The War of the Worlds · Chapter
Epigraph explained
The epigraph quotes Kepler's meditation on the possibility of inhabited worlds and humanity's place in the universe, questioning whether humans or other beings are the lords of creation.
What happens
The epigraph quotes Kepler's meditation on the possibility of inhabited worlds and humanity's place in the universe, questioning whether humans or other beings are the lords of creation.
Themes in this chapter
Alienation and Otherness
The epigraph introduces the central question of humanity's relationship with potential alien beings, framing the theme of otherness that pervades the novel.
Human Vulnerability and Vanity
The question 'Are we or they Lords of the World?' challenges human arrogance and foreshadows the vulnerability of humanity in the face of the Martian invasion.
Key passages
“But who shall dwell in these worlds if they be inhabited? … Are we or they Lords of the World? … And how are all things made for man?”
If other planets are populated, what kind of beings live there? Do we humans rule the universe, or do they? Is everything really created for our benefit?
The epigraph sets up the novel's central philosophical challenge to anthropocentrism.