The White Mountains

“We had no idea what Volts had been, but the notion of danger, however far away and long ago, was exciting.”

On several occasions, Will encounters remnants of modern society that are likely familiar to readers, though they leave him confused. Here, Will’s sense of wonder and intrigue are directed at a relatively mundane target, a power plant. By considering modern society from Will’s perspective, Christopher invites readers to examine their own lives and technologies with newfound wonder. Will’s comment also reveals an underlying desire for adventure that is unlikely to be fulfilled in the course of his normal life in the village.

“In a way, […] I almost hope it doesn’t work. I’m not sure I wouldn’t rather be a Vagrant.”

Will’s friend and cousin Jack muses that life as a Vagrant could be preferable to life as a regular Capped servant of the Tripods. From this perspective, Capping is a limitation on personal freedom and identity, whereas Vagrants maintain some semblance of individuality, however erratic. Jack’s comment leaves an impression on Will, who eventually comes to the same conclusion, demonstrating the potential for revolutionary rhetoric to spread through word of mouth. This quote introduces the theme of Freedom Versus Security.

“Well, we know it was the Black Age. There were too many people, and not enough food, so that people starved, and fought each other, and there were all kinds of sicknesses, and…”

Will introduces the conception of the past that has been taught to him from a young age, which suggests that earlier human civilization was far inferior to the current arrangement under the Tripods’ dominion. While his words about hunger and disease are technically true of human society, his point reflects an enforced pro-Tripod bias. Overall, the comparison of the past civilization with Will’s present experience raises questions about what constitutes true progress for humanity.

“And yet, remembering the keen blue eyes under the mass of red hair, I could not help feeling that there was something about this man that made the risk, and the disobedience, worthwhile.”

Here, Will describes his impression of Ozymandias, whose eccentric but charismatic personality inspires Will to take risks and disobey social norms and customs imposed by the Tripods. Ozymandias’s striking appearance supports his role as an outsider and social disruptor, keen to attract others to his cause. Although he relies on Ozymandias’s influence at first, as time passes, Will begins to develop internal motivations to guide his actions and even begins to inspire others.

“But I could not stay, any more than a sheep could walk through a slaughterhouse door, once it knew what lay beyond. And I knew that I would rather die than wear a Cap.”

Ozymandias’s visit provides a moment of awakening for Will, which is a hallmark of dystopian fiction. Here, he realizes that the system of Capping and domination by the Tripods directly counters personal freedom and fulfillment. His comparison of those who are Capped to sheep that are slaughtered demonstrates his newfound insight that Capping is not a mere nuisance or slight burden; rather, it is a near-total destruction of the self, not unlike death.

“I had the uneasy feeling that what he had said was not unreasonable.”

Shortly after leaving his village, Will finds himself in the uncomfortable position of wanting to maintain leadership and control over Henry. Here, he rejects one of Henry’s suggestions out of hand, not wanting to admit that Henry could be right about something. His actions are ironic in light of his overarching goal of escaping the Tripods’ dominion, as he seeks to exert a similar, if lesser, degree of control over Henry instead of offering him an equal voice and role. As the novel progresses, he becomes more comfortable with accepting advice from others.

“I suspected he was still pondering his idea of using steam instead of horses. It was a pity, I thought, that with so many ideas in his head he could not learn to tell the difference between sensible and ridiculous ones.”

Here, Will thinks about Beanpole’s suggestion that trains could use the pressure generated by steam to move instead of relying on horses as they do in his day. To readers, steam-powered vehicles are unremarkable, even outdated technology, but to Will, such a suggestion appears to defy common sense. Passages such as this one serve to defamiliarize readers with seemingly mundane technology, showing how astounding such technologies are from a certain perspective.

“It seemed like magic, but could not be. Another wonder of the ancients.”

This passage captures Will’s reaction when he realizes that the watch he found in Paris is still ticking. His statement reflects the tension between superstition and scientific knowledge. Unable to identify the watch’s power source, he attributes it to magic while acknowledging the limitations of such an explanation. His confusion further underscores The Wonder of Human Ingenuity, such that some advances appear as magic to the untrained eye.

