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Kent Blatchford
Professor William Johnsen
ENG 362
12/1/14
Change, Evolution, Progress
“He pointed out -- writing in a foolish, facetious tone -- that the perfection of
mechanical appliances must ultimately supersede limbs; the perfection of chemical
devices, digestion; that such organs as hair, external nose, teeth, ears, and chin were
no longer essential parts of the human being, and that the tendency of natural
selection would lie in the direction of their steady diminution through the coming
ages. The brain alone remained a cardinal necessity. Only one other part of the body
had a strong case for survival, and that was the hand, "teacher and agent of the
brain." While the rest of the body dwindled, the hands would grow larger.” (Wells
203)
This passage in the War of the Worlds holds significance and meaning in the past,
present, and future of society. It is a passage that piqued my curiosity and interest as I read.
It is passage that is deserving of more than a mere paragraph to reflect upon. The
anonymous narrator of the story is reflecting on the physical aspects of the Martians when
he recalls an article mocking the future of the human anatomy. It is observed that these
Martians, who are of much greater intellectual and mechanical prowess, resemble these
anatomical descriptions. It is also mentioned that these foreign beings require no sleep to
survive and no sex to reproduce. I find it rather interesting that these physiological
differences were of such type, and that they were spoken of in the story. It is as though
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Wells believes that these are traits of humans that would be obsolete if we could do
without them.
Evolution is a scientific phenomenon that has played a role in the birth of man. Ever
since bacteria could survive on Earth, evolution has produced organisms that are more
suited to survive and reproduce in such an environment. Humans have arms, legs, spleens,
and toes because the organisms that were able to survive before us had these
characteristics. However, are these appendages and organs necessary for us to survive? No,
they absolutely are not. Arms and legs are not a requirement for human survival. Nor are
spleens, appendixes, both kidneys and both lungs required for our heart to continue
beating. The human body is a wondrous invention with incomprehensible features, yet
there is still room for improvement. The physiological similarities between the Martians
and the fictional futuristic human denote the improvements to the human body that could
provide a higher degree of living.
Aside from the obvious physical aspects of evolution, there is evolution of society
that I feel the passage also alludes to. The beginning ages of human history largely revolved
around the manual labor and physically intensive activities that ancient societies thrived
on. Farmers, hunters, builders, and sculptors provided most of the necessary jobs that were
required to maintain and grow a village or town. Dialect was very basic and the bare
minimum was satisfactory. Over time, the laborious occupations began to evolve. Farmers
used improved equipment to increase their efficiency. Hunters implemented better
weapons to put more food on the table. The materials and processes by which houses were
made improved. Reading and writing became more common as schools started to develop.
Society as whole was evolving. Eventually, the Industrial Revolution arose and changed
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everything. The introduction of new and improved manufacturing methods turned hand
production into machine production. Such things as steam energy, the assembly line, and
the wheel transformed the world. Instead of assembling car parts by hand, machines could
perform the same duty in a fraction of the time, money, and effort. The transportation from
point A to point B became a matter of finding the correct train to ride on. “The perfection of
mechanical appliances must ultimately supersede limbs” lends to this revolution of
physical labor towards the efforts of machinery.
The progress and evolution from the industrial age to today is even more
impressive. Advances in medicine, transportation, and technology have revolutionized the
society of today. The social aspects of society have also shown change. The introduction of
socioeconomic classes has created a disparity regarding the “value” of an individual; those
who make more money than their counterparts are thought to be better and deserve more
respect. Professions that generally require a great deal of manual labor, such as
landscapers and janitors, are belittled by society whereas professions that require a great
deal of intellectual ability, such as physicists and doctors, are revered by society. It is this
sort of change and thinking in society that sets the tone for the future in and of itself.
This sort of change is well noted throughout the War of the Worlds. The denizens of
the small English town are going about their lives when something different than the norm
occurs. At first, not much is thought about the mysterious capsules arriving to Earth from
some distant planet. They are thought of as an interesting occurrence in the traditional
sunny afternoon and no sense of danger or potential harm crosses the minds of the people.
The realization and adaptation to such rapid harm and death came too late for many as
their lives were forever changed in the blink of an eye. The Martians were taking lives
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around the initial landing zone and yet people were still oblivious to what was going on
only miles away; there was no change. Only when the Martian tripods began decimating
entire cities were there any adaptations to the new societal threats. Humans were
completely oblivious to their downfall until it was essentially too late. At last, the
inhabitants of the world rose up to the threat to humanity and succeeded. The adaptation
to the change that was required of society was ultimately accomplished.
