Arrogance In The War Of The Worlds

Arrogance is an illusion of superiority one perpetrate upon themselves, a facade for the ignorance and complacency deep within. It is only after so many losses, that some may ultimately see the light. The War of the Worlds by H.G Wells, is a result of Wells’ residence at the time, a normal looking and peaceful town in Surrey. He mocks the suburban complacency of Surrey, a trait that carries over to the general populace within his novel, which is but a part of Wells’ depiction of a dystopian future. A future that seems so foreign and grim, yet so familiar to modern society; an insight into the future where the absolute rule of humanity gives way to Martian intruders. Wells, through the use of symbolism and irony within his novel, vilifies the complacency and arrogance of a prosperous civilization void of

His novel, The War of the Worlds sets to criticize the ignorance and vanity of humanity, using the threat of a Martian annexation to expose humanity’s complacency and ignorance of the world around them, in an attempt to deter and warn of such idiocracy, for it beckons the downfall of a civilization.

Firstly, through the use of symbolism, Wells condemns the prosperity and triumph of a growing humanity for it breeds insolence and conceit to enlighten readers of the ramifications of a society drunk on arrogance and pride. To begin, one example of symbolism Wells uses is that of a small helpless rabbit that the narrator sympathizes with. When the narrator discovers that his surroundings had been demolished by the Martians, he “felt as a rabbit might feel returning to his burrow and suddenly confronted by the work of a dozen busy [workers] digging the foundations of a house … no longer a master, but an animal among the animals, under the Martian heel” (Wells 232). The rabbit is a symbol of the shortcomings and vulnerability of humanity in comparison to the Martians, whether it be physical strength or