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International Academic Journal of Education & Literature ISSN Print : 2708-5112 | ISSN Online : 2708-5120 Frequency : Bi-Monthly Language : English Origin : Kenya Website : https://www.iarconsortium.org/journal-info/IAJEL

Review Article Critiquing Imperialism and its Effects on Humanity in with Reference to H.G.Wells’s

Article History Abstract: The researcher aims at bringing out the nature of imperialism and how it is highlighted in Science Fiction especially in H.G.Wells‟s The War of the Received: 10.05.2021 Worlds. The text projects the galactic imperialism. The researcher studies the text Revision: 20.05.2021 from the imperialistic point of view by illustrating the social, geo-political, Accepted: 30.05.2021 psychological and cultural relation and also the similarities and difference Published: 10.06.2021 between the society and the European society depicted in the text. Author Details Dr Vijaykumar R Punekar Keywords: Science Fiction, Imperialism, , Narration.

Authors Affiliations Assistant Professor, Department of English, Waghire INTRODUCTION College Saswad, Tal-Purandar, Dist-Pune, India H.G.Wells‟s The War of the Worlds is an impression, taken from life, Corresponding Author* of the conquest by the European whites of a certain portion of the world, Dr Vijaykumar R Punekar an impression in particular of the civilizing methods of a great European How to Cite the Article: trading company face to face with the non-Europeans. In this story, Vijaykumar R Punekar. (2021); Critiquing human life, both Earthmen and , is presented as an unusually Imperialism and its Effects on Humanity in serious affair. Wells‟s art here lies in his catching of the infinite shades of Science Fiction with Reference to H.G.Wells‟s the Martians‟s uneasy disconcerted and fantastic relations with the The War of the Worlds. Int Aca J Edu Lte. Earthmen. The weirdness, the brilliance, the psychological truth of this 2(3); 23-28 masterly analysis of two worlds in conflicts, of the deep gulf between the Copyright @ 2021: This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Martians‟ technologically superior system and the Earthmen‟s Commons Attribution license which permits comprehension of its results is conveyed to us through a rapidly moving unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction narrative of war events. The novel begins with Martians visit and attack in any medium for non commercial use the with their powerful weapons. They have had specific purpose (NonCommercial, or CC-BY-NC) provided the behind visiting. The purpose is to conquest. This is exactly the modern original author and source are credited. symbol of imperial world- „the conquest of nature‟. This symbol is advocated by modern Science Fiction writers in to the form of galactic imperialism. Ironically in the text Martians attack on the nation England which itself is conqueror of the Earth. Man has established a space travel that is why he is very anxious to establish his significance or presence in the universe. Apart from this he actually aspires to the whole Universe by conquering one to another by Time Machine or Space aircraft. He has already established Space Stations in the Galaxy.

Galactic empire may be controlled by humanity and threatened or menaced by alien or it may be an alien oppression threatening the earth. H.G.Wells projects the 20th Century imperialistic violence, self –assertion and brute facts establishing power in this work. The text presents the concept of „Galactic imperialistic vision‟ of the author.

The novelist H.G.Wells embodies the persistent fallacy that science can be made to do everything for man. Wells' work dealt almost always with the actual possibilities of invention and discovery .Many of his ideas of inventions have 'come true'. His works such as The Time Machine (1895), The Invisible Man (1897) and The War of the Worlds (1898) are examples of scientific romances.

The relationship between the theory of imperialism and basic element of science fiction i.e. space travel-an exploration of domination of new world of galaxy has been examined in Wells‟s The War of the Worlds. The projection of „Galactic imperialism‟ 1 in the text is very vivid.

