who:

Goes completely mad?
The curate
Hits the curate with a hammer?
The writer
Drags the curates body across the kitchen floor? A Martian
Opens the kitchen door with the handle?
A Martian
Takes all the food from the kitchen?
A Martian

After you read

1. Answer these questions:
a. How do refugees get onto the ships in the Thames?
They jump from bridges, pay or rush onto the boats
b. How do the refugees get food?
They steal, but it and eat horses

c. What does the writers brother think the Martians feel when they see the Thunder Child?
Why does he think this?
He thinks they are confused because they havent seen a large Earth machine
before.

Chapters 13 15
The writer meets the soldier he had met at his house earlier. The soldier tells the writer that the
Martians are building flying machines and that they will defeat the people of Earth. The soldier says
that some people will fight the Martians and others will not. The soldier believes that there are two
kinds of human beings, the strong and the weak, and that only the strong will survive. The soldier
shows the writer his plans to fight the Martians, but the writer realizes that the soldier is just a dreamer,
and not willing to do the hard work necessary to defeat the Martians. The writer leaves and goes to
London. In the city many houses are destroyed and there are a lot of dead people, but there are also
dead Martians. The Martians have died of germs, which do not exist on Mars. The writer is taken care of
by kind people and when he is well he returns to his house, where he finds that his wife is still alive.

Before reading
Predict: Ask students: What will be the conclusion of the book? Will the Earthlings finally defeat the
Martians? What will happen to the writers brother and the two women? Will the writer find his wife? Are
there any other questions that can be answered about the conclusion?

After reading
Check: Have students check their predictions in activity 30. Ask students: Are you satisfied with the
ending? Were all your questions answered concerning what happened? Were there any clues earlier in
the novel about how the novel would end?
Discuss: Ask the class to think about the soldiers plan to survive under the Martians. Is it a good plan
or not? Solicit different opinions from the students. Next, put the students into groups and tell them
that they are living in a world where the Martians cannot be defeated. Each group must work out a plan
for survival. Finally, the groups present their ideas to the rest of the class.
Write: Tell students: If the germs had not killed the Martians, how do you imagine The War of the
Worlds would have ended? Each student writes a new ending for the novel, with the possibility that
either the Martians or the Earthlings are victorious, or perhaps there will be a completely different
alternative! Students can read their ending to the class.
Write and sing: Students write their own lyrics to the narrators crazy song, The Last Man in the
World (or The Last Woman in the World). The music to the song can be original or from a favourite
song.
Role play: Students work in pairs. Ask them to prepare and then act out the following conversation:
Student A: You are the writer. It is the first time that you have seen your wife since the war. Is she all
right? How did she survive? What happened to her? Ask her questions and answer any questions she
has about you, too. Student B: You are the writers wife. You thought your husband was dead but now
he has arrived home. Ask him questions about the war. What happened to him and what did he see?
Answer any questions he has about you, too.

Vocabulary activities
The soldier has thought carefully about the worlds future. Look at these sentences and tick () the
sentences he would agree with and cross () the sentences he would disagree with.
True
All human beings are the same
The Martians have already built a flying machine.

False

Human beings will beat the Martians in a few years.

Its better to live freely and in danger than to live a comfortable life without
freedom
The bravest and strongest humans will live underground and the weak ones
will live with the Martians.
It will be important to look after the weak humans as well as the strong in a
new underground world

Progress test
Choose the best answer:
Choose the correct word
The writer and others did
not understand what would
happen to the Martians
because
By

Human beings have

Earth is our home and
would be even if the
Martians were ten times
When the writer realized
that the Martians were dead
his heart grew

terror and
disaster

pride and joy

joy and
wisdom

had blinded their

minds.
with a million lives
human beings have
bought their right to
Earth.

spending

paying

lending

not tried

been unable

developed
the ability

as strong

as strange

as ugly

very heavy

quite sad

light with
happiness

to fight against germs

Chapter 13 15
Reading activities
Before you read

1.

Will the writer find his wife and brother, do you think? Will the Martians be defeated in the end?
If so, how?

While you read

1.

