FRQ3's

FRQ 3: The War of The Worlds

In great literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake. Either from your own reading or from the list below, choose a work of fiction in which the reader is confronted with a scene or scenes of violence. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze how the scene or scenes contribute(s) to an interpretation of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

In the novel The War of the Worlds, H.G. Wells employs scenes of violence in order to convey the complex shifts in the narrator's perspective ultimately contributing to the interpretation of the work as a whole. At the start of the book, the narrator’s town gets invaded by Martians and the world goes into chaos. After many months of running and hiding, and after many violent battles fought and lives lost, the narrator finally gets reunited with his family.

To begin, the narrator has a violent scene in one of the earlier chapters to establish a shift in tone and in the narrator’s perspective. After a strange metal structure lands in a field many people start to crowd around it showing human’s innate sense of curiosity. The humans continue to observe this structure until it opens and a creature, who will be known as one of the Martians, comes crawling out and gets subdued to the ground thanks to gravity. The people boast to each other and to the narrator about how much better they are then these aliens as they can walk and move around. However, this curiosity and pride shifts into fear and anguish as the Martian begins to fire a beam that kills and lights people on fire. The narrator’s perspective, which originally was extremely curious of such a species, immediately switches to panic as he is worried about his family. H.G. Wells uses this gruesome and violent scene of the Martians killing to set up the rest of the book. He uses this scene to show the characteristics of the narrator as well as to show his values. This scene also creates a shift in the book as a whole. The narrator, when looking back on this scene, says that this marked a shift in humanity from being predators to prey. Without the use of this scene, the author wouldn’t have been able to push the story forward as this scene of violence ultimately started the narrator's journey to protect his family. The scene also allows readers to further understand and interpret what the author is writing, as with the scene it is easier to understand the panic and fear the characters are feeling.

Furthermore, the author uses a different scene of violence towards the end of the book that marks the final shift for the narrator’s perspective. After traveling for many nights, the narrator comes across a priest and they bunker down into a house for many days. The priest slowly goes crazy and they get into a fight ultimately leaking their whereabouts to the aliens. After a very tense and violent scene, the author allows us to see into the Narrator’s internal conflict and motivation. The narrator survives by killing the alien but the priest does not and when the narrator steps outside, the author paints a picture of a town in ruin with blood everywhere. The Narrator sees the outside and after experiencing the violent fight that just took place his perspective changes again. The author uses this scene of violence to once again, change the tone of the passage and shift the narrator’s perspective. In a book like, The War of the World, the speaker’s perspective controls the details and emphases that affect how the readers interpret and experience the text. Throughout the violent scene, the internal conflict of the character creates a bigger sense of panic and establishes a ton of tension. This tension leaks the motivation of the character as he shifts from intelligently hiding into instinctual fighting. The author shows the desperation behind the character as all he wants is to see his family again. This violent scene pushes the narrator over the edge and after seeing the ruins outside he finally loses hope. This moment is pivotal in the text as the narrator's perspective controls the interpretation.

In summation, the shifts in tone, and the shifts narrator's perspective are made possible by scenes of violence in H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds. Throughout the book violence is a key shifter in tone as these scenes push the narrator to action, ultimately moving the plot forward and creating depth. Without these scenes, the book would not be easy to interpret or make any sense, and H.G. Wells knew that. With the depth and violent nature of these scenes, the author is creating more complexity in how the work will be interpreted.

FRQ 3: The Time Machine

A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. Select a novel or play and, focusing on one symbol, write an essay analyzing how that symbol functions in the work and what it reveals about the characters or themes of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

In the novel The Time Machine, H.G. Wells utilizes the Elois and Morlocks as blatant symbols in order to convey the future dichotomy of humanity while capturing the complex relations between the oppressed and privileged, ultimately revealing that the Elois and Morlocks function in the work to warn against oppression and to reveal hidden themes in the work as a whole.

In The TIme Machine by H.G. Wells, the Elois and Morlocks stand as stark contradictions while still having a multifaceted relationship. Although they are completely different and live in contrasting conditions, they remain intertwined by the fabric of the society they are a part of. To Begin, the Elois act as a symbol of perfect societal progress. They are care free, innocent, and peaceful while living in their perfect world of boundingful beauty and prosperous resources. However, the symbol is much more complex as H.G. Wells also explores the pitfalls and setbacks caused by the facade of their lavish lives. Because of the comfy and carefree world they live in, the Elois lose their curiosity and drive to improve. Consequently, these traits of laziness cause the Elois to just accept their fate and inability to understand that they have their own problems. Therefore they act as a symbol of the dangers of complacency and the fading away of intellectual prowess in an advanced society.

The Morlocks stand as a vivid contradiction to the Elois, yet are undoubtedly connected due to the dichotomy of their relationship. The Morlocks are big monstrous creatures who live in darkness. They conform to the Elois as their labor workers in order to sustain their lavish lifestyle. The Morlocks symbolize all the bad in an industrialized society and societal hierarchies. They act as a symbol of the dehumanization and effects that industrialization has on the labor force. Because of the demand for resources from the Elois, the Morlocks are conformed to serve and act as the means to the Elois success. Consequently, this complex relationship between these two societies acts as a symbol of capitalism in the real world as the higher ignorant class exploits the labor of the low class. Therefore, the Morlocks' relation with the Elois represents the dangers and harsh reality of unchecked capitalism and oppression of higher classes.

Ultimately, H.G. Wells uses the Elois and Morlocks to symbolize and warn against societal inequality. This symbol is a direct replication of the theme that capitalism, if left unrestrained, can lead to oppression and pain. Wells uses this to also show the frailty of society and how easily our current progression and greed could take us to this future. The Elois and Morlocks are diversely different while still being forever intertwined by their fate caused from years and years of evolution. Throughout this evolution, mankind didn’t change from their ways, and Wells uses this future version of ourselves to act as an important and needed example.

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