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Vijaykumar R Punekar; Int Aca J Edu Lte; Vol-2, Iss-3 (May-Jun, 2021): 23-28 H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds is a most majority, or in the Indian situation belonging to the low- complex novella, which offers a brilliant fictional caste. account of savage journey.Here visiting Martians‟ invasion of the Earth has had a specific purpose behind Science Fiction proper is distinguished from the visiting. The purpose is to conquest. This is exactly the Scientific Romances even from the time of Galileo modern symbol of imperial world- „the conquest of onwards. These may include a Syrian novelist Lucian‟s nature‟2. This symbol is advocated by modern science True History written in the second century A.D., in fiction writers into the form of galactic imperialism. which the narrator sailing in the ship is caught by a hum Man has established a space travel that is why he is cane and hurled into the sky from where it sails on to very anxious to establish his significance or presence in the moon. Fabulous tales of imaginary voyage or the universe. Apart from this he actually aspires to Utopian Fiction in which ideal societies were imagined dominate the whole Universe by conquering one planet are not Science Fiction in the sense the 20th Century and another through Time Machine or Space aircraft. Science Fiction criticism defines it. But these works Scientists have already established Space Stations in the include conventions and characteristics which were Galaxy. It is about an exploration of new world of later assimilated into Science Fiction. Thomas More‟s galaxy through space travel and hidden intention of Utopia (1516), Jonathan Swift‟s Gulliver Travels ruling the same world of galaxy. This investigation will (1726), Kepler‟s Somnium (1634), Cyrano de explore the innate quest of material interest in the Bergerac‟s fantastical Voyages to the Moon and modern science and its .development. Further, this (1656) make use of imagined societies to criticize the research project will probe the lack of spiritual and world of reality with which they were utterly moral strength of Wells's earthmen. dissatisfied. The element of the „other‟ in them appears to relate them to the Science Fiction, but they cannot be Imperialistic and materialistic interest continues to listed as such. The Science Fiction requires material and lead earthmen to abandon moral and ethical principles physical rationalization rather than merely fabulous or even today and in . The imperialistic mission for supernatural set of events. These Utopias do not have the materialistic greed is still present in different forms scientific outlook. Even the element of „other‟ in them in different places. Therefore, studying Wells‟s is disputed, because the imagined society in them scientific romances from pre and post „colonial‟ angel actually reinforces the existing society by criticizing in the contemporary situation is relevant. The visionary only the evils in them. presentation of scientific development and imperial world could easily be seen. Patrick Parrinder calls Wells „the pivotal figure, the evolution of into modern Science Science Fiction and Galactic Imperialism Fiction‟. 4 Wells explored a number of themes in H.G.Wells‟s novel The War of the Worlds presents Science Fiction, namely, time-travel, the , the contemporary imperialistic point of view. The biological mutation, the future city , and the anti-utopia. imperialistic angle expressed in it and its relation to the Like Verne‟s submarine, Wells was also prophetic mainstream Science Fiction is an attempt to criticize about the tank in Warfare, the atomic bomb and the geo-economical greed of British Empire or colonizes as warplanes. But he was also interested in the purely well. The researcher here tries to trace the development hypothetical scientific as in his Time Machine of Science Fiction as a background to study and the short novel The Island of the Doctor Morean H.G.Wells‟s scientific romances. (1896). He requires his readers to accept his speculative hypothesis – the -and then he explores its Alien Encounter consequences in a rigorous realistic mode of writing. It All the definitions of a Science Fiction emphasize can be observed in his The Invisible Man (1897) , The the encounter with a world that is different. It is the War of the Worlds (1898) and other Scientific „otherness‟ of the aliens, of the landscape; of the flora Romances. and fauna, which, the Science Fiction explores with help of a “novum‟‟. McCracken says, „at the root of the Imperialism: A Thematic Tool in Science all Science Fiction lies the fantasy of alien encounter.‟3 Fiction and the War of the Worlds. And later he says „the meeting self with the other is History of Science Fiction assumes that several perhaps the most fearful, most exciting and most erotic writers used this genre to comment on colonial encounter of all‟. This explains the tremendous interest experience, imperial past, or memory of invasion. Some of the Science Fiction readers in the Science Fiction envisage future wars and effects of imperialism in their dealing with aliens from and other . The works by presenting Alien encounter. Wells has planets, the terrestrial land, also function as the alterity- introduced the concept of galactic imperialism. The the otherness of the earth. What is more, the Science concept actually related to the ultimate symbol of „the Fiction provides a form to deal with the otherness, or conquest of nature‟. This symbol is advocated by some alterity of gender, race, and even alternative ideology. modern Science Fiction writers in the form of galactic Science Fiction can give symbolic expression to female imperialism. Man has established space-travel, which is experience or the experience of being black in the white one of the common themes in Science Fiction in the 24

