Answer Key

1. C

2. B

3. B

4. C

5. A

6. C

7. A

8. B

9. C

10. B

11. B

12. A

13. C

14. A

15. A

ESSAY TOPIC IDEAS / BOOK REPORT TOPICS

1. Discuss WellsÂ’ reasons for mentioning specific roads and towns but not naming the narrator.

2. What effect does the mix of Biblical and mythological references have?

3. Was the ending (specifically, the Martians dying off from disease) expected? If so, what evidence of foreshadowing is there?

4. How, if at all, would the story have been different in a different time or place? (ex. military response, staying power of government and morals, etc.) Or, how was Wells influenced by his own experiences?

5. In what ways does this war compare to other wars in human history?

6. Discuss the use of traditional and other types of symbolism in the book (ex. setting sun; street lights)

7. Why does the narrator relate the story of his brotherÂ’s flight?

8. How does WellsÂ’ presentation of the Martians compare/contrast with other images of aliens?

9. In your opinion, is this book more about science fiction or social commentary?

10. If the narrator were to resume his writing, how would he now end the sentence-“In about two hundred years, we may expect?”

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