Response Journal
Humanities
You MUST have the book and READ the book “The War of The Worlds” by H. G. Wells.
You MUST have the book and READ the book “The War of The Worlds” by H. G. Wells.
- Read H. G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds, chapters 16 – End
- These pages cover the second half of the book. Use the active reading strategies we covered in the previous module to ruminate and annotate the important scenes and parts of the story as you read. Makes notes and references will help you return to those scenes and sections as you write about them and discuss them over the coming days and weeks.
- Watch video biography of H. G. Wells
- This half-hour BBC program introduces you to the life and mind of H. G. Wells. Several authors and historians discuss Wells’ writing including The War of the Worlds. Much of Wells’ personal life and experiences played a keen role in the stories he created. The Victorian era, as well as the changing social and political landscape, also had a great influence on him and his writing. Pay close attention and take notes about his influences. What connections can you make to specifics about The War of the Worlds? You will be reflecting and writing about these ideas in your journal in this module.
The War of the Worlds is set in Victorian London at the end of the nineteenth century. The belief system during the Victorian era was that good and evil, moral right and wrong, were very clearly defined. However, at the time this book was published (1897) that belief system was being challenged by new social norms.
- How do you feel that Wells’ story is a warning about the sudden changes in social belief systems? Consider and write about what roles certain characters play in that warning—the curate, the artillery man, the narrator.
- Does this warning have any relevance today? If so, how?
- What observations/notes regarding the Wells’ biography video apply to the ideas you write about in this response?
Guidelines for Response Journals:
- Will be typed in a Word document
- Will be 500 words minimum in length (add word count at end of journal)
- Will cite the relevant text using proper documentation (include Works Cited)
- Will have a title along with the journal number
- Will use MLA format; one-inch margins, 12-point font, double spaced
You MUST have the book and READ the book “The War of The Worlds” by H. G. Wells.
You MUST have the book and READ the book “The War of The Worlds” by H. G. Wells.