Vijaykumar R Punekar; Int Aca J Edu Lte; Vol-2, Iss-3 (May-Jun, 2021): 23-28 1920s and 1930s, therefore, he wants to establish his In this regard Clarke‟s Islands in the Sky where the significance in the Universe, and moreover he aspires, protagonist Roy Malcolm meets accidentally to some desires to dominate it. Galactic empire may be Martians such as May, Ruby, and John. Their visit to controlled by humanity and threatened or menaced by earth and Malcolm‟s visit to Mars is depicted in the alien or it may be alien threatened the earth. In modern light of galactic imperialism. Series is all Science Fiction writing, writers project 20 the century about imperialistic territory. H.G.Wells and Alexander imperialistic violence, self-assertion and the brute facts Korda made a film of Science Fiction Things to Come of establishing power. Wells, Heinlein, Stapledon, in 1935.In the film as well as in the book galactic Clarke presented the phenomenon galactic empire in empire is stated very plainly. Cabal is a spokesman who their works. Therefore the researcher here is making points out bifurcation /split in two worlds of the human sincere attempt to illustrate the relationship between the race. Cabal speaks. theory of imperialism and its relation with Science Fiction. Science-Fiction is given or assigned to those narratives in which a writer uses authentic scientific Rest enough for the individual man. Too much information as a base of his story. Most of Science- of it and too soon, and we call it death. But for Fiction writers were used the Space-Travelling in a MAN, no rest and no ending at all. He must go galaxy as a major setting for their scientific stories. In on –conquest beyond conquest. This little planet this regard Brian W. Aldiss very rightly put it. and its winds and ways, and all the laws of mind and matter that restrain him. They the planets A writer of Science-Fiction writes a novel. He about him , and at last out across immensity to begins by creating a solar system and galactic the stars. And when he has conquered all the atmosphere and he sets future time in it. In that deeps of space and all the mysteries of time-still system he sets one planet in particular, gives it an he will be the beginning…………7 appropriate biosphere and ecology within that biosphere. He gives his creatures life and purpose, Thus The War of the Worlds, The Martian gives them a social system, domestic life, Chronicles and Star Trek highlight the theme of architecture and local substitute for water. He brings imperialism. The issue of escaping from native planet is in some visiting Earthmen and the chapter one Man is following. Earth is now not regarded as begins………. 5 fenced in and secure planet for Man. The novels depict the history of imperialism. At the same time novelists Here visiting Earthmen have had specific purpose like Wells and Bradbury present only the physical, behind visiting. The purpose is to conquest. This is ethical and psychological damage caused by exactly the modern symbol of imperial world- „the imperialism. Wells tries to analyze how imperialism is conquest of nature‟. This symbol is advocated by rooted at economical, environmental, psychological and modern science fiction writers in to the form of galactic ethical sections of society. If we consider imperialism is imperialism. Man has established a space travel that is an attack to conquer and establish the own colonies then why he is very anxious to establish his significance or is also a historical process of change. Change is of both presence in the universe. Apart from this he actually positive and negative. In this process many sections of aspires to dominate the whole Universe by conquering society suffer namely economy, culture, religion, one planet to another by Time Machine or Space history and mind of colonized and colonizer community aircraft. He has already established Space Stations in which are at larger level considered to be pillars of any the Galaxy. society. Therefore this policy of extending a country‟s power and influence by establishing colonies may cause Galactic empire may be controlled by humanity and both positive and negative changes to economical, threatened or menaced by alien or it may be an alien environmental, psychological and ethical assets of a oppression threatening the earth. H.G.Wells, Arthur C. country from colonizers. Many literary texts represent, Clarke, Heinlein projected the 20th Century imperialistic and project these changes. H.G.Wells The War of the violence, self –assertion and brute facts establishing Worlds is one of such texts which project imperialism power in their works. They illustrate the readers the in the form of damages done to society of London concept of „Galactic imperialistic vision‟. (representing society of Earth) in relation with economical, environmental, psychological and ethical Imperialism in general can be defined as to rule, to imperialism. dominate one particular state or nation or society. John A Hobson in his book Imperialism: A Study (1902) It is very important to consider the change in the explains the concept, by having had experience of history in the process of imperialism of any nation or a visiting of South Africa, “imperialism was essentially a society. Both in imperialism and Science Fiction history creation of monopoly capitalism. It is an acquisition of is deconstructed. Each nation or society has its own territory” 6 socio-cultural past and legacy converted into history. When imperialism takes place the whole history of the same nation dismantles and parameters of history find 25

