The Influence Of Context In H. G Wells War Of The Worlds

Context refers to the events and circumstances surrounding the production and reception of a text. A text is shaped by the context surrounding its creation, and in reception, readers gain a deeper appreciation of the purpose of a text by understanding the context in which it was created. Authors are highly influenced by their own personal interests and beliefs – further examples of context – and these influences are demonstrated in H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds. Key elements of Wells’ text were inspired by his love for science, reminiscences of his home town and, through his central protagonist, his self-reflective representation of himself.
The significance of major scientific discoveries during the 19th Century has clearly influenced Wells’ creation. Wells trained as a science teacher throughout the 1880s, and one of his teachers and mentors was T. H. Huxley. Huxley was a major advocate for

The actions of the character reflect Wells’ personal and private life. The use of alliteration in “I went for a walk with my wife,” reflects his personal context of his regular walks with his wife, while the image created through “I was at home at that hour and writing in my study,” shows his actions through his character. The statement “I still believed that there were men in Mars,” demonstrates the narrator’s beliefs and his interest in science, Wells was also up to date with the facts and believed that there was men on Mars. As mentioned earlier, Wells enjoyed riding his bike. The bicycle was invented in the early 1800s, so at the time of writing Wells would still have been learning to ride a bike. The imagery “I was much occupied in learning to ride the bicycle” expresses another characteristic the narrator shares with H.G. Wells. All this information leads to the belief that Wells’ based the character on himself, thus his personal context is reflected in the character and his