Question

Read this passage from h. g. wells's the war of the worlds: and invisible to me because it was so remote and small, flying swiftly and steadily towards me across that incredible distance, drawing nearer every minute by so many thousands of miles, came the thing they were sending to us, the thing that was to bring so much struggle and calamity and death to the earth. why does wells call the martian spacecraft "the thing"?

a. because he doesn't fully understand what it is yet
b. because he is trying to give it a proper name
c. because he thinks it is unimportant to the story
d. because he wants to provide a good description of it

Answer 1

H.G. Wells describes the Martian spacecraft as "the thing" in The War of the Worlds to convey a sense of the unknown and to underscore the mysterious nature of the Martians and their technology. This choice aligns with the public's speculative fascination with Mars, largely inspired by Lowell's ideas, and effectively evokes a feeling of dread.

Step-by-step explanation:

In H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds, the Martian spacecraft is referred to as "the thing" as a literary device to emphasize its mysterious and unknown nature. Wells opted for this choice of words not to provide a descriptive account but to evoke a sense of alienness and dread. Since the object was distant and its specifics unclear, calling it "the thing" accentuates the narrator's, and by extension, humanity's ignorance about these Martians and their technology.

The term also aligns with Lowell's ideas, which inspired Wells's portrayal of Martian invaders using advanced technology to conquer Earth. Like many readers of his era, Wells would have been intrigued by the possibility of life on Mars and Lowell's theorization of a Martian civilization, yet the true nature of such lifeforms would have been entirely speculative, hence his choice of an ambiguous descriptor.

The answer to the student's question on why Wells calls the Martian spacecraft "the thing" is therefore option A: because he doesn't fully understand what it is yet. It conveys a sense of mystery and trepidation, fitting the theme of an impending invasion by an incomprehensible and superior force.