# X: In the Storm explained — The War of the Worlds

> Chapter companion for The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells.

## What happens

The narrator drives his wife to Leatherhead for safety, then returns home alone through a violent thunderstorm. During the journey, he witnesses the arrival of a third Martian cylinder and sees the terrifying Martian tripods for the first time. After a crash, he finds the dead body of the innkeeper and eventually reaches his house, shaken and horrified.

## Themes in this chapter

### Technology and Destruction

The Martian tripods are described as 'walking engines of glittering metal' that smash trees and cause chaos, highlighting the destructive power of advanced technology.

### Human Vulnerability and Vanity

The narrator's initial excitement about 'being in at the death' contrasts sharply with his terror upon seeing the Martian machines, underscoring human fragility.

### Survival and Instinct

The narrator's flight from the tripods, his crawling and hiding, and his struggle to reach home reflect primal survival instincts.

## Character check-ins

### The Narrator

Drives his wife to Leatherhead, returns alone, witnesses the third cylinder and Martian tripods, and struggles home through the storm.

### The Martians

The third cylinder lands; Martian tripods are seen striding across the countryside, smashing trees and emitting green smoke.

### The Narrator's Brother

Mentioned as the narrator's cousins host him and his wife at Leatherhead.

## Key lines

> I can best express my state of mind by saying that I wanted to be in at the death.

The narrator admits he was eager to witness the Martians' defeat, feeling a thrill similar to war fever.

_Reveals the narrator's initial naive excitement about the invasion._

> A monstrous tripod, higher than many houses, striding over the young pine trees, and smashing them aside in its career; a walking engine of glittering metal...

The narrator describes the terrifying sight of a Martian tripod, a towering machine that crushes trees as it moves.

_First detailed description of the Martian war machines, emphasizing their scale and menace._

> I have no doubt this Thing in the field was the third of the ten cylinders they had fired at us from Mars.

The narrator realizes the object in the field is the third Martian cylinder to land on Earth.

_Confirms the ongoing arrival of Martian cylinders._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/chapters/x-in-the-storm
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/chapters