“And strange, too, it is to stand on Primrose Hill, as I did but a day before writing
this last chapter, to see the great province of houses, dim and blue through the haze
of the smoke and mist, vanishing at last into the vague lower sky, to see the people
walking to and fro among the flower beds on the hill, to see the sight- seers about
the Martian machine that stands there still, to hear the tumult of playing children,
and to recall the time when I saw it all bright and clear-cut, hard and silent, under
the dawn of that last great day....”(Wells 292)
This passage perfectly describes the aftermath of the war and the imminent change.
A different air in the world was noticeable, a kind of air that had never been inhaled before.
It was apparent that things would never be the same as they once were. However, is such
change a bad thing? Could it pose a risk for the downfall of modern society? Certainly.
Nevertheless, I believe that the change that likely occurred after the Martians were
defeated was necessary.
The future should be viewed in a sense that allows for the greatest possibility of
success for society as a whole. In Wells’ novel, it is obvious that precautions must be taken
to prevent another such tragedy to occur. It will not take long for the incident to become a
distant memory and something that merely happened. Change in society is required to
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forgo this, an evolution of some sorts. A comparable occurrence in our day and age would
be the tragedies of 9/11. September 11, 2001 – the day the world changed. It was an
unimaginable tragedy that took more than 3000 lives. Nobody could have foreseen such a
thing and people around the world were in mourning. Never again would the world be the
same. Following the events 9/11, security was at an all time high and militaries were
preparing for conflict. Change was imminent. However, was this the sort of change that
would be beneficial to society? Perhaps not. Was this the evolution that humanity was
destined for? Perhaps so. It is these sorts of situations that society must use to learn from
and grow as a whole. Certainly, nobody has forgotten about this event in history and the
changes to society reflect that. Nevertheless, life is not without strife.
I would like to ponder the content of the War of the Worlds if Wells were to extend
his novel. I believe that it would revolve around the rebuilding of what was lost and the
differences in which life would proceed. Security measures would need to be revamped,
trust would be of concern, and militarization around the world would occur, similar to the
9/11 aftermath. However, these sorts of changes assure nothing. A great deal of
uncertainty would still exist regarding the future and what it holds. It is the uncertainty of
life. If it were possible to predict such tragedies then they would never occur in the first
place. These events are learning experiences so that they may possibly be avoided in the
future. “While the rest of the body dwindled, the hands would grow larger.” (Wells 203) I
believe that this quote alludes to the experience and evolution of humans and society. That
of which is not used and practical will falter and die. That of which provides success,
sustainability, and growth will continue to thrive. The growth of the hand is the adaptation
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and evolution to new ideas and beliefs. It is the change that is required to survive. It is the
desire for progress.
Change is inevitable. It occurs in even the smallest backcountry English community.
It is one of the greatest fears of human beings. The straying from one’s traditional path is
not favorable for most and is not sought by many. However, change is unavoidable.
Embracing this change is the key to evolution and evolution is the key to progress. If people
had not been the product of evolution in the War of the Worlds then the bacteria and
pathogens that eradicated the Martians would have killed them as well. If people did not
embrace the manufacturing changes in the Industrial Revolution we would still resort to
manual labor for creation. If people did not evolve their thoughts and beliefs after the
coming of the 21st century the world would be a wasteland post nuclear fallout. We must
not be afraid of the change that will evolve humans and our society into the future.
There is no telling what the future will hold for us. By the 22nd century we could be
riding on a new mode of public transportation, using carbon deposits in waste as energy,
and embodying unity among once conflicting nations. We may even develop new anatomy
or lose that of which is not used, however foolish it may sound. We must look at the future
with an open mind and seek to better ourselves and those around us. We must look to
better society through our creativity and innovation. Looking at how far we have come,
even from a couple hundred years ago, is very impressive. From quill and ink to electronic
pen we have made strides to improve our literacy and communication. From horse and
buggy to magnetic levitation trains we have improved our transportation and efficiency. It
is only a matter of time before the next great innovation in this world is created. In fact, we
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could witness the next greatest energy source since solar power in the next 20 years,
possibly that of harvesting infrared light.
No matter what the future holds for society we must be receptive to new ideas. As
facetious as it sounds, humans could resemble the Martians in the next 500 years. We could
resemble merely brains with hands. It is the mindset and willingness to change that will
evolve the race of man into the next great era. The events present in the War of the Worlds
could foretell the future of our world. If we are not ready, if we cannot evolve with the
changes that the future holds for us then all may be lost.
“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds
cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw
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Bibliography
1. Wells, H.G. War of the Worlds. Planet PDF. n.d.
<http://www.planetpublish.com/wpcontent/uploads/2011/11/The_War_of_the_W
orlds_NT.pdf>