The War of the Worlds · Chapter
XVI: The Exodus from London explained
The narrator's brother witnesses the chaotic exodus from London as thousands flee the Martian invasion.
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!'
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
In this chapter, the narrator reaches his emotional and psychological nadir as he wanders through a corpse-lit…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes 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!'
Characters to notice
- 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 passages
“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.
