The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells chronicles the events of a Martian invasion as experienced by an unidentified male narrator and his brother.
Reading & Writing Workshop: The War of the Worlds
By H.G. Wells
Overview
This workshop explores H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds through the lens of science fiction as social commentary. Students analyze the novel’s portrayal of imperialism, human fragility, and moral progress, while developing essential AP Literature skills including close reading, prose analysis (FRQ 2), and literary argument (FRQ 3).
Session 1: The Invasion Begins – Close Reading & Annotation
Objective: Annotate Wells’ opening for tone, irony, and narrative perspective to practice AP Lit close reading.
Excerpt (Document 1):
“No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man’s and yet as mortal as his own.”
— H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, Book I, Chapter 1
Project Gutenberg
Activities:
Objective: Identify recurring motifs (technology, survival, and civilization) to analyze Wells’ commentary on progress and power.
Excerpt (Document 2):
“It never occurred to me to try and communicate with this creature, to which we were nothing but animals.”
— H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, Book I, Chapter 10
Project Gutenberg
Activities:
Objective: Develop a full AP Lit FRQ 2 prose analysis essay based on Wells’ use of imagery and tone.
Excerpt (Document 3):
“I saw a man, knee-deep in the white dust, wading slowly toward me. His face was blackened by the heat, his eyes were red, and his lips were cracked and bleeding.”
— H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, Book I, Chapter 17
Project Gutenberg
Activities:
Objective: Compare The War of the Worlds to other literary works exploring imperialism, evolution, and moral progress.
Comparative Excerpts (Documents 4 & 5):
Objective: Refine writing for sophistication and clarity.
Activities:
Objective: Apply all AP Lit skills under timed exam conditions.
Excerpt (Document 6):
“And scattered about, some in their overturned war-machines, some in the now rigid handling-machines, and a dozen of them stark and silent, lay the Martians—dead!”
— H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, Book II, Chapter 8
Project Gutenberg
Activities:
By H.G. Wells
Overview
This workshop explores H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds through the lens of science fiction as social commentary. Students analyze the novel’s portrayal of imperialism, human fragility, and moral progress, while developing essential AP Literature skills including close reading, prose analysis (FRQ 2), and literary argument (FRQ 3).
Session 1: The Invasion Begins – Close Reading & Annotation
Objective: Annotate Wells’ opening for tone, irony, and narrative perspective to practice AP Lit close reading.
Excerpt (Document 1):
“No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man’s and yet as mortal as his own.”
— H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, Book I, Chapter 1
Project Gutenberg
Activities:
- Annotate diction and syntax that create foreboding tone.
- Discuss the narrative voice—how does it set up a critique of human arrogance?
- Quickwrite: How does Wells’ narrator immediately challenge human assumptions about superiority?
Objective: Identify recurring motifs (technology, survival, and civilization) to analyze Wells’ commentary on progress and power.
Excerpt (Document 2):
“It never occurred to me to try and communicate with this creature, to which we were nothing but animals.”
— H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, Book I, Chapter 10
Project Gutenberg
Activities:
- Socratic discussion: Does Wells portray humanity as civilized or primitive under pressure?
- Track motifs: light/darkness, technology, fire, and hierarchy.
- Analytical Paragraph: Explain how Wells uses imagery of fear or destruction to critique modern society.
Objective: Develop a full AP Lit FRQ 2 prose analysis essay based on Wells’ use of imagery and tone.
Excerpt (Document 3):
“I saw a man, knee-deep in the white dust, wading slowly toward me. His face was blackened by the heat, his eyes were red, and his lips were cracked and bleeding.”
— H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, Book I, Chapter 17
Project Gutenberg
Activities:
- Analyze diction and imagery: how does Wells humanize devastation?
- Outline essay: thesis → evidence → commentary.
- Writing Task: FRQ 2 essay analyzing how Wells uses description and tone to depict the collapse of civilization.
Objective: Compare The War of the Worlds to other literary works exploring imperialism, evolution, and moral progress.
Comparative Excerpts (Documents 4 & 5):
- Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness:
“The conquest of the earth… is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much.”
Project Gutenberg - Mary Shelley, Frankenstein:
“Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge.”
Project Gutenberg
- Comparative chart: Wells, Shelley, Conrad → how do they link science, power, and morality?
- Discuss: Are the Martians a metaphor for British imperialism?
- Writing Task (FRQ 3): Compare how Wells and another author use external threats to expose humanity’s moral weakness.
Objective: Refine writing for sophistication and clarity.
Activities:
- Mini-lesson: “Commentary that interprets, not summarizes.”
- Peer review using AP rubric categories (thesis, evidence, commentary, sophistication).
- Writing Task: Revise FRQ 2 or FRQ 3 essay to deepen commentary and sharpen analysis.
Objective: Apply all AP Lit skills under timed exam conditions.
Excerpt (Document 6):
“And scattered about, some in their overturned war-machines, some in the now rigid handling-machines, and a dozen of them stark and silent, lay the Martians—dead!”
— H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, Book II, Chapter 8
Project Gutenberg
Activities:
- 45-minute timed FRQ 2 prose analysis essay.
- Self-score using the AP rubric and reflect on progress.
- Discuss: How does Wells’ conclusion redefine strength and survival?
- Annotated excerpts
- One analytical paragraph (motif or symbol)
- One FRQ 2 essay (collapse of civilization passage)
- One FRQ 3 comparative essay (imperialism or moral decay theme)
- Peer-reviewed and revised essay