Hadley Family's Demise To Technology

The Hadley Family’s Demise to Technology
Years before the rampant growth of technology, the barriers it would create were clear to see. In Ray Bradbury’s short story “The Veldt”, the Hadley family’s dependency on technology leads to dire consequences. In an attempt to overcome these consequences, the family withdraws its leniency and seeks external help. Yet with the family suffering for so long, the late efforts only lead to more tension, and ultimately murder within the family.
As an endeavor to reconstruct their family from the chaos the machinery has put them in, the Hadley parents draw back on their kindness. Disconnected and discontent, George and Lydia limit the children’s’ privileges, hoping to promote more family time. George notices

the children spending more and more time in the nursery and the divide between the growing stronger. George suggests “Matter of fact, we’re thinking of turning the whole house off for about a month. Live sort of a carefree on-for-all existence.” (4).

This clearly demonstrates George’s intent to pull the children away from the “Happylife Home”. Finally realizing the obsessive qualities of the nursery, George takes back on his easygoingness and tries to grab a firmer hand on his children. However the children have been exposed to the technology for too long, and have grown an addiction towards. The clashing beliefs between the parents and the children only lead to more tension. Ultimately, the children do anything to preserve the technology, including wishing death upon their own parents. In addition to disconnection, the dependency of technology leads to dishonesty in the Hadley family. The parents argue with children about the presence of an African veldt in the nursery and discuss afterwards. “Do you think Wendy changed it?” asks Lydia. “Of course”… “I don’t know (why). But it’s staying locked until I find out” (3) George replies. The parents’ distrust in the children is clearly expressed. Rather than discussing their uncertainty with the children, George and Lydia make the choice to lock the veldt on their own. Communication is vital for the continuity of a family, and the dependency to

technology only leads to less conversation and more dishonesty. As a result, the bond within the family deteriorates, leading to nasty attitudes towards each other. This eventually includes the children longing for the death of their parents. All in all, the Hadley family’s attempt to overcome disconnection and dishonesty backfires. The extreme reliance on technology only creates more tension and anger between the two parties of the family, ultimately leading to the death of the parents.
In Ray Bradbury’s short story “The Veldt” the Hadley family seek external aid to solve the problems technology tolerance creates.

Having grown up with technology and lacking guidance, the children are disrespectful and arrogant. Unsure what to do, the Hadley parents seek aid in a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist quickly notices the disaster the family is in, and suggests “Nevertheless, turn everything off. Start new. It’ll take time. But we’ll make good children out of bad in a year, wait and see” (5). The doctor suggests ideas that go against the values of the children. When the parents follow through with these plans, the kids become infuriated and desperate. Having relied on technology for so long, the children panic living without it. This leads to the kids taking drastic measure to protect their beloved machinery; including trapping their parents in a room full of viscous lions. Moreover, the children find solace in addictive habits when familial relationships strain. For example, the parents are seen sleeping after a stressful day, and hear screaming. “They’ve broken into the nursery” (4) says George. Willing to avoid sleep to spend time in the nursery, the Wendy and Peter’s obsession towards the nursery is clear. Tensions arise when the parents threaten to close the nursery. This distance technology creates makes children find comfort in the problem itself, the nursery. This completely goes against the parents initial efforts to keep the children away from the

nursery. The clashing beliefs and divide technology generates within the Hadley family only creates more anger and hatred towards each other. Ultimately, the anger is unleashed, resulting in the death of George and Lydia Hadley. Overall, the barriers of disrespect and addiction imposed by technology are too great to overcome if left unattended. Rather, they tear the Hadley family apart lead.
In Ray Bradbury’s short story “The Veldt”, the Hadley family endeavors to revoke kindness and seeks external assistance fail miserably. The obstacles of technology become so great, ultimately leading to the demise of the parents. From morning to night, technology follows society through everything. By reading Ray Bradbury’s “The Veldt” readers learn the imminent threat of technology, and the prudence needed to avoid it.