Recently, I had surgery in New York City and wanted to have a small novel with me in case I was admitted for an overnight stay. I chose H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds because it felt fitting, given all the buzz about unknown drone activity over the East Coast, particularly in New Jersey and metro New York. While I had read the book several decades ago in elementary school and remembered the big thematic elements, I’m glad I chose to reread it during and after my brief hospital stay.
When first published in 1898, Wells didn’t just introduce readers to an exciting and chilling tale of alien invasion; he also shared a meditation on humanity’s values, priorities, and collective existential vulnerability. In The War of the Worlds, the arrival of the Martians—our closest celestial neighbors in terms of both distance and surface similarity—serves as a mirror held up to humanity itself. It forces us to reevaluate our place in the universe and reconsider the social and moral frameworks that guide us.
It’s easy to speculate that extraterrestrial visitation could reshape our worldview in at least two ways. On one hand, it might inspire us to reconsider our interconnectedness as Earthlings, our shared values across cultures, and our creative and intellectual achievements. Conversely, it could push us into survivalist thinking, where pragmatism and fear dominate, sometimes at the cost of our humanity. The War of the Worlds captures both sides of this existential equation, illustrating how the threat of annihilation reveals the best and worst in us.
Alien Invasion as an Existential Threat
In the novel, the Martians represent a vastly superior technological power that highlights how quickly humanity is humbled. In an instant, humanity goes from the most dominant species ever known to crumbling into near-insignificance. The Martians’ technological might and ruthlessness force Wells’ characters to confront existential questions amid the devastation.
What happens to our values when survival is at stake? Do we cling to faith, science, or philosophy, or abandon them altogether in the chaos? Several of Wells’ characters represent different responses to these questions, making the novel a microcosm of humanity’s potential reactions to an existential crisis.
The Medical Student: Bravery and Care Amid Chaos
The narrator’s brother, a medical student, embodies the virtues of altruism and bravery. In the midst of destruction, he risks his safety to help Mrs. Elphinstone and her sister-in-law escape London. His actions suggest that his training and personality as a caregiver remain intact, even in the face of the Martian threat.
The narrator’s brother reminds us that even in the face of existential annihilation, compassion and altruism are among humanity’s most enduring qualities.
The Artilleryman: Survivalism and What Makes Us Human
The artilleryman, in contrast, exemplifies a survivalist mindset. Having endured the destruction of his unit, he dreams of building a subterranean society where humanity can rebuild itself. However, his vision is narrow and troubling—he dismisses the value of human creativity and intellectual pursuits, arguing that “men of letters” and their ideas don’t need to be preserved.
This perspective highlights a fundamental divide—is humanity defined by its ability to survive, or by its ability to create and reflect? While the artilleryman values science and industry, his dismissal of art and philosophy undermines what makes humanity unique. For me, the ideas of “men of letters” are precisely where our humanity resides. Without these ideas, our species might survive, but we would be no different from how the Martians are depicted—we too would be cold, efficient, and soulless.
The Curate: Clinging to Faith at the Expense of Practicality
The Cuatr represents another extreme response to the Martian invasion—an over-reliance on faith without the ability to act pragmatically. His hysteria and indecision make him a liability, and his inability to adapt leads to his ultimate demise.
The Curate’s downfall is emblematic of the fragility of institutional belief systems when they cannot adapt to crises. While faith can provide solace and structure, the curate’s inability to engage with reality renders him paralyzed and ultimately doomed.
Notably, Wells doesn’t dismiss faith entirely; the narrator himself seems to have a belief system that includes faith as a quiet foundation for his decisions. Faith, in this sense, is not a solution in and of itself but a framework that supports action and reason. However, the curate’s reliance on faith as his entire identity prevents him from balancing belief with practical action, leaving him unable to differentiate between right and wrong.
The Narrator: Adaptation and Pragmatism
As a self-described “speculative philosopher,” the narrator approaches the Martian invasion with a blend of rationality, adaptability, and ethical struggle. He consistently makes what he believes to be the best decisions he can, whether it’s scavenging for resources or hiding from the Martians. However, his actions are not without moral weight.
Early in the novel, the narrator rents a cart from a barkeep to flee with his wife. A man of his word, he promises to return the cart once they reach safety. After delivering his wife to safety, he tragically returns the cart to an already deceased barkeep.
This outcome shows, rightly, that moral decisions do not always turn out positively. Through fulfilling his promise, the narrator becomes separated from his wife and his major travails begin. Returning the cart leads to him needing to survive for weeks in squalid and terrifying conditions, and ultimately forces him to act in ways he undoubtedly would have preferred to avoid.
In effect, it is by following through with the moral act of returning the cart that leads to the later necessity of striking the Curate with the blunt side of a meat cleaver to silence his hysterical cries, which threaten to reveal their hiding place to the Martians. While the strike is an act of self-preservation (and one that could have also saved the Curate as well had things gone differently), it ultimately leads to the Curate’s death, a burden the narrator undoubtedly will carry with him throughout his life. This moment reflects the moral compromises that extreme circumstances force upon us, but it also demonstrates the narrator’s ability to act decisively to ensure his survival.
Despite moral compromises, the narrator’s adaptability and thoughtfulness ultimately lead him to a moment of hope—the miraculous reunion with his wife. His story demonstrates that even in the face of existential dread, resilience and human connection can endure.
The Existential Takeaway: What Alien Visitation Reveals About Us
At its core, The War of the Worlds is a study of humanity under pressure. The Martians, with their superior technology, trap Wells’ characters in a necessary confrontation with their values and priorities. For some, like the narrator’s brother, this brings out the best in them—their bravery and compassion. For others, like the artilleryman and the curate, the crisis exposes the limits of their perspectives—survivalism without humanity or faith without action.
The novel invites us to consider what we value most in the face of existential threats. Is it our capacity to create and reflect, as embodied by “men of letters”? Is it our technological and scientific progress, which could bring us to even closer similarity to the Martians? Or is it our connections to one another, the love and care that define our shared humanity?
Conclusion: A Timeless Mirror
The War of the Worlds, while certainly containing dated ideas and notions, continues to resonate because its themes are timeless. The existential threat posed by the Martians mirrors our own fears—whether of nuclear war, climate change, zombie apocalypse, or other forms of planetary catastrophe. Wells asks us to consider what we would do if faced with the threat of annihilation, and, more importantly, what we would choose to save both within ourselves and from our species.
The novel reminds us that while science and industry are vital, it is the intangible—art, philosophy, and human connection—that makes life meaningful. In a world of growing technological power, The War of the Worlds challenges us to remain human, even when faced with the alien and the unknown.
The Curated Life Worth Reading 
Leave a comment