The Curate (symbol)
The Curate is more than just an intensely unpleasant character: he also represents the futility of faith in the face of the Martian invasion. The weakness of his psychological foundation can be said to symbolize belief in any intangible philosophy that purports to offer answers but, in reality, is merely empty. His death at the hands of the Martians suggests that he is unable to thrive in the chaos after their invasion.
The Artilleryman (symbol)
Another character that becomes a symbol of his profession, the artilleryman seems to have calculated a plan of action for defeating the invaders from Mars, but he winds up merely going through the motions instead. Ultimately, for all his talk, he is a soldier of inaction, transforming himself into a symbol of narrow-mindedness.
Animals (motif)
The narrative contains frequent metaphorical language comparing humans to animals. The symbolism is quite apparent in the context of the development of the human race in comparison to the Martians: puny little Earthlings are to Martians as "dumb beasts" are to humans. However, the symbolism goes deeper than mere comparison with the advanced state of the invading army: the narrator’s incessant contrasts serve to underscore than, even in comparison to the other animals, man is not all that advanced.
The Pits (symbol)
The pits in which the Martians cylinders land serve as a symbol of the cycle of life. Aliens emerge from the pits after a very long gestation period, like a baby being birthed from the womb. Following their exposure to the fatal bacterial to which they have no immunity, they topple over dead into the same massive pits, thus transforming these structures from womb to tomb.
The Martians (symbol)
The Martians themselves are important symbols. The novel was written during a period of great political instability in Europe, which was all the more terrifying for a visionary like Wells, who likely concluded that the Industrial Revolution would give rise to terrible weaponry that one state would then use against another to achieve dominance. The invading aliens can be seen as symbolizing any of the powerful European states angling for more territory and power. At the same time, the Martians effectively seeking to colonize Earth to exploit its natural resources also points a guilty finger directly at England at the height of its colonialist power.
