There are two main cultures in The War of the Worlds, the Martian culture and the British culture. In the novel, there are several cultural similarities between H.G. Wells’ Martians and the British Empire of the 19th Century. These similarities include colonialism, superior intellectual skills, and advanced weaponry. In addition, there are also cultural similarities between the human race represented in the novel and the Tasmanian Aborigines dominated by the British Empire in the 19th Century. These similarities include inferior intellectual skills, primitive weapons, and geographic isolation.
The invading Martians are a colonialist culture. Margaret Kohn defines colonialism as “a practice of domination, which involves the subjugation of one people to another” (Kohn). Assumedly, the Martians are already the dominant culture on Mars. After conquering their own planet, they moved on to Earth to expand their territory farther into the universe. The Martians are a highly intellectual race and far more technically advanced than the human race. As the narrator states, “intelligences such as we have scarcely dreamed of” (Wells 2). The reason the Martians invade Earth is to colonize. The Martians’ home planet, Mars, is reaching the end of its lifespan. They choose to invade Earth based on its proximity to Mars, warmer climate, and abundant resources. The Martians never exhibit any interest in coexisting with the human race; there is no mention of a peace treaty anywhere in the novel. They plan to dominate the Earth, wiping the human race from existence. Their weapons are highly sophisticated. The primary weapon used by the Martians is the Heat-ray. The heat-ray incinerates everything in its path, leaving a “heap of fiery ruins” (Wells 20)...
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...ectiveness when matched against British rifles. The British Empire attempted to force its cultural values on the indigenous people; however, the Tasmanians could not adapt. The indigenous people were comparative to the red weed in the novel; the diseases that travelled with the British Empire wiped out many Tasmanians. Like the human race in the novel, the Tasmanians only chance of survival was fleeing the oppression of the British Empire.
Works Cited
Kohn, Margaret, "Colonialism", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2012 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL =
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Parker, H. T. "The Australian Aborigine." The Journal of Negro Education 3.1 (1934): 57-65. Web.
Wells, H.G. “The War of the Worlds.” Class Hand-Out. English 2030-01. Austin Peay
State University. Fall 2013. Print.
The Australian Aborigines society is relatively well known in Western society. They have been portrayed accurately and inaccurately in media and film. Dr. Langton has attempted to disprove common myths about the infamous Australian society, as has her predecessors, the Berndt’s, and National Geographic author, Michael Finkel; I will attempt to do the same.
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Trias Monge, Jose. "The shaping of colonial policy," from: Trias Monge The Trials of the Oldest Colony in the World. New Haven: Yale University press, 1997. PP 36-51
Discussion Ancient Aboriginals were the first people to set foot on the Australian continent, over 40,000 years or more before colonization (Eckermann, 2010). They survived by hunting and gathering their food, worshipping the land to protect its resources, and ensuring their survival. The aboriginal community has adapted to the environment, building a strong framework of social, cultural, and spiritual beliefs (Eckermann, 2010). Colonisation of Australia began in 1788, when Englishman Captain Cook claimed the land as an empty, uninhabited, continent giving it the classification Terra Nullius and leaving it open to colonization. Eckermann (2010), stated that the English failed to recognise the aboriginal tribes as civilized, co-inhibiters of the land, feeling they had no right to a claim.
Gard, S. (2000). A history of Australia. The Colony of New South Wales. South Yarra: MacMillan Education Australia Pty Ltd.
H. G. Wells, author of the science fiction novel The War of The Worlds, used irony and foreshadowing to portray the theme that humans have a superiority complex that makes them think they have control and that they are the superior race. H. G. Wells is often regarded as the father of modern science fiction.
Bradbury developed the setting of the story similar to Earth as far aslandscape, atmosphere, and people in order to emphasize his intentions. Themartians are described as if they are American Indians at the time of theAmerican Revolution. For example, in the beginning of the story, Bradburydepicts Martians "they had the fair, brownish skin of the true Martian, the yellowcoin eyes, the soft musical voices." The trees, the towns in Mars, and the grassare all described like Earth landscape. Bradbury's Mars is a mirror of Earth.These plots raise moral issues and reflections of how history may repeat itself. Bradbury portrays Mars as humankind's second world, where we may goafter our Earthly existence. In the episode of "April 2000: The third expedition,"Captain John Black's mother said "you get a second chance to live" (pp.44).Lustig's grandmother said "ever since we died" (pp.40). Humans have a naturalfear of death. Some humans may even have a death wish. Bradbury reveals histhought of death through the connection between Mars and Earth. Through Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles, Bradbury warns us of ourfuture. In the episode of "June 2000: And the Moon ve still as bright," CaptainWilder said, "one day Earth will be as Mars is today...It's an object lesson incivilizations. We'll learn from Mars" (pp. 55). Throught the story, Earth man,especially American think that they are superior than the Martian. Earth mancan do anything and knows everyting. However, Bradbury's message is to tellthem it is not true. Earth man, here American people realize there are manythings that they can learn from others.
