# XVI: The Exodus from London explained — The War of the Worlds

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

## What happens

The narrator's brother witnesses the chaotic exodus from London as thousands flee the Martian invasion. He helps a young woman and her sister-in-law, Mrs. Elphinstone and Miss Elphinstone, and together they navigate the panicked crowds, encountering scenes of desperation, injury, and death. They decide to head toward Harwich to escape the country, while the relentless stream of refugees cries 'The Martians are coming!'

## Themes in this chapter

### Social Order and Chaos

The breakdown of civil order is vividly shown as people trample each other, fight for space, and abandon the wounded, with only a few like the brother showing altruism.

### Human Vulnerability and Vanity

The crowd's physical suffering—thirst, cracked lips, exhaustion—and the futile grasping for money by a dying man highlight human fragility and misplaced priorities.

### Survival and Instinct

The primal drive to flee dominates the crowd, overriding all social niceties, as seen in the relentless cry 'Way! Way! The Martians are coming!'

## Character check-ins

### The Narrator's Brother

Leads the group, helps a lost child, and attempts to rescue a man crushed under a cart.

### Miss Elphinstone

Quiet and deliberate, she agrees to the brother's plan to escape via Harwich.

### Mrs. Elphinstone

Distraught and calling for 'George,' she is initially resistant to the brother's plan.

### The Martians

Their impending arrival drives the mass panic and exodus from London.

## Key lines

> Way! Way! The Martians are coming!

The crowd chants a desperate warning to clear the path as the Martian threat looms.

_This refrain underscores the panic and urgency driving the exodus._

> He was a lucky man to have friends.

The narrator's brother observes that a wounded man with companions is fortunate amid the chaos.

_Highlights the rarity of mutual aid in the selfish crowd._

> The man was writhing in the dust among his scattered money, unable to rise, for the wheel had broken his back.

A man crushed by a cart still clutches his gold coins, illustrating the futility of material wealth in a disaster.

_Emphasizes the theme of human vulnerability and misplaced values._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_war_of_the_worlds_se/chapters/xvi-the-exodus-from-london
- 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