The plot in six lines
After strange lights appear on Mars, Ogilvy discovers a cylinder on Horsell Common, where the narrator watches creatures emerge before fleeing in fear.
The Martians answer a white flag with a weapon that burns people and houses, while soldiers surround the common and many neighbours underestimate the danger.
As fighting machines advance, the narrator takes his wife to Leatherhead, returns to the invasion, witnesses military defeat and meets a frightened curate.
In London, the narrator's brother escapes the crowds with two women, reaching a steamer from which he watches Thunder Child confront the approaching Martians.
Trapped beside a Martian pit, the narrator observes the invaders while the curate becomes dangerously distressed, then later encounters an artilleryman whose confident plans lack practical substance.
The Martians die from earthly germs against which they have no defence, leaving their machines silent, and the narrator returns to Woking to find his wife alive, reflecting on humanity's uncertain safety.
Themes
Empire: The invasion reverses Britain's position of power, inviting English readers to consider conquest through the suffering of those subjected to it.
Nature and survival: The Martians' defeat by germs shows that intelligence and powerful weapons cannot guarantee survival against the smallest living things.
Social order: The flight from London exposes how quickly ordinary rules collapse when fear drives people to fight over escape.
Human responses: The narrator, the curate and the artilleryman reveal contrasting responses to disaster through observation, distress and confident but impractical plans.
Knowledge and belief: The narrator recognises the danger before his neighbours accept it, exposing the gap between individual experience and public belief.
Characters
- The narratorAn unnamed writer living in Woking who sees the first landing and tells the whole story afterward, trying to survive and to find his wife.
- OgilvyAn astronomer at Ottershaw who sees the gas bursts on Mars and is the first to find the cylinder on Horsell Common.
- The narrator's wifeShe is taken by her husband to relatives at Leatherhead for safety, and his wish to return to her drives much of his journey.
- The narrator's brotherA medical student in London who must lead two women through the panic of the capital toward the sea.
- The curateA frightened clergyman who shelters with the narrator in a ruined house, and whose nerves threaten them both.
- The artillerymanA soldier the narrator meets in the ruined countryside, full of bold plans to rebuild a human world underground.
For the A level English Literature exams, summer 2027
- The summer 2027 A level exams run from 10 May to 22 June 2027.
- Pearson Edexcel: Paper 2 (9ET0/02), Prose (Science and Society), Thursday 20 May 2027, morning, 1 hour 15 minutes.
A two-week plan
- Day oneRead the 15-minute summary of The War of the Worlds from start to finish, then tell the story back to yourself in five sentences.
- Days two to threeStrange lights on Mars come before the landing: Notice how ordinary curiosity about the cylinder gives way to fear when the creatures emerge.
- Day fourA white flag is answered with fire: Watch how familiar gestures of peace fail against an enemy that ignores human expectations.
- Day fiveTripods stride over the Thames valley: Follow the contrast between the machines' power and the vulnerability of soldiers and fleeing civilians.
- Day sixIn London, panic spreads faster than the Martians: Notice how the brother's viewpoint widens the invasion while keeping attention on individual acts of help.
- Day sevenBuried in a ruined house, the narrator watches and waits: Compare the narrator's observation with the curate's distress and the artilleryman's unsupported confidence.
- Day eightEmpire, nature and a narrator who only reports: Consider how the narrator's careful reporting connects the invasion with questions about empire, nature and survival.
- Day nineThe cast: The narrator, Ogilvy, The narrator's wife, The narrator's brother and The curate. Write one line on what each of them wants.
- Day tenThemes: Empire; Nature and survival; Social order; Human responses; Knowledge and belief. Pick one moment in the story for each.
- Day elevenForm: study how the story is told: the narrator, the order of events and the settings.
- Day twelvePractice: plan and write an essay on one theme, then read your argument back and test it against the story.
- Day thirteenPractice: try a second question with a different focus, such as a character or the form.
- Day fourteenRecap: reread your notes and the summary, say the plot out loud once, then rest.
From the boards' published specifications and final summer 2027 timetables, read on 23 October 2026. Ask your school which board and papers you sit.
質問
What is The War of the Worlds about?
The War of the Worlds is about a Martian invasion of southern England, witnessed by an ordinary writer struggling to survive. His account connects the collapse of familiar life with questions about conquest, human behaviour and the limits of power.
Who are the main characters in The War of the Worlds?
The main characters are the narrator, the narrator's wife, the narrator's brother, Ogilvy, the curate and the artilleryman. Their experiences connect the first landing, the search for safety, the panic in London and contrasting responses to survival.
What are the main themes of The War of the Worlds?
The main themes are empire, nature and survival, social order, human responses, and the gap between knowledge and belief. Wells presents human power as fragile, showing how conquest and fear overturn familiar assumptions while nature determines the invaders' fate.
Is The War of the Worlds a set text for A level English Literature?
Yes. Pearson Edexcel lists it in Paper 2 (9ET0/02), Prose (Science and Society).
When are the A level English Literature exams in 2027?
The summer 2027 A level exams run from 10 May to 22 June 2027. Pearson Edexcel: Paper 2 (9ET0/02), Thursday 20 May 2027, morning.