“I saw how good things could be meaningless in isolation. What value did courage have, without a free and challenging mind to direct it?”

During his time as a guest in the Comtesse’s castle, Will ponders the nature and value of courage and freedom, highlighting the theme of Freedom Versus Security. He realizes that one without the other is meaningless and empty. Freedom of thought and behavior, in his view, is a prerequisite to any meaningful existence. Thus, although the Tripods may offer some good things in isolation, the overall lifestyle of those under their control remains hollow, devoid of real choice or meaning.

“Was I to abandon my hope of freedom, surrender the mastery of my mind, for the sake of wearing jeweled leather and having other men touch their caps to me? The notion was absurd. Whatever privileges I was given, I would still be a sheep among sheep.”

Here, Will considers the Comtesse’s offer for him to remain in the castle and join the nobility. Though he is flattered by her offer, the more he thinks about it, the more Will realizes the superficiality of the class system. Additionally, regardless of his elevated status among people, Will would still be subject to the control of the Tripods. The implication is that even the most advantageous positions in such a dubious system are inferior to a truly free life, no matter how impoverished.

“Her words shocked me, but the look on her face was more shocking still. It was a kind of rapt devotion, the expression of someone who hugs in secret her heart’s desire.”

Will is shocked by Eloise’s declaration that she has no higher aspiration in life than to serve the Tripods in their city. Here, the effect of her Capping is obvious, as her devotion to the Tripods overshadows all other concerns in her life, including her family as well as Will. To Will, Eloise’s cognitive distortions are obvious and dangerous, but to others who are Capped, her opinion appears perfectly reasonable. The key to the Tripods’ success, therefore, is not just control of the individual but the control of enough individuals to control and dictate the majority viewpoint.

“Horror, above all, at how closely I had come to falling—no, to throwing myself—into something beside which suicide was clean and good.”

Here, Will reflects on his momentary lapse in judgment that almost led him to submit himself to the Tripods. Although Christopher’s mention of suicide as preferable to Capping does not, perhaps, adhere to modern sensibilities on this issue, Will’s point—that the ability to think and act freely and independently is an essential characteristic of any meaningful life—still stands. At the same time, Will recognizes that there is a certain appeal to the more controlled, reliable life under the Tripods, again highlighting the theme of Freedom Versus Security.

“These creatures were nonhuman, and one should not try to give them human motives.”

After the Tripod near the castle captures Will and then releases him with no apparent explanation, Will ponders on the nature of the Tripods and concludes that they are so far removed from human experience that it is all but useless to ascribe logical motivations to them. In fact, the Tripod’s aim in releasing Will soon becomes clear, as the Tripod wishes to track him. This calls into question Will’s assertion that the Tripods should not be regarded in anything approaching human terms, leaving open the question of what, if any, empathy and understanding the Tripods might deserve despite the atrocities they commit.

“I freed him from his bridle, and he tossed his head, at liberty. […] He reared, went a few yards, and halted, looking back at me. I thought he was unwilling to leave me.”

Here, Will describes the reaction of Aristide, the horse, once Will sets him free. The animal’s apparent ambivalence about his freedom mirrors Will’s earlier indecision about whether or not to submit to the Tripods’ authority. This passage also serves as a reminder that people develop relationships of dominion and control over animals in much the same way the Tripods do to them. The question is whether there are any meaningful differences between the ways that humans exercise power over others and the ways that the Tripods do so.

“Once cannot understand all the things the ancients did. But they built this river, it is certain, and must therefore have used it. It could be fixed to work again.”

Here, Beanpole expresses his confidence that those who built and designed human society prior to the arrival of the Tripods had their own reasons for doing so. Significantly, he references the past not as a mere historical oddity but rather as a potential roadmap for the future, suggesting that a resurgence of human ingenuity could be attained, providing the Tripods are defeated.

“But, thinking of that, I thought of Eloise, who would not be at this feast. There were worse things than hunger, worse ills than physical discomfort.”

