Key Themes & Exam Technique
19th-Century Novel Exam Technique: The War of the Worlds
19th-century novel questions typically give you a printed extract from the text and ask you to write about its significance and its importance in the novel as a whole. Your answer is marked against three Assessment Objectives: AO1 (critical response with textual references), AO2 (analysis of language, form and structure) and AO3 (understanding of context). There is no fourth objective on this question, so spelling, punctuation and grammar earn no marks.
AO1: Critical response with textual references. AO2: Analysis of language, form, structure. AO3: Context. Written accuracy is not a fourth objective here. The strongest paragraphs show evidence of more than one AO at a time.
Context is assessed on this question, so your understanding of Victorian imperialism, Darwinism, class, and science is just as important as your analysis of Wells’s language techniques. Careless spelling and punctuation cost you no marks here, but muddled writing hides a good idea. Use literary terminology accurately: words like “semantic field,” “pathetic fallacy,” “motif,” and “narrative perspective” demonstrate sophisticated analysis and strengthen AO2 (the writer’s methods).
Key Extracts to Prepare
The richest passages for analysis: (1) The opening chapter with Tasmanian reference. (2) The Heat-Ray scene on Horsell Common. (3) The London exodus. (4) HMS Thunder Child’s destruction. (5) The narrator trapped with the curate. (6) The bacteria ending.
For each passage, prepare at least three analytical points covering different AOs. For the opening chapter, you might analyse: (1) the Tasmanian reference and its colonial critique (AO3), (2) the calm, scientific register that contrasts with the horror to come (AO2), and (3) the retrospective framing that creates dramatic irony (AO2). For the bacteria ending: (1) the anti-climactic resolution rejecting heroic conventions (AO2), (2) “the humblest things” as an ironic commentary on human pride (AO2), and (3) the Darwinian logic that mirrors colonial disease history (AO3).
Use: “Wells uses [technique] to present [idea], reflecting [context]. The effect on the reader is [impact]. This connects to the wider novel because [link].” This ensures every paragraph addresses AO1 (reference), AO2 (method) and AO3 (context), and reads clearly.
Time Management
Work out in advance how long you can afford to spend on this question and split the time between reading and planning, writing, and proofreading. A useful rule of thumb is to plan 3–4 key points before you start writing, and to leave at least 5 minutes at the end to proofread. Each point should cover the extract AND the wider text.
A good plan identifies your key points and the quotations you will use for each. Write short bullet points, not full sentences. For example: “Point 1: colonial parallel — Tasmanian reference, ‘inferior races’, red weed as territorial claim. Link to wider: blood feeding, Thunder Child = futility. Context: British Empire, Social Darwinism.” This plan takes under a minute to write but ensures your response is structured and addresses several AOs.
Model Paragraph Structure
The strongest paragraphs integrate several AOs naturally. Begin with a clear analytical point about the extract (AO1). Analyse Wells’s specific technique — a word choice, structural feature, or narrative device (AO2). Link this to a contextual factor such as imperialism, Darwinism, or Victorian class (AO3). Write the whole paragraph in clear English and use literary terminology accurately. A useful sentence scaffold: “Wells uses [technique] to present [idea/character], reflecting [context], which forces the reader to [response].”
Common Mistakes
Avoid: (1) Retelling the plot instead of analysing Wells’s methods. (2) Only discussing the extract without connecting to the wider novel. (3) Listing context (“The British Empire existed”) without linking to purpose. (4) Writing so loosely that the point disappears — clarity is not marked separately here, but a muddled sentence hides a good idea. (5) Not using literary terminology.
Another common weakness is treating the extract in isolation. A strong response always connects outward to other parts of the text. If your extract is from Book 1, discuss how the events connect to Book 2. If it features the narrator, compare his perspective with the curate’s or the artilleryman’s. If it describes the Martians, connect to the opening chapter’s colonial framework and the bacteria ending. This demonstrates the sustained critical style that marks out the highest bands.
Three AO2 methods: (1) First-person limited narrator creating suspense and uncertainty. (2) Journalistic register for realism. (3) Scientific biological language for the Martians, removing emotion and reinforcing the Darwinian framework.
Good context integration: “Wells references the Tasmanian genocide to force Victorian readers to see the invasion from the perspective of colonised peoples, critiquing the imperial arrogance that underpinned the British Empire.” Bad: “The British Empire controlled a quarter of the world.” Always link context to method AND purpose.
Quality of Expression
Written accuracy earns no marks on this question, but clear writing still helps you score. Write in formal academic register. Avoid slang, contractions, and informal phrases like “this shows that.” Instead, use precise analytical vocabulary: “Wells employs,” “this reinforces,” “the reader is compelled to.” Proofread your final response — check for comma splices, run-on sentences, and common misspellings of literary terms. Strong written expression also means structuring your paragraphs logically, with each one making a distinct point rather than repeating earlier ideas.