Question

Read the following passage from "the war of the worlds," by h.g. wells.: 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; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinised and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinise the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. with infinite complacency men went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs, serene in their assurance of their empire over matter. it is possible that the infusoria under the microscope do the same. no one gave a thought to the older worlds of space as sources of human danger, or thought of them only to dismiss the idea of life upon them as impossible or improbable. it is curious to recall some of the mental habits of those departed days. at most terrestrial men fancied there might be other men upon mars, perhaps inferior to themselves and ready to welcome a missionary enterprise. yet across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us. and early in the twentieth century came the great disillusionment. which words best describe the tone of this passage?

a. calm and matter-of-fact
b. excited and emotional
c. light-hearted
d. satirical

Answer 1

The tone of H.G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds" is calm and matter-of-fact, emphasizing humanity's ignorance and vulnerability with a subdued and analytical demeanor.

option 'a' is the correct

Step-by-step explanation:

The tone of the passage from H.G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds" is best described as calm and matter-of-fact. The narrator conveys a sense of inevitability and detachment when discussing the contemplation of humans by superior intelligences from Mars.

Wells describes humanity's complacency and the stark contrast with the Martian perception and plans with a cool objectivity, without any emotional hysteria or light-heartedness that would indicate excitement or satire.

The description of humanity's ignorance about the alien threat, with the comparison to men and the infusoria in a drop of water, also implies a satirical reflection on human self-importance and shortsightedness, yet the overarching manner remains calm. Instead of inciting panic or drama, Wells presents the impending invasion as a dismal and examined fact, contributing to the narrative’s grave and ponderous atmosphere.