To understand cultural imperialism is to understand the diaspora of man across the globe along with the socially darwinistic interactions that follow. Modern homo-sapiens left the plains of Africa a mere sixty-thousand years ago. Today mankind populates six continents hundreds of islands with a seemingly endless ethnic diversity. But what comes of a culture that is antiquated on a global scale that comes to interact with a more advanced civilization. The Americas prior to 1492 where home to millions of indigenous people with wide spread and diverse cultures speaking over two-thousand languages. With western colonization of the Americas came disease and enslavement of the indigenous peoples. The enslavement, genocide and oppression the natives faced under the Europeans lasted for over five hundred years. Even the birth of civilized nations did little to stop the oppression as the United States military famously marched millions of natives to reserves in Oklahoma in what became known as the trail of tears. The innate nature of mankind is rather troublesome and largely counter-productive. We are extremely social animals yet instead of
Parbury (1999:64) states that Aboriginal education “cannot be separated” from the non-Aboriginal attitudes (racially based ethnocentricity that were especially British ie. white and Christian) towards Aborigines, their culture and their very existence. The Mission Schools are an early example of the connection between official education policies and key events in Aboriginal history. Aboriginal children were separated from their parents and placed into these schools which according to McGrath (as cited by Parbury, 1999:66) it was recommended that these establishments be located ‘as far as possible’ from non Aboriginal residents so as to minimize any heathen influence that Aboriginal children might be subject to from their parents. Mission Schools not only prepared Aboriginal youth for the manual labour market but also, adds Parbury (1999:67) their aim was‘to destroy Aboriginal culture and replace it with an Anglo-European work and faith ethic.’ Despite the NSW Public Instruction Act (1880) which made education free, secular and compulsory for all children Aboriginal children could be excluded from public schools based on prevailing dominant group attitudes. Consequently, the NSW Aborigines Protection Act (1909) was introduced as a result of a perceived public education crisis and Laws had already been passed, similar to protectionist type policies. This Act gave the State the power to remove Aboriginal children from their families whereby this period of time has become known as ‘Stolen Generations.’ It was during this time that Aboriginal children were segregated from mainstream schools. (Parbury, 1999; Lippman, 1994).
This is an incredible paragraph extracted from Bora Ring. This poem depicts perfectly of the European invasion of Australia. It shows how the traditions and stories are gone, how the hunting and rituals are gone and ‘lost in an alien tale’, the Europeans being the aliens. This poem also describes that it seemed as if the tradition of Aborigines was ‘breathed sleeping and forgot’. These are powerful words Judith Wright used to show how they Aborigines were quickly invaded and ‘forgotten’. This poem is an excellent example of why Australian students should study her poetry.
Thirdly, the Clash of Civilizations is a theory by Samuel Huntington, which shows that the conflicts that North Korea and South Korea faces in the modern era are caused by differences. On one hand, the war was considered the clash of civilizations at one of two levels: the micro-level. It is when adjacent groups along the fault lines between civilizations struggle violently, over the control of territory and each other. It is clear that North and South Korea fought a gruesome war, and allies of both countries were involved (Huntington). The death toll had reached over 54,000, and this is a clear example of how two neighboring civilizations with different ideologies can clash with each other (CNN). On the other
One of the biggest questions plaguing most political theorist is what will be the source for future conflict in this increasingly globalized world. Samuel Huntington a prominent political scientist in the U.S tried to answer this question in 1996 when he published the “Clash of Civilizations” which discusses the primary source of future global conflicts. In it he mentions religion and cultural differences as being the main source of conflict in the post cold war world. In evaluating Huntington’s theory you must evaluate modern conflicts and global issues of the present and compare them to the ideas held in his theory to see if his beliefs hold up to the substantial weight of the evidence. In critiquing Huntington’s argument you must also be