The writer meets a soldier with a plan for living under the Martians. Tick which of these are part
of his plan:
a. Live underground

b. Eat people who are weak

c. Use drains to travel between buildings

d. Use underground trains

e. Leave weak people to die

f. Get a lot of poetry books

g. Get a lot of science books

2. What happens to the writer? Put these events in the correct order: [Correct order shown below]
a. The writer goes to central London and finds the streets empty
b. He hears odd sounds coming from the Martian machines
c. He finds a lot of dead Martians in a pit
d. He realizes that the Martians have been killed by germs
e. A kind family look after him
f. People return to London
g. The writer returns to his home
h. His wife and family find him again

After you read

1. On Wimbledon Common, the soldier describes his ideas fro a group fo people who will continue
to live free of the Martians. He talks about strong, clean-minded men and women who are
prepared to obey orders. How do you feel about his ideas for a future society? What rules would
you make for a society like this?
2. In The War of the Worlds, which was written in 1898, Wells suggests certain weapons that might
be used in the future. These include fighting-machines, flying machines, heat-rays and poison
gas.
a. How accurate were his ideas about the future of war?
b. Do you think people will continue to invent new ways of killing, or will weapons of war
become unnecessary?

Extra activities
Discuss: What is the greatest threat to human beings today? Ask the class to think about this question
and then prompt different students to give their answers and their reasons. They should think about
issues such as the destruction of the worlds natural environment, the economic imbalance between
countries, incurable diseases, etc. as well as the threat of war from other countries (or other planets!).
Discuss: The writer mentions some possible ways of avoiding future attacks from Martians. Can you
think of some ideas from todays world which might help? What are they, and how could they be used
against the Martians in this book?

Writing
1. The Martians have landed in Woking. Write the newspaper story that appears in a London paper
just after they first land. You do not want to frighten the public and you do not know what will
happen next.
2. How does Wells persuade his readers that this attack is a real possibility? What advice can you
give to new writers of science fiction stories who want to write persuasively? Write a list of
suggestions.
3. Write a description of Wells Martians and their fighting-machines for a magazine about
creatures from Mars
4. Write a comparison of the actions and behaviour of the soldier and the curate. Why do you think
Wells created these characters? What was his message?
5. Write a letter from the writers brother to the writer. Tell him what happened to you and what
you saw during that terrible month.
6. The writer says that he has no regrets about the curates death. Write his letter to the police
explaining the situation in the ruined house, the action he took and his reasons for his lack of
regret..
7. After the Martians are dead, life begins to return to normal, but it will never be quite the same
again. Write an interview between you and the (fictional) writer. How does he think peoples
ideas about life, Earth and other planets will change after this attack from Mars?
8. There havent been many books since this one about wars between different planets. Why do
you think Wellss novel is still very popular?
9. Choose one or two characters from the story and write what you would have done differently if
you had been then. Explain why.
10. Did you enjoy this novel? Why? Why not? Give your opinions.

Themes
http://www.shmoop.com/war-of-the-worlds-hg-wells/
Foreignness and the other
Warfare
Rules and order
Community
Exile
Power
Foolishness and folly
Fear
Technology and modernisation
Fate and free will

Foreignness and the other

You can't get much more foreign than being from another planet. (Maybe being from a different
dimension would be more foreign? We're not sure.) When the War of the Worlds Martians first appear
out of their cylinder, the narrator wants us to know just how terribly different they are, what with their
tentacles and head-bodies and lipless mouths. But at the same time, the narrator also makes several
connections between them and us. For example, both humans and Martians have been known to
invade and destroy. If this book were an after-school special with a happy ending, the lesson might be
something like this: "We're not so different from Martians after all we're both jerks. Let's go get a
coffee and talk about how to kill people."
Questions About Foreignness and 'The Other'
1. Aside from the Martians being different from humans, are there other times in the book when
foreignness becomes an issue? For instance, are there times when humans are considered
foreign to other humans?
2. How do the characters deal with foreignness? For instance, when the Martians first come out of
the cylinder, how do people react? Do people continue to react in that way?
3. What role does foreignness play in terms of war?
4. Are there any benefits in this novel to foreignness? That is, is it always dangerous for two
different people (or species) to come into contact? Or can it be mutually beneficial?