Though he never admits it directly, Will seems to have fallen in love with Eloise, and he thinks of her often after leaving the castle. As he reflects on his hunger and discomfort, Will compares his situation with that of Eloise, whose deprivations he considers to be of a far more serious nature, even though she is unlikely ever to lack food or shelter. Difficult as his chosen path is, Will stands by his decision to forgo comforts to preserve his freedom of thought and action.

“I touched something whose texture was not the texture of flesh, but smoother and harder—something like a small metal button […] It seemed to melt into my skin, with no clear division between them.”

In this and other similar passages, Christopher explores the relationship between the mechanical and the biological. As this passage demonstrates, the Tripods have learned to closely fuse the two. The implication is that those who are Capped are now part machine. In this context, the struggle to retain autonomy becomes a literal struggle to protect flesh from invasion by mechanical agents. Such passages fit into larger conversations within science fiction about the potential for life to be enhanced, controlled, imitated, or otherwise altered by technology.

“You do not get used to fear, I thought; it grips you as firmly every time.”

As he passes through a series of dangerous circumstances, Will realizes that he continues to feel fear just as intensely as at first. Instead of growing into some larger-than-life, swashbuckling hero, Will simply becomes increasingly capable of acting under pressure and despite his fears, as his key role in the battle with the Tripod demonstrates.

“I could begin to appreciate the enormity of what I had done, not so much with pride as with wonder. The unchallenged, impregnable masters of the earth—and my right hand had smashed one to death.”

Here, Will reflects on the death of the Tripod. Up to that point, he considered the Tripods virtually invincible. Defeating even just one Tripod shows that, however unfavorable the odds, it is possible to defeat the others. In terms of scale, this event sets the stage for the sequels, in which Will and his companions set their minds on overthrowing the Tripods’ entire cities. The key point is that small victories inspire the confidence to pursue larger objectives.

“Once I fell, and it was an exquisite pleasure just to lie there, panting but not moving, my face pressed against grass and powdery earth. The others helped me up, and I was partly angry as well as grateful.”

During the final stretch of the journey, under increasing strain, Will nearly succumbs to the temptation to give up. Only with Henry and Beanpole’s support does he resume the journey. This incident highlights the way that the three boys have come to rely on one another throughout their journey, emphasizing the theme of Bonding Through Adversity. In this case, when Will’s perspective is distorted by the sheer pleasure of relaxing on the ground, the other two boys are able to take a broader view of the situation and remind him of the urgency of their journey.

“We lay there in increasing discomfort and boredom and hunger, seasoned in my case with pain. My arm began to hurt very badly, and there were times when I thought I would make my lip bleed with biting on it, and I felt tears come to my eyes and run down my cheeks.”

Perhaps Will’s most trying ordeal throughout the journey involves hiding in a cramped space for an extended period of time as he, Henry, and Beanpole wait for the Tripods to give up searching for them. Will’s hunger and fatigue combine with enduring pain in his arm, which was recently cut open to remove the tracking device. Will’s willingness to endure such pain underscores the value he attaches to his ultimate goal of attaining freedom from the Tripods.

“Henry said he knew it must have been pretty agonizing; he would have shrieked a lot more. I was more glad of his kindness than I would have expected.”

Seeing Will’s pain, Henry offers his sympathy. This marks a significant evolution for both of them, as Henry previously showed little, if any, compassion for Will, just as Will attached little importance to Henry’s opinion. In facing significant challenges side by side, each comes to value the presence, support, and contributions of the other, bringing the theme of Bonding Through Adversity to its conclusion.

“We reached high ground, from where it should have been possible to see the White Mountains, but there was no sign of them—only an empty gray horizon. There were moments when I felt that what we had seen before had been a mirage rather than a reality.”

At certain points, due to variations in terrain, the White Mountains temporarily fade from view, causing Will to question whether they really exist. Moments like this illustrate the fragility of hope and motivation. Just as the sight of the White Mountains inspires him to continue forward, so too does maintaining focus on his ultimate goal of securing freedom for himself and others enable him to overcome various obstacles along the way.