An Essay On The Veldt By Ray Bradbury

The Veldt Essay
Ray Bradbury’s The Veldt is a short story about the positives and negatives of using technology in large doses which now is a normal part of life. Technology changes family dynamics, impacts individuals experiences and can practically obliterate the purpose of someone’s life. All three of these factors indicate that addiction to technology can lead to a less fulfilling life.
The story provides us with insight into how damaging technology can be to a family. Technology changes the relationship between parents and children as technology replaces the loving connection children have with their parents to a cold affiliation, one that is full of hatred and disrespect. The nursery replaces the relationship between Peter and his

parents so when George considers turning off the nursery, Peter “[does not] think [he should ] better consider it anymore” (Bradbury 143). Peter is so dependant on the nursery that he feels he cannot live without it so he does whatever he can to get the nursery back. In this instance, the child, Peter, becomes unaware of the respect children should give their parents. The children’s obsession with technology has clouded their judgment. The children love technology more than their own parents so the technology is teaching and inspiring Peter and Wendy instead of their parents reducing the quality of their family life. The obsession with technology that Peter and Wendy posses weakens their relationships with their parents giving them a life that is less fulfilled than it should and could be if the nursery did not exist.
Knowing something and experiencing something are completely different concepts and because their lives are immersed with technology, Peter and Wendy are truly missing out on experiences.

The quality of Peter’s life is diminished because he does not even “want to do anything, but look and listen and smell” (143). The children do not learn how to cook, at most they observe the cooking being done. The result is a life without accomplishments. Everything in their lives is done for them without the need for their participation. The knowledge children gain from experiences, trying and succeeding or even trying and failing that is key to every child’s growth has been taken away from them because everything is done for the them painting a picture and tying shoes are only two examples of experiences that every child should have. Peter and Wendy do not have an opportunity to participate in these simple and basic experiences because the children feel that if they see something being done it is the same as doing it themselves. The children’s fixation with technology is teaching them to be reliant and not do anything for themselves changing their lifestyle from independent to dependant. The lack of experiences the children have is ruining their life slowly, leading to a poorer quality of

life.
The result of the dependance the entire family has on technology has created an environment without a sense of purpose in life.

Lydia especialIy, “[feels] like [she] [does not] belong here. The house is wife and mother and now nursemaid. Can [she] compete with an African Veldt” (138). Lydia has been raising the children, cooking and cleaning for the house. Now that the technology, especially the nursery is doing everything for her Lydia feels that her purpose in life is lost. The reliance children have on their parents is usually astronomical however Peter and Wendy are relying on technology for everything and do not connect with their parents, ask them questions or converse with them. Technology is replacing the job that Lydia had in her children’s lives by raising her children for her. However, Lydia created this scenario herself since she is technologically addicted herself. Technology completes Lydia’s tasks and performs them for her, but only later does she realizes that it is ruining her life. The lack of purpose Lydia has thanks to her children’s as well as her own addiction to technology makes her life unsatisfactory and

unfulfilling.
The whole Hadley family is tremendously affected by the increase in the use of technology in their home, particularly the nursery as the technology causes the family to have a life that is diminished. Technology creates a detachment between parents and children, creates a life of only factual knowledge without experiences and causes a sense of purposelessness. Through the children’s ignorant behaviour and their parent’s violent death Ray Bradbury teaches the reader to always be aware of the dangers of high doses of technology in and how an obsession with technology can ruin lives.