Warfare
It's called The War of the Worlds, so warfare must be important, right? Well, for the humans, this is
definitely a war. The British military gets involved in a big way and there's death and destruction on an
unparalleled scale. But for the Martians, this might not be war at all. It could just be an exercise in pest
control before they move in. As the artilleryman puts it, "It never was a war, any more than there's war
between man and ants" (2.7.32). There's a term that people use today to describe this type of war, a
war in which the two sides are not evenly matched: "asymmetric war." In The War of the Worlds, the
fact that only one side is really at war is part of what makes the warfare theme special (that is, insulting
to humans).
Questions About Warfare
1. Are there any historical wars that this human-Martian war most resembles? Is Wells playing with
(for example) memories of the Franco-Prussian War or the American Civil War?
2. Does the narrator's attitude toward war shift by the end of the novel? What does he think about
war at the beginning (say, when the Martians arrive) and how does he feel about war towards
the end?
3. What would this war look like from the point of view of a soldier in the British army? How about
from a Martian point of view?

4. What do we see of the war itself? That is, we witness a lot of running around, but we don't get a
lot of first-person accounts of military's actions. Do we get a fair sense of the war from this
novel?

Rules and order

If we were to tell you that one of the big themes of The War of the Worlds is "Rules and Order," you
might very well laugh in our faces (and hurt our feelings) but you might be right to do so because
there's very little in the way of order in this book. In The War of the Worlds, we mostly read about a
society that's falling apart. All rules and order fail except for one basic law of survival: if you see a
Martian, run. The War of the Worlds shows us what happens when rules totally disintegrate. Before and
after the invasion, though, we do see a more ordered society. Through the course of the novel we
witness how people used to live, the disaster that destroys all their old order, and then the new, postMartian order they build.
Questions About Rules and Order
1. Are there any characters that are particularly associated with rules and order? How do they
react to the upending of the rules with the arrival of the Martians?
2. Are there any times in the book where rules and order are negative things? For instance, is there
any time when people follow rules and so fail to respond in the right way?
3. What does The War of the Worlds tell us about rules and order? Are they positive? Where do
rules and order come from?
4. We focus a lot on human rules and order, but is there any evidence in the book that the Martians
have some rules and order? For instance, the narrator notes that the Martians work well
together, which he uses as evidence of telepathy (2.2.24). But do we get any other hints of how
Martians keep order amongst themselves?

Community
We could say that war makes for some strange bedfellows (not like that, get your mind out of the
gutter). That is, in any emergency, a bunch of strangers might be thrown together, while old
established communities are broken up (temporarily or permanently). For example, in The War of the
Worlds, war separates the narrator and his wife. (Well, OK, the narrator's own stupidity separates him
from his wife but it's his stupidity about the war.) Then, after the war breaks up his nice little
community with his wife, it gives him another sort of community with the artilleryman and then the
curate. You could say The War of the Worlds shows us how communities are broken up by war and how
they also get created.
Though, let's be honest, The War of the Worlds shows a lot of negative temporary communities caused
by the war (the artilleryman, the curate) and not many positive ones (the narrator's brother and the
Elphinstones). Heck, even some of the pre-war communities don't seem all that positive. For instance,
remember when that guy falls into the Martian pit in Book 1, Chapter 4. Does anyone go help him?
Nope, not a chance.
Questions About Community
1. What sorts of communities does The War of the Worlds show us? Are communities always
positive?
2. Can there be a cross-species community? (Either human-animal or human-Martian.) If not, why
not?
3. What do people need to share in order to form a community? Is there something that people
need to keep separate in order to form a community?
4. When a Martian is killed, the other Martians take away the body (13.1). Why do you suppose
they do that? Is this a military decision or is there a sense of community?

