Analysis Of The Veldt By Ray Bradbury

926 Words4 Pages
Technology Will Kill All Science fiction typically depicts visions of what life will be like in the future. In “The Veldt,” Ray Bradbury subverts what too much technology will do to the human race if it progressively continues to overcome life itself. In this story, George and Lydia Hadley live in a Happylife Home that does every task and chore for them, leaving them carefree. The house features an extravagant nursery that George and Lydia’s children control with their mind. Originally, the nursery is constructed to help the children; however, it actually turns the children against the parents, resulting in the parent’s death. Bradbury’s story allegorically argues that technology is a destructive force in society, specifically through his…show more content…
One example is when Bradbury states “Lord, how did we ever get in this house? What prompted us to buy this nightmare?” (8). The technologically advanced house, in theory, is a wonderful invention; but to those living it in it, it is far from wonderful. The house is becoming too independent, developing a mind of its own. The house is gaining more control than it was ever intended to have, making the house harder to control. Less control can mean any number of scary situations for the unfortunate family living in the house. By the same token, Bradbury writes, “This room is their mother and father” (6). Plain and simple, the room is parent to the children more than the biological parents are. Because the parents do not actually raise their children, the children are attached to the machines that are raising them. The machines never teach the children to love or to have respect; therefore, the children lack those characteristics. Metaphors carryout Bradbury’s theme with much needed emphasis as the story is told from the passerby’s point of…show more content…
For example, Bradbury states “Death thoughts. They were awfully young, Wendy and Peter, for death thoughts. Or, no, you were never too young, really” (2). The simple words guide the reader through the journey of the story with an outsider’s perspective with small crucial insights from George, as necessary. The quick change in thought George allows the reader to feel the thought process George is going through to arrive at his final conclusion about the changed children. The realization that one is never too young to think about death, adds depth to the growing thought that the nursery is no good for the children. If anything, the nursery is completely ruining the children and fueling the angry fire that is now, the Hadley children. Moreover, Bradbury writes “George Hadley looked in at the changed scene” (4). The small word, “changed,” omits the need for other description of how the room changed or what it looks like. The fact that George saw a “changed” scene explains that the room is now different without having to go into detail about what is different or what it looked like now. This word also contains a small amount of the fear and confusion, within George, created by the moment. This sentence implies to the readers that George is now fully aware of his blatantly defiant children and their intended suspicious activity in the nursery. The point of view is the mechanism that allows the theme of the story to
Open Document