Vijaykumar R Punekar; Int Aca J Edu Lte; Vol-2, Iss-3 (May-Jun, 2021): 23-28 changes. Literary writers and historians present these The title refers on a literal level to the invasion of changes into their works. Writers of Science Fiction the Martians and man‟s attempts to stop them from concentrate more on would been damages to the history taking over. The book can also be seen as a social of the planet (the Earth) in relation with the invasion of commentary on imperialism, whereby the clash of other planet (Mars and so on). Coincidently this is worlds would be between the British and native peoples identical in European imperial process where many they conquered and ruled under the British Empire. The colonized countries have had the experience of opening chapter of The War of the Worlds set the scene deconstructed history due to imperialism. The problems of a dying Martian , and an England that is of inferiority, insecurity, otherness, dominance, power, comfortable and secure in its compliancy as a power hegemony, racism emerge through this deconstructed upon the Earth. Upon a peaceful corner of that country history which can be seen both in Science Fiction and falls a manufactured cylinder of metal. From within imperialism. Sometimes it leads nation to understand emerge the horrifying Martians. At first it seems these the major drawbacks and limitations. By handling the creatures can be contained within the pit gouged out by issue of imperialism the writers of Science Fiction bring the arrival of their cylinder, but they quickly battle for out the strengths and weakness of our planet. supremacy. Rifles are pitched against a foe armed with Sometimes Earthmen are presented as being giant walking machines, devastating heat rays and a traditionally weak, technologically unadvanced over choking black gas. The fighting is brutal and aliens who try to take advantage of Earth‟s weakness. uncompromising, and shows to merciless effect how Sometimes Earthmen are presented as most powerful thin the surface of civilization is. The scenes of refugee intellectuals‟ creatures of the universe in invading Mars columns, stampedes and selfish acts of brutality are or other Planets. This again leads to deconstruction of amongst the most harrowing passages of the book. both the history of invaders and the history of colonized countries. In short dismantled history is present in The story goes as Mars is a planet older than Earth Science Fiction when they deal with imperialism. and is in the cooling-off stage. The drop in temperature H.G.Wells in his book The War of the Worlds handles and sea level forces its inhabitants to plan a method of the deconstructed history paradoxically. The novel getting off the planet. They decide the Earth. The comments on reaction to imperialism. Like other astronomer Ogilvy and the rest of Britain take an Science Fiction of Wells, this too highlights the theme interest in Mars due to cylinder shots into space around of imperialism and colonialism. midnight for ten nights altogether. The military starts to become involved, realizing the danger of the situation. H.G.Wells was more concerned with the effects of The second cylinder lands. The narrator tries to get science rather than the mechanics, and this I think some news about the Martians. The narrator takes his makes him the greater writer of Science Fiction. Wells wife to Leatherhead, where she has cousins. Shortly in the text with no surprise involves himself in the after their arrival, the narrator goes back by telling the question of . On October 19th 1888 Wells reason of returning the cart. The Martians destroy had spoken to the debating society at the Royal College everything around him with the Heat-Ray. The narrator of Science in London. His topic was "Are the planets continues on his way, seeing many people preparing to habitable?" and on the subject of Mars he had stated, leave at Weybridge. When the narrator lands on a bank, "there was every reason to suppose that the surface of he falls asleep from exhaustion and when he wakes up, Mars was occupied by living beings." He returned to the curate of the Weybridge church is sitting beside the subject in an unsigned article for the April 4th 1896 him. The Martians are unstoppable and are headed for issue of the Saturday Review, proposing that any London. Martians were they to exist, would have little in common intellectually with humans. The pieces were The city is covered with dust and dead bodies, and is falling into place for the creation of his greatest novel. ominously quiet. The sound “ulla, ulla” repeats for some time but then it too stops. The narrator soon The story Wells selected for The War of the Worlds discovers it was the sound of a dying Martian. The was however a completely new concept in literature, narrator is overtaken with a desire to end his life by through he was not quite the first to put forward a visit running at one of the Martians and having it kill him. to Earth from the Martians. This honor belongs to the However, when he reaches the top of Primrose Hill and German author Lasswitz Kurd. In his 1897 text Auf looks down into the final pit the Martians have created, Zwei Planeten (Two Planets) the Martian visitors were he sees them lying dead due to earthly bacteria to which essentially gentle. Wells chose instead to create a race men have become immune. He is not the first to realize of warlike beings with no interest at all in dialogue. The that the Martian threat is gone. Life gradually begins to Martians as envisaged by Wells are quintessential bug take on its previous appearance. But the narrator still eyed monsters. Though they are inhuman in appearance occasionally has flashbacks of the world under the they are all too human in character. Later the Star Trek Martians and fears their return. presented the Martians busy in invasions.

