Article #36-1 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from The war of the worlds, by H. G. Wells

It was heavy, this vapour, heavier than the densest smoke, so that,
after the first tumultuous uprush and outflow of its impact, it sank
down through the air and poured over the ground in a manner rather
liquid than gaseous, abandoning the hills, and streaming into the
valleys and ditches and watercourses even as I have heard the
carbonic-acid gas that pours from volcanic clefts is wont to do. And
where it came upon water some chemical action occurred, and the surface
would be instantly covered with a powdery scum that sank slowly and
made way for more. The scum was absolutely insoluble, and it is a
strange thing, seeing the instant effect of the gas, that one could
drink without hurt the water from which it had been strained. The
vapour did not diffuse as a true gas would do. It hung together in
banks, flowing sluggishly down the slope of the land and driving
reluctantly before the wind, and very slowly it combined with the mist
and moisture of the air, and sank to the earth in the form of dust.
Save that an unknown element giving a group of four lines in the blue
of the spectrum is concerned, we are still entirely ignorant of the
nature of this substance.

Once the tumultuous upheaval of its dispersion was over, the black
smoke clung so closely to the ground, even before its precipitation,
that fifty feet up in the air, on the roofs and upper stories of high
houses and on great trees, there was a chance of escaping its poison
altogether, as was proved even that night at Street Cobham and Ditton.

The man who escaped at the former place tells a wonderful story of the
strangeness of its coiling flow, and how he looked down from the church
spire and saw the houses of the village rising like ghosts out of its
inky nothingness. For a day and a half he remained there, weary,
starving and sun-scorched, the earth under the blue sky and against the
prospect of the distant hills a velvet-black expanse, with red roofs,
green trees, and, later, black-veiled shrubs and gates, barns,
outhouses, and walls, rising here and there into the sunlight.

Explanation

**Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells**

This passage from H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds (1898) describes the arrival and behavior of the Martian "Black Smoke"—a deadly chemical weapon deployed by the invading aliens. The novel, a foundational work of science fiction, explores themes of imperialism, human vulnerability, and the unknown terrors of scientific advancement. This excerpt, in particular, focuses on the uncanny and destructive nature of the Martian technology, using vivid imagery and scientific speculation to evoke dread.

1. Context of the Excerpt

The War of the Worlds follows an unnamed narrator as he witnesses the Martian invasion of Earth. The Martians, far more advanced than humans, use tripod war machines, heat-rays, and toxic gases to devastate humanity. This passage occurs after the Martians have begun deploying the Black Smoke, a lethal vapor that suffocates and poisons everything it touches.

Wells wrote the novel during the height of British imperialism, and many scholars interpret it as a critique of colonialism—the Martians represent the brutal, technologically superior invaders (much like European powers in Africa and Asia), while humans are the helpless victims. The Black Smoke can be seen as a metaphor for industrialized warfare (e.g., chemical weapons in WWI, which Wells eerily predicted) and the uncontrollable consequences of scientific progress.

2. Themes in the Excerpt

A. The Unknowable and Uncontrollable Nature of Science

The Black Smoke is described in pseudo-scientific terms, emphasizing its mysterious and alien properties. The narrator admits:
"Save that an unknown element giving a group of four lines in the blue of the spectrum is concerned, we are still entirely ignorant of the nature of this substance."
- This highlights human ignorance in the face of superior Martian technology. The gas defies natural laws—it behaves like a liquid, not a gas, and its chemical reactions are inexplicable.
- Wells, a trained scientist, often explored the dangers of unchecked scientific advancement (e.g., The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man). Here, the Black Smoke represents science turned against humanity.

B. The Sublime and the Grotesque

The gas is described in visceral, almost organic terms:
"It sank down through the air and poured over the ground in a manner rather liquid than gaseous... flowing sluggishly down the slope of the land."
- The imagery suggests something alive and predatory, reinforcing the uncanny horror of the invasion.
- The contrast between the beautiful ("blue sky," "red roofs," "green trees") and the monstrous ("inky nothingness," "velvet-black expanse") creates a sublime dread—awe mixed with terror.

C. Human Helplessness and Survival

The passage emphasizes how little humans can do against the Martians:
"fifty feet up in the air... there was a chance of escaping its poison altogether."
- Survival is random and precarious—some escape by sheer luck (e.g., the man in the church spire), while others are doomed.
- The isolation of the survivor ("weary, starving and sun-scorched") reinforces the collapse of civilization—no government, no military, just individuals struggling to live.

D. Imperialism Reversed

The Black Smoke can be read as a metaphor for colonial violence. Just as European powers used disease, superior weapons, and brutal tactics to subjugate other nations, the Martians do the same to humans.
The indiscriminate destruction (the gas kills everything, regardless of guilt or innocence) mirrors the moral blindness of imperialism.

3. Literary Devices & Stylistic Analysis

A. Vivid, Sensory Imagery

Wells uses tactile, visual, and almost olfactory descriptions to immerse the reader in the horror:
- "Heavy vapour... sank down through the air" → The gas is oppressive, suffocating.
- "Inky nothingness" → Suggests void, death, and the unknown.
- "Velvet-black expanse" → A luxurious yet deadly landscape, emphasizing the beauty in destruction.
- "Powdery scum" → Evokes decay and contamination.

B. Scientific Detachment vs. Emotional Horror

The narrator alternates between clinical observation and visceral fear:
- "Where it came upon water some chemical action occurred..." (scientific)
- "The houses of the village rising like ghosts out of its inky nothingness." (supernatural, horrifying)
- This duality makes the threat feel both real and nightmarish.

