Symbolism & Setting
Imperialism and Colonialism
The novel’s central theme is imperialism reversed. The narrator explicitly draws the parallel: “Before we judge of [the Martians] too harshly we must remember what ruthless and utter destruction our own species has wrought.” Wells forces Victorian readers to see the invasion as what Britain does to other nations. The Martians’ treatment of humans mirrors European treatment of colonised peoples.
Wells extends this critique to the Tasmanian genocide, citing it directly. The Martians view humans as Europeans viewed “primitive” peoples: as obstacles to be removed. This was a radical challenge to Victorian imperial confidence.
Wells explicitly compares the invasion to British colonialism, citing the Tasmanian genocide. The Martians treat humans exactly as Europeans treated colonised peoples. By reversing the power dynamic, Wells forces readers to empathise with those Britain colonised.
Evolution and Human Insignificance
Wells draws on Darwinian evolution to suggest that humanity is not the pinnacle of creation. The Martians are more evolved but more horrifying. The bacteria that defeat them are less evolved but equally powerful. Wells positions humanity in the middle — not special, not permanent, just one species among many.
The theme of evolution connects to Victorian anxiety about degeneration. If species can evolve, they can also devolve. The Martians, reduced to brains feeding on blood, represent evolution taken to a disturbing extreme.
The curate’s collapse represents religion’s failure to explain or address genuine existential threat. His question — “Why are these things permitted?” — receives no answer. Wells, an atheist, suggests that religious frameworks are inadequate when confronted with a universe that is indifferent to human suffering.
The Fragility of Civilisation
Wells shows civilisation collapsing with terrifying speed. Social hierarchies dissolve, laws become meaningless, and survival depends on individual resourcefulness rather than social position. The London evacuation scenes show respectable Victorians reduced to panicking refugees — a deliberate inversion of the colonial relationship.
Wells shows class distinctions becoming irrelevant during the invasion. The wealthy cannot buy safety; the poor are no more vulnerable than anyone else. The artilleryman’s fantasy of selecting only the “strong” satirises Social Darwinism — the idea that class hierarchy is natural and necessary.
Civilisation collapses within days: social hierarchies dissolve, laws become meaningless, millions panic. Wells shows that the social order Victorians took for granted is a thin veneer over chaos. Only individual resourcefulness, not social position, determines survival.