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  • Essay / Martians in Wells' "War of the Worlds" and film adaptations: Cultural Imperialism

    The Martians in the book and film War of the Worlds are a metaphor for the evils of cultural imperialism because their arrival cuts the most important means of communication and transport technologies, call religion into question and leave identity unclear. The Martians in War of the Worlds can be used as a comparison to imperialism because their invasion caused the loss of major technologies on Earth and changed the way humans viewed God and the identity of their society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The book's narrator explains that the Martians were "paralyzing" humanity by blowing up "all the gunpowder reserves" and cutting off communications and transportation such as the telegraph and railroads (Wells 83). This specific example is important because it shows that the Martians have crippled society not only emotionally but also physically. The War of the Worlds provides an excellent example of the disappearance of communication and transportation technologies, which significantly affects people's lives. Worth explains in his article how technology and communication technologies play such an important role in imperialism when he says that "communication and transportation technologies are central to the imperial critique contained in the novel" ( Worth, 71). Although technology plays an important role in human survival, Wells makes it clear that it is important both ways when he explains how the Martians killed so many people quickly and silently with their Death Ray technology. Heat. have not accomplished as much as they (Wells 18). The Martians rely on technology just as much as humans do, hence their death at the end, particularly highlighted in the film due to their lack of a force field. The Martians live in giant advanced technological machines that are equipped with terrifying mass weapons. destruction, without it they would not live and would not attempt to conquer the Earth. Worth takes this idea of ​​the Heat Ray further when he explains how Wells uses specific examples in his text to tie the Martians' use of the Heat Ray to the actual techniques of imperialism by saying that the Heat Ray has contributed to the “political and social organization” and how it was in a “respectful relationship” with the media we see today (Worth 71). In a way, you could say that the Martians are taking over human technology to dominate with their own technology. It is worth saying that the reader can compare the Martians' uses of invasion to the techniques of 21st century imperialism. Although people may think that the broadcast time of the radio show adaptation of the novel was a coincidence, Mollmann brings this real-time comparison to the novel early in his article when he explains how the radio show based on the book was deliberately broadcast. in a time of real threat “from Nazi Germany” and how the film adaptation can be easily associated with “Martian invaders” and “Soviet Russia and communism” (Mollmann 407). There are many other ways to compare the lives of Martians. actions on humans and real life inside and outside the book. An example of this is that the narrator of the novel himself compares Martian machines to human machines and the progress of Martians on Earth to humans and animals when he says: "I began to compare thethings to human machines, to wonder for the first time in my life, how a battleship or a steam engine would appear to an intelligent lower animal” (Wells 38). Although not intended to do so, Worth makes a good metaphor for the Internet and the World Wide Web when he explains that Martians are "expansionist clichés" like an "octopus...with sprawling communications networks" (Worth 72 ). Throughout Mollmann's article he specifically compares the Martians to the British, but at one point returns to the entire novel and discusses its uses of general imperialism when he says the novel is "a warning against the dangers of imperialism” and manages to make a very specific comparison when he says that “the Martians are the British themselves” (Mollmann 407). Although Mollmann briefly discusses the novel's use of imperialism and its comparisons to the British, he immediately afterwards says that one important specific adaptation discussed throughout the article, Fighter from Mars, diminishes "the 'emphasis on imperialism', which is at odds with Worth (Mollmann 407). ).The Martians' invasion tactics can be closely compared to actual imperialism and wartime where communication is cut off before a country or group invades. This comparison really shows how communication is an important part of society and when it is cut off, it seriously damages a nation and makes it vulnerable to attack. The priest in The War of the Worlds is easily seen as a metaphor for God and is a strange character in many ways. The Curate can also be seen as a metaphor for the Martians due to his extreme beliefs and the extreme actions of the Martians, and the Martians are known for not sleeping at all and the Curate barely sleeps due to his anxiety. The priest is also described physically by our narrator as having large eyes and a receding chin (Wells 53-54). Martians are described as having no chins and also large eyes (Wells 111-112). One of the reasons the priest is so important is that the element of cultural imperialism in the book plays a larger role in religion, in whatever way. people's opinions change or how this can be compared to today's cultural imperialism. The vicar often says things comparing the Martians to God, such as when he says that the Martians are "God's ministers" (Wells 55). Reading the book 50-100 years after its publication may leave the reader confused as to the importance of this aspect of God, because 50-100 years ago, or at the time the story takes place, religion ruled the world . Science was far inferior to religion and scientists were often rejected, even killed, for their discoveries, including Charles Darwin. The reason this is so important is because at the time of the novel, no one believed that aliens could exist, which means everyone was even more surprised than a 21st century reader could imagine . This is related to the priest because the priest is the example of how people would react to the attack. This reaction is mainly to say that God is punishing them, rather than thinking that the Martians needed more resources and a place to live, as the novel's narrator thinks. The vicar's ideals are summed up when he says: “It is right, O God! he repeated again and again. "It is right. The punishment is mine and mine. We have sinned, we have failed. There was poverty, sorrow; the poor were trodden in the dust, and I kept silent. I preached acceptable madness - my God, what madness..