War of the Worlds Per. 1 DD Taran Copenhaver
In the final section of the story the narrorator is locked in a house with the curate for fifteen days or so, and when the curate dies and the narrorator emerges to a world covered in this red weed.
Do you believe that this section of the story is a symbol for something or represents a greater idea? What message is the author trying to tell us? Remember this is your opinion.
-Taran
Category: Per 1 WotW DD 8 comments »
March 7th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
The color red I think is a symbol for all the people that died because of the martians.
The weeds i think represent the Earth being dead after the martains destroyed it.
This is not all im putting. This is just to start out.
March 7th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
I agree with amber with that the color red is symbolic for all the peoples’ lives that were lost because of the martians. Red is obviously the best color to be used because it is the color of blood. The color of the weeds could also represent the evil and anger that they seem to hold within them.
When the narrator sees the weeds covering everything is seemed to me that it was a symbol to the narrator that everything was lost to the Martians. Seeing this overwhelming plant probably makes you feel like there is no hope because all the things you know are disguised under the unknown.
I also believe that the weeds represent the aliens themselves. They seem to be taking over the Earth, but then, just like the aliens, they die from disease. This also could be seen as foreshadowing of the death of the aliens.
~Erin C. =)
March 7th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Other symbolisms could be the sun. The sun was going down as the martians came into power when they killed their first victim. The sun is coming up as the narrorator is looking into the pits. This symbolises the end of the martians power.
Another would be the pits. The pits were a kind of birthplace for the martians on Earth. The symbol of the pits has come in a full circle to the death of the martians when the final pit they make is the burial site of the martians.
March 8th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Sonam Sherpa
Well going back to the red weed, I also agree that it most likely stands for all of the pain and destruction that the martians are causing, but I also thinks that the red weed can stand for something else.
Well I think that the red weed could stand for would not be the martians but instead the human race as a whole. The reason why I think this also is because weeds are obnoxious and they are persistent in getting their way. The same could be said for the human race. What I mean by this is that to the martians the humans seemed to be just an annoyance that they would have to constantly deal with. The only thing that doesn’t fit in this way of thinking would be the fact that the red weed was wiped out, but I guess that could stand for what could have happened.
Going back to what Amber said and to build off of it I also think that the sun rising and setting is very symbolic. When the sun was setting as the martians came into power it could have stood for the rise of one era and the fall of another. As for when the sun was rising it could have stood for the fact that it was the beginning of a new day with new possibilities. It could also stand for the same event coming back again much like the day always come back even after the darkest night.
March 8th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
so could we say that the martians represent night in general?
March 8th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
ya, I believe that the martians could be seen as the night. They could also be the otherside of life, (the night to the day). The humans are humane and usualy want peace and the martians come out of nowhere to destroy that peace.
Great comments guys
-Taran
March 8th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Okay, to answere my own questions. I believe that the whole scene were the narrorator is trapped in the house for fifteen days and comes out to find this dead world represents a chritian idea. (Sorry Sonam) The fifteen days that the narrorator was in the house could be like Jesus fasting for forty days, and the narrorator coming out to find this red weed is like Jesus in the wilderness. While Jesus was fasting he was tempted by the devil and thus he was fighting the evil forces. The narrorator was also fighting the “evil” forces. We look at the Martians as evil. The Martians came to our planet and destroyed us just like an evil force. I bleive that the author wants us to know that no matter how bad things get don’t loose faith or sight in what you are fighting for because in the end things will be better. At the end of this story we triumphed, and after his suffering, Jesus was ministered to by Angels.
-Taran
March 8th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Colin Easter
I think that the red weed symbolizes the act of the taking over of the Earth by the martians. The red color shows the blood that has been spilled, the planet Mars, and the alien influence that has appeared. The weed shows how the martians are spreading. It also shows how the martians are making there new home look like their old one. Like people building houses, the martians make weeds grow. It could also symbolize setting up new colonies. When people settle into land, they change the landscape and look of the place they are colonizing. The martians are colonizing Earth and are changing the landscape with their red weed.