C. Personification & Uncanny Movement

The gas is described as if it has intent and agency:
- "Driving reluctantly before the wind" → It resists natural forces, suggesting an unnatural will.
- "Coiling flow" → Snake-like, predatory movement.
- This personification makes the gas feel alive and malevolent, not just a passive weapon.

D. Juxtaposition of Life and Death

The contrast between the living and the dead is stark:
- "Red roofs, green trees" (vibrant life) vs. "black-veiled shrubs and gates" (death spreading).
- The survivor in the church spire sees the world half-alive, half-consumed, reinforcing the fragility of human existence.

E. Foreshadowing & Irony

The narrator mentions that the water, though instantly poisoned, becomes drinkable once strained:
"one could drink without hurt the water from which it had been strained."
- This false hope suggests that some things can be purified, but the overall destruction is irreversible.
- It also foreshadows the Martians' eventual defeat (by Earth’s bacteria), where nature itself becomes the "strainer" that removes the invaders.

4. Significance of the Passage

A. Influence on Science Fiction & Horror

Wells’ description of the Black Smoke prefigured real chemical weapons (used in WWI) and inspired later apocalyptic and alien-invasion stories (e.g., The Mist by Stephen King, The Thing by John Carpenter).
The unkillable, spreading horror of the gas became a trope in cosmic horror (Lovecraft) and post-apocalyptic fiction.

B. Reflection on Human Hubris

The passage underscores human arrogance—we assume we are the dominant species, but the Martians outclass us effortlessly.
The failure of science to explain or counter the gas suggests that human knowledge is limited, a recurring theme in Wells’ works.

C. The Psychological Impact of War

The isolation of the survivor ("weary, starving and sun-scorched") captures the trauma of war—not just physical destruction, but mental collapse.
The silent, creeping death of the gas mirrors the psychological horror of modern warfare (e.g., gas attacks in WWI trenches).

5. Conclusion: Why This Passage is Masterful

Wells’ excerpt is a masterclass in suspense, scientific speculation, and existential dread. By blending:

Pseudo-scientific detail (making the threat feel real),
Poetic, sensory imagery (evoking terror),
Themes of imperialism and human fragility, he creates a scene that is both intellectually engaging and viscerally terrifying.

The Black Smoke is not just a weapon—it is a symbol of the unknown, the uncontrollable, and the inescapable. It forces the reader to confront the illusion of human superiority and the horror of an indifferent universe, themes that continue to resonate in science fiction and real-world anxieties about technology, war, and our place in the cosmos.

Would you like a deeper dive into any specific aspect, such as the historical context of chemical warfare or comparisons to other Wellsian themes?

Questions

Question 1

The passage’s description of the Black Smoke’s behaviour—particularly its "coiling flow" and resistance to diffusion—primarily serves to:

A. Establish the narrator’s scientific expertise by grounding the phenomenon in observable physics.
B. Personify the gas as a sentient, almost predatory force, amplifying its uncanny menace.
C. Critique 19th-century industrial pollution by drawing parallels to factory emissions.
D. Highlight the Martians’ technological precision in designing a weapon with controlled dispersion.
E. Contrast the gas’s artificial origins with the natural purity of the unaffected air above.

Question 2

The narrator’s observation that the poisoned water becomes "drinkable without hurt" once strained most strongly suggests which of the following thematic concerns?

A. The resilience of human ingenuity in purifying contaminated resources.
B. The arbitrary and illogical nature of the Martians’ destructive capabilities.
C. A subtle critique of religious faith in the face of inexplicable scientific phenomena.
D. The deceptive transience of the invasion’s effects, masking deeper, irreversible corruption.
E. Wells’ optimism about humanity’s ability to adapt to alien threats through simple filtration.

Question 3

The passage’s juxtaposition of "red roofs, green trees" with the "velvet-black expanse" functions primarily to:

A. Illustrate the gas’s selective toxicity, sparing vegetation while targeting human structures.
B. Create a romanticised tableau of rural England, underscoring the tragedy of its destruction.
C. Suggest the Martians’ aesthetic sensibilities in choosing visually striking targets.
D. Emphasise the surreal and nightmarish contrast between life and annihilation.
E. Imply that the gas’s spread follows a deliberate, almost artistic pattern of conquest.

Question 4

Which of the following best describes the narrative effect of the survivor’s perspective from the church spire?

A. It provides a panoramic, omniscient view that undermines the passage’s claustrophobic tension.
B. It reinforces the arbitrariness of survival, where elevation becomes a metaphor for moral or intellectual superiority.
C. It shifts the tone from scientific detachment to lyrical melancholy, disrupting the passage’s coherence.
D. It introduces a reliablist framework, where the survivor’s trauma casts doubt on the objectivity of his observations.
E. It transforms the gas from an abstract threat into a tangible, encroaching presence, heightening the horror.

Question 5

The passage’s repeated emphasis on the gas’s "unknown element" and defiance of conventional chemical behaviour is most aligned with which broader philosophical concern in The War of the Worlds?

A. The limitations of empirical science in explaining phenomena beyond human comprehension.
B. The inevitability of technological singularity, where alien intelligence surpasses human control.
C. The moral neutrality of the universe, indifferent to human suffering or survival.
D. The hubris of Victorian-era confidence in progress and industrial domination.
E. The existential absurdity of seeking meaning in a cosmos governed by random, hostile forces.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: B

Why B is most correct: The passage’s language—"coiling flow," "driving reluctantly before the wind," and "pouring over the ground in a manner rather liquid than gaseous"—endows the gas with agency and malevolence, as if it were a living predator rather than an inert substance. This personification amplifies its uncanny horror, aligning with Wells’ broader use of the sublime to evoke dread. The gas’s behaviour defies passive physical laws, suggesting a deliberate, almost sentient threat, which is central to the passage’s tone.