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Vijaykumar R Punekar; Int Aca J Edu Lte; Vol-2, Iss-3 (May-Jun, 2021): 23-28 The important point can be noticed that of Wells' very vividly the theme of imperialism in relation with own innate dislike of the society he lived in and the two races, two societies of two different planets-Earth social inequities he saw about him. Even read today, and Mars. The plot of the novel is basically over 120 years after its publication, The War of the imperialistic. There is an invasion of Martians on Earth Worlds has hardly dated at all. The action scenes read which also indicates the invasion of England over other as if from the latest science fiction blockbuster. For parts of the contemporary World. The title of the novel example an attack by a Martian war machine on the also indicates this broad conflict between the world of town of Shepperton. In the middle of the book, the Earth and that of Mars. Wells projects this imperialism Martians are well on their way to completing what as a possible galactic imperialism in the future. Through Wells called "the rout of civilisation." The setting of the the text, Wells warns contemporary society to be ready novel is most suitable to handle the double purpose of for galactic imperialistic attack of aliens. imperialism. Most of the story takes place in the small towns found in the countryside of England. Ironically H.G. Wells used Science Fiction as a tool to express enough England itself colonizers, imperialistic nation his opposition to the political, military, economic, was ruling so many countries of the Earth. Martians‟ environmental, ethical, and cultural imperialism that the attack on London presents this irony. Wells infact world is currently facing. He projected the effects of deliberately selects England to comment on imperialism in his almost all scientific romances, cotemporary imperialism. As the Martians move from especially, in The War of the World. The work was place to place, the imagery changes drastically. In the written when British was the ruling agency to many of beginning, the Earth looks as one would expect and in Eastern Asian, African and Latin American countries. the end, dead and dying people are in the roads, Almost 75 % of Earth (geographically) was under the buildings lay in ruins, and black dust and red weeds control of British Empire. England was extending the cover everything. Thus Wells presents the damages of empire day by day solely for their material interest. imperialism. Wells, like other Science Fiction writers, attacks invasion, imperialism and its effects of contemporary H.G.Wells presents two differently races conflicting time. At the same time he accepts technologically for the purpose of survival on Earth. First race is Native soundness world of Martians, scientific development. Earthmen comprises the Narrator, Artilleryman, the To comment on imperialism of his time, he ironically Curate, Wife of Narrator, Ogilvy, Henderson and the presents London under the control of Martians. The people of London, Waybridge, and Woking. The second second part of the book entitled as „Earth Under race is of imperialists Martians. Physically, they Martians‟ brings to highlight paradoxically both resemble an octopus, with their many tentacles and a imperialism of his time and the future imperialism of head that stands without a body, and they feed by the distant world. So there is parallel situation. At one injecting the blood from a live organism into side Western control over colonized countries is in themselves. They show no signs of mercy when they parallel to Earth under Martians as depicted in the text. arrive on Earth, their intent being conquest rather than Martians are depicted as technologically superior to compromise. They also show signs of recent awareness Earthmen. Allegorically this technologically superiority of microorganisms, and are killed by an earthly connects the text to contemporary post Victorian bacteria. industrialized Western world. Western used their knowledge to establish power over colonized nations The narrator represents order and morals amidst the for many years. Martians came to visit Earth with destruction and death caused by the Martians. As a intention of conquering the Earth step by step. Though protagonist, the narrator is a good choice. He is an they were not successful in the end finding their average man who wants only to live his life peacefully nemesis, they taught the important lessons to the with his wife. The narrator has a practical, scientific natives. The people from both sides of the war need to side as well. It is what puts him into conflict with the change the universe and their own world, by exposing curate but also what keeps him alive for so long. One injustice, inhumanity, by educating others about that thing the Martians represent is imperialism. When life injustice, by peaceful and otherwise protest, and most on their world becomes difficult, they see Earth and set importantly by working with and for those who face out to take it over with no attention of pursuing peaceful injustice. Wells‟s novel The War of the Worlds was cohabitation. Much of the same thing could be said for written in 1898 is the reality of our times. We need to imperialism, when European countries set out to take work out solutions to the problems in our world and over native people and often failed to treat them should work towards utopian future, even if it can never appropriately. be successful. There is a need to prevent the present crises. Wells very rightly projected the crises of his time The meaning of the Martians can also be applied in and of today‟s world. a broader sense, to the awful power of all wars. The Martians are portrayed as technologically capable beings, but show few signs of emotion. Without the machines, the Martians are weak. Thus Wells handles 27

