“ The contagion of such a unanimous fear was inevitable. ”
H. G. Wells, The War of the Worlds (1898). copy citation
| Author | H. G. Wells |
|---|---|
| Source | The War of the Worlds |
| Topic | fear panic |
| Date | 1898 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/36/36-h/36-h.htm |
Context
“Unable from his window to learn what was happening, my brother went down and out into the street, just as the sky between the parapets of the houses grew pink with the early dawn. The flying people on foot and in vehicles grew more numerous every moment. «Black Smoke!» he heard people crying, and again «Black Smoke!» The contagion of such a unanimous fear was inevitable. As my brother hesitated on the door-step, he saw another newsvendor approaching, and got a paper forthwith. The man was running away with the rest, and selling his papers for a shilling each as he ran—a grotesque mingling of profit and panic.”
source
Meaning and analysis