Exile
In The War of the Worlds, the narrator once or twice mentions that the Martians have taken the role of
mankind on Earth and we're going to call that being exiled. So, whereas mankind used to be the big
man on campus (where campus = Earth), now there's a new popular kid in town. And the popular kid
has a Heat-Ray. (Do you ever watch Glee? It's just like that. Some kid is the quarterback, but then a
new kid comes in and gets made quarterback. What happens to the old quarterback? He gets
incinerated by a Heat-Ray. No, wait, that didn't happen in Glee. He just loses his old place. That's exile.)
The Martian invasion puts humans in a new condition, which is a metaphoric feeling of being exiled. We
shouldn't forget that there's a literal exile going on here too. When the Martians come invade a city, the
humans have to get out of town, or else feel the burn of the Heat-Ray.
Questions About Exile
1. We've identified two types of Exile: literal (people having to leave their place) and metaphorical
(people realizing they aren't in charge any more). Do you think that's correct? Are the two
related?
2. At the end of the book, the narrator wavers back and forth between security (the Earth is ours)
and insecurity (who knows?). Do you think the book gives us reason to feel one way or the
other? If not, what does it do to your reading to have these two ideas in the novel?
3. How does exile relate to the other themes?
4. Are there any benefits to being exiled from your home? The narrator ends by mentioning some
benefits of the Martian invasion. Do you agree with him?

Power
In "Themes: Exile," we mentioned that humans have been displaced from their position at the top of
the food chain by the Martians. How did the Martians displace humanity? Well, they were simply too
powerful for the humans to beat. Now, although the Martians might seem to be the most powerful
creatures on Earth, there are several examples in The War of the Worlds of humans using power against
other humans, such as the robbers who attack the Elphinstones. And then there's the final kicker: sure,
the Martians are very powerful, but what good does it do them when they forget their anti-bacterial
hand sanitizer? When what seems to be most powerful being gets knocked off by what seems to be
least powerful, well, then we might have to question our whole notion of power.
Questions About Power
1. How does power relate to the other themes? Are there other themes in this novel maybe
mercy or pity that we have not identified?
2. Are any of the characters particularly identified with the theme of power? Do their actions make
you think that Wells supports power?
3. We mostly think of power in terms of war, but does this novel identify other relationships in
which power is important?
4. Are there any unusual sources of power in this novel? You might not be surprised that weapons
are a source of power for the Martians, but were you surprised by some other source of power
here? For example, one source of power (in some other novels) is crying. When someone cries,
he or she is able to get people to do what he or she wants. Is that true in this novel?

Foolishness and folly

Some War of the Worlds readers argue that the Martians are really dumb for coming to an alien planet
(Earth) without minimal safety requirements. Come on, Martians, where are your space suits? Despite
that big oversight, most of the folly in this book is committed by humans. People watched Mars, but
never figured out what the flashes of light meant. Humans rush out to see the Martian cylinder and
then trample each other when they run away. People try to make contact with the Martians, never
thinking they might be dangerous. The examples go on and on. In The War of the Worlds, folly (and its
close relative, pride) is really one of the main reasons why the Martians kick human butt so badly.
Questions About Foolishness and Folly
1. Since the narrator is telling his story after it happened, he can fill us in on all the mistakes he
made. Why does he do that? Is it foreshadowing? Or is the narrator trying to tell us something
about folly?
2. Are there any positive things we could say about folly in this book? There's a literary tradition of
foolish characters accidentally doing the right thing, but is there anything like that in this book?
Or is folly just negative and dangerous?
3. The folly that the narrator talks about most (we think) is a mixture of pride and complacency
people think that things will go on as they have been. Is this an accurate statement about this
novel, or are there other types of folly going on here?
4. Is foolishness widespread or do particular characters act more foolishly than others?

Fear
It stinks to be afraid, but fear also has an important use: reminding us to get the heck out of dangerous
situations. For example, if Martians are firing their Heat-Ray at you, maybe you shouldn't just stand
there (as the narrator does). Maybe you should drop to the ground and crawl away. But just because
fear can be useful doesn't mean it will be. After all, there are times when you might be too scared and
do something really stupid. For example, if Martians fire their Heat-Ray at you, but you're in a crowd,
don't all try to get away through a narrow area, because someone will end up trampled. Yeah, we don't
always think clearly when we're afraid. That's the negative side of fear. And watch out, because it can
be contagious.
Questions About Fear
1. Did you feel fear when reading this book? Many of the first reviews talked about how thrilling it
was. Why do you think they found this book thrilling? Does Wells use any tricks to keep us afraid
or thrilled?
2. Throughout the novel Wells shows that fear is contagious, but if fear is contagious, how does
that idea square with what Wells shows us of community in The War of the Worlds? Should we all
just be hermits and avoid each other? Are there any other emotions in this book that are
"contagious"?
3. Wells shows us fear that is useless (running around without looking where you're going) and fear
that is useful (realizing that you should get out of the way of the Heat-Ray). Is there any hint as
to why fear might be useful sometimes and useless other times?
4. Do different characters react to fear differently? For instance, what does the artilleryman fear?
How does he respond to fear when we first meet him versus how he responds when we meet
him again on Putney Hill?

