Falling Star
The first cylinder that has fallen to the Earth is described as a falling star. At first, people thought it was a simple meteor. It is seen as “a line of flame high in the atmosphere … leaving a greenish streak behind it that glowed for some seconds.” Such a dangerous thing is perceived by people as a beautiful, natural phenomenon.
Encountering Aliens
The narrator gives a description of an alien when he sees it for the first time: “the head of the thing was rounded, and had, one might say, a face. There was a mouth under the eyes, the lipless brim of which quivered and panted, and dropped saliva.” Before seeing an alien himself, the narrator thought that Martians might resemble people of the Earth, but he was mistaken. The aliens from Mars were nothing like people.
Chaos
The chaos that appears after the Martians start their determined attack is described by the narrator in vivid details. People are lost in confusion: “There were sad, haggard women tramping by, well dressed, with children that cried and stumbled, their dainty clothes smothered in dust, their weary faces smeared with tears. With many of these came men, sometimes helpful, sometimes lowering and savage. Fighting side by side with them pushed some weary street outcast in faded black rags, wide-eyed, loud-voiced, and foul-mouthed.” It is a spontaneous mass movement—a panic, a flight, universal and terrifying, without any order, without a definite purpose; six million people, unarmed, without food supplies, seeling refuge somewhere, out of the blue.
The Spread of Martian Influence
"And beyond, over the blue hills that rise southward of the river, the glittering Martians went to and fro, calmly and methodically spreading their poison cloud over this part of the country." This quote contrasts the beautiful scenery—the river and blue clouds—with the horrible image of the Martians exterminating humanity.