Vijaykumar R Punekar; Int Aca J Edu Lte; Vol-2, Iss-3 (May-Jun, 2021): 23-28 Thus H.G. Wells is projecting galactic imperialism imperialism in any form devalues humanity and values in his masterpiece The War of the Worlds. The present material and selfish interest of invaders. It can be also article brings out the visionary idea and the process of pointed out that the parallel worlds of Martians and in imperialism. Wells attained the connection between relation with social, geo-political, psychological and Science Fiction and the theory of imperialism. He economical world of Europeans ironically busy in combined both Science Fiction and imperialism to imperialism. Thus the text explores how the comment his contemporary process of imperialism and imperialistic mission for the materialistic greed is still the future imperialism between the Earth and other present in different forms in different places. planet. Wells concentrate more on damages of imperialism by stating the philosophy of change and its REFERENCE need. The researcher finds that help can be appreciated from all sources, but the true force for change should 1. Parrinder Patrick Ed., Science Fiction: Its come from the natives, the community itself, not from Criticism and Teaching ( Londan:Methuen & outsiders, invaders, rulers, colonizers. Otherwise one Co.Lit,1980)p.37 form of positive imperialism will be replaced with 2. Edward Said, Culture and Imperialism ( negative imperialism. The selected text similarly London:Vintage,1994) p.147 suggests Martians will be replaced with another society 3. McCracken , Science Fiction (1998),pp.102 of different world of different planet of distant universe 4. Parrinder Patrick Ed., Science Fiction: Its to establish their own colony. Wells warns his race to Criticism and Teaching ( Londan: Methuen & be aware of the invasion and resistance. Imperialism is Co.Lit,1980),pp.27 continue to the cost of moral degradation and 5. Brian W. Aldiss, Billion Year Spree: the History of materialistic interests. The crises are happening on very Science Fiction(London, Oxford Uni. Press, 1973 minor issues like superiority, oil, religion, tusk, gold, ),pp.11 money. Injustice is in case of natives, colonized 6. John A Hobson, Imperialism: A Study(1902),pp.25 innocent people. Wells projected all these crises 7. H.G.Wells and Alexander Korda Things to Come through this work. Wells has projected galactic (1935),pp.25 imperialism in the text which can be connected to 8. Wells, H.G., The War of the Worlds (London: NASA‟s venture to establish colony on the Moon and Heinemann 1898),pp.8 probably on Mars. What is the intention of NASA team 9. Ibid.19 behind this venture is uncertain. I think it is in parallel 10. Ibid.23 to Martians intention in conquering the earth. However 11. Ibid.51

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