Technology and modernization

The "war of the worlds" is largely decided by technology. The Martians simply have better tech than
19th-century humans do. (It's like Batman fighting a jaywalker one of these people clearly has better
toys than the other one.) But just because we all wish we could go to school in a tripod doesn't mean
we should diss human technology. For instance, though it's very common to us, the bicycle did change
the way people live. (Check "Setting" for more on that. Or reread the section in Mark
Twain'sConnecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court in which the knights come charging in on bicycles.)
We could say the same thing about trains and telegraph wires and all other sorts of technology.
Whether we're talking about Martian Heat-Rays killing people or human ironclad ships destroying
Martians, technology changes the way people live (and die).
Questions About Technology and Modernization
1. Besides the fact that technology is used to kill people, are there any examples of bad
technology? That is, does technology ever hurt us in unintended ways in the book?
2. Do any of the human characters have different relationships to technology? What would it have
been like if the narrator ran into an engineer or an inventor, instead of just a curate and
artilleryman? How would someone like that respond to the invasion?
3. How does the theme of technology relate to the other themes? For instance, is technology
related to fate and free will? Or to fear?
4. What will happen with human technology after the Martian invasion? What do people do with
the Martian technology?

Fate and free will

We struggled a little with what to call this theme, but we're happy now with calling it "Fate and Free
Will" as if it was meant to be. There's a lot of Biblical-sounding language in The War of the Worlds and
some discussion of religion, but there's not a lot of spiritual talk in this book, and God doesn't have a
very big role. (That is, people yell "Good God" when something frightens them, but that's about it.) And
yet, there is an undercurrent of a spiritual question that comes out most clearly in the end of the book:
who (or what) is destined to inherit the world and the galaxy and (dare we dream?) the universe?
Questions About Fate and Free Will
1. Is Biblical language used in this book to comment on fate?
2. Is the question of fate and free will absolutely a question of religion? Or is there a way in which
we can talk about science and fate in this book?
3. Are there any particular moments in the text when the narrator or the characters talk more
about fate and free will?
4. Is it accurate to say that the curate and the artilleryman seem to hold completely opposite
beliefs about fate and free will? If so, does the book seem to agree with one character more than
the other? Or is there some third option?

Word list
Astronomer (n) a scientist who studies the stars and the planets
Carriage (n) a vehicle for people that is pulled by a horse
Cart (n) a vehicle for goods that is pulled by a horse
Column (n) something with a tall, narrow shape
Common (n) a large public area of grass in a village or town
Crawl (v) to move on your hands and knees
Curate (n) a priest whose job is to help another priest
Cylinder (n) a container with round ends and straight sides
Destruction (n) the process of destroying something
Drain (n) a pipe that carries waste liquids away
Edition (n) the first or later printing of a newspaper
Germ (n) a very small living thing that can make you ill
Gravity (n) the force that makes objects fall to the ground
Howl (n) a long, loud crying sound
Hum (n) a low, continuous sound
Meteorite (n) a small piece of rock moving through space
Missile (n) a weapon that can fly over long distances
Panic (n/v) a sudden, strong feeling of fear
Pit (n) a hole that has been dug into the ground
Ray (n) a narrow beam of light or energy
Refugee (n) someone who has been forced to leave their country or their home
Shell (n) an exploding container that is fired from a gun
Slope (n) a piece of ground that is higher at one end
Telegram (n) a message sent by an early method, using electricity
Telescope (n) an instrument used to see distant objects
Tentacle (n) a long arm, like the arms of some sea creatures
Threat (n) the possibility that something bad will happen
Tripod (n) a piece of equipment with three legs
Visible (adj) that can be seen or noticed
Whip (n) a long, thin piece of leather with a handle