'The war of the worlds'

   In the first sentence in the beginning paragraph the language used by the narrator is normal and calm ‘the sun was setting’ but then goes in to the paragraph and starts using much smaller vowels ‘hurrying’. The author has also used phonetic speech in this chapter when he meets the small boy ‘it’s a movin’…a screwin, and a screwin’ out. I don’t like it. Im a goin’ ‘ome. I am.’ This can be argued that Wells has included phonetic speech to show not only the educated are present around the pit  or may have been used to show characterisation showing panic across society symbolising the lower class to run away while the middle class heads towards the pit. Further on the narrator starts to describe the mob ‘elbowing, jostling’ showing the situation is becoming more violent and out of control. The narrator also shows unusual features in this chapter when the ‘cylinder unscrews’ ‘for a moment that circular cavity seemed perfectly black. I had the sunset in my eyes.’ Towards the end the narrator feels to describe every little description, may be to show the weirdness of the Martians being uncovered and the situation he is in.

In the paragraph were the Martians emerge from the cylinder the narrator uses a different style to other the paragraphs ‘a sudden chill came other me. There was a loud shriek from the women behind…there was a general movement backwards. I stood petrified and staring’ if you notice the narrator uses short sentences because he has no time to think, so doesn’t use any detailed sentences, like a reporter taking notes the panic speeds up the reading. Again this chapter is important towards the point were we see panic from the narrator at the end of the chapter ‘overcome with disgust and dread’ the narrator is overwhelmed with fear, so uses varied lengths of sentences. Panic is seen again by the narrator in the next paragraph ‘running madly’ ‘ I could not avert myself from these creatures’ here the narrator s mesmerised he cant take his eyes off the creatures, which is understandable. Finally the mood in the final paragraph changes compared with the first. ‘Irregular circles’ ‘in ditches, behind bushes, gates and hedges.’ The burning sky…deserted vehicles’. Compared with the first paragraph it is like an aftermath of a horrendous and massive disaster not like the beginning paragraph ‘the sun was setting’ everyone is in disbelief and strangely calm. There is no sense of panic the paragraph is mostly collective emotions with no nature.

 Based in reality in this novel/story are the common sunset and the people and the accents. The accents are recognisable, and clear scientific explanation was given of the uneasy breathing from the Martians, ‘the tumultuous breathing of the lungs in a strange atmosphere.’

The science fiction part is again where the author describes the breathing of the Martians the description of the Martians is part of science fiction but is more of a fantasy and is completely imagined ‘tentacles’. The historical fits in with the chapter because the story was most appealing to the Victorian reader Wells used his scientific knowledge to intrigue the reader. The social concept in the story is symbolic and shows cruse characterisation of the mob.

In conclusion this chapter is important to the novel as a whole because it is the first time we meet the Martians base on the evidence in this essay. My views about ‘the war of the worlds’ is that although the writer used a lot of science fiction in the first tree chapters it was really effective when it came to the actual description of the Martians.