The Veldt Theme

1224 Words3 Pages

The story “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury is a science fiction short story that has themes connecting to what is happening now, and what will happen in the future. “The Veldt” was written in 1950, where notable technological advances were made. Things such as the first TV remote control and credit cards (although, known as the “travel and entertainment” card at the time) were made. 8 million televisions were also being used in homes around the US (The People History. Retrieved from http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1950.html). As technology is advancing, things are getting easier; people are starting and continuing to become more leisurely. The story “The Veldt” is showing how our future might end up as technology advances, and people themselves …show more content…

The children were horribly spoiled and considered the nursery as their parents, not their actual parents. The nursery is a room that turns your thoughts into reality. The nursery had been an African veldt for about a month now, demonstrating ideas of death and hatred ever since the children were denied a rocket to New York. They called in a psychologist named David McClean. He said this wasn’t good at all and that they needed to shut the house down as soon as possible, as well as getting away from here. George and Lydia were fine with it since they wanted to do so already, they wanted to live and the house wasn’t letting them. They told the children and they were in hysterics. They begged the nursery to be turned back on. They did so, and eventually George and Lydia were locked inside by their children, and were killed by the lions that were always in the veldt, waiting. David asks where their parents are, they said they’ll be coming. It ends with Wendy breaking the silence, offering a cup of

Show More
Related

  • Similarities Between The Veldt And A Good Man Is Hard To Find

    1246 Words  | 3 Pages

    The main characters in “The Veldt” who so prominently exhibited reckless decision-making were the parents. Their most significant decision concerning the wellness of their children was their choice to purchase a number of machines that would complete everyday tasks for their children such as tying their shoes, bathing them, and feeding them, leading them to become dependent on the machines rather than their parents. Therefore, their initial reaction to being told that the machines were being taken away was to be angry. Their son screams, “‘Don’t let them switch off the nursery and the house,’ he was saying. Mr. and Mrs. George Hadley beat at the door… Mr. and Mrs. Hadley screamed.” The children’s immediate reaction showed that the technology had a significant influence on them. The main responsibility of all parents is to think carefully about every decision regarding their children, which they failed to do when making this decision. As a result, the technology had a negative impact on the children, where they became so reliant on the technology to complete everyday activities that they would not to be able to function when they were turned off. Another character who displayed controversial morals and selfishness was the grandmother in “A Good Man is Hard to Find”. She lied multiple times throughout the short period

    Read More

  • Who Is To Blame For Lydia's Death

    553 Words  | 2 Pages

    The parents, George and Lydia, are to blame for their own deaths because they didn’t set limits for their children. Early in the story my claim is shown when David came over, "My dear George, a psychologist never saw a fact in his life. He only hears about feelings; vague things. This doesn't feel good, I tell you. Trust my hunches and my instincts. I have a nose for something bad. This is very bad. My advice to you is to have the whole damn room torn down and your children brought to me every day during the next year for treatment." This relates to my claim because it shows how even the psychologist thought that the room needed to be torn down a while ago but they kept it. Furthermore, making the kids addicted, so much so, they killed their parents. Later in the story my claim is shown when the father tried to tear the room down, “Don't let them do it!" wailed Peter at the ceiling, as if he was talking to the house, the nursery. "Don't let Father kill everything." He turned to his father. "Oh, I hate you!" This supports my claim because the kids were never protected from the bad and wrong so they acted like the parents were bad.

    Read More

  • The Trusty Theme

    927 Words  | 2 Pages

    “The Trusty” is a work of fiction, written by Ron Rash, that tells the story of a man and a woman who try to escape their lives. In this short story, Sinkler is depicted as a scandalous but also as a distressed character. Many painted events lead to the illustration of a peculiar setting in which Sinkler is experiencing some abnormal instances. Sinkler is not dead, and his characterization has lead the audience to believe his flawed mental state is the reason why.

    Read More

  • Isolation in “Yellow Wallpaper”

    1263 Words  | 3 Pages

    The spacious, sunlit room has yellow wallpaper with a hideous, chaotic pattern that is stripped in multiple places. The bed is bolted to the ground and the windows are closed. Jane despises the space and its wallpaper, but John refuses to change rooms, arguing that the nursery is best-suited for her recovery. Because the two characters, Emily and Jane, are forced to become isolated, they turn for the worst. Isolation made the two become psychotic.

    Read More

  • The Time Machine And The Veldt Comparison

    1795 Words  | 4 Pages

    Have you ever had the thought that technology is becoming so advanced that someday we might not be able to think for ourselves? There is no questioning the fact that we live in a society that is raging for the newest technology trends. We live in a society that craves technology so much that whenever a new piece of technology comes out, people go crazy to get their hands on it. The stories that will be analyzed are The Time Machine by H.G Wells and The Veldt by Ray Bradbury. These stories offer great insight into technologies’ advancements over time that will ultimately lead to the downfall of human beings. These two stories use a different interpretation of what will happen when technology advances, but when summed up a common theme appears. In the story, The Time

    Read More

  • The Yellow Wallpaper: Becoming the Woman Behind The Paper

    770 Words  | 2 Pages

    Once they arrive in the house, the main character is basically locked away in the nursery for the rest of the story. This nursery had everything moved out of it besides the bars on the window and th...

    Read More

  • Ray Bradbury Use Of Technology

    1767 Words  | 4 Pages

    During the exposition of “The Veldt” Bradbury introduces the nursery as something to entertain the family’s two children, which means technology as readers would originally perceive is being beneficial. In contrary, this understanding takes a turn as the parents begin to notice the two children always have the environment set to a safari in Africa. Upon this thought, they mention, “Children thought lions and there were lions… sun-sun… death and death,” (Bradbury 17). “The Veldt” and its use of the word death is extremely powerful as if taken into consideration, death occurs very commonly in a safari environment since predators feast on their prey. Bradbury is then having his reader suspense-fully question why the children seem so admired by the sight of death. Additionally, the story transforms into a creepy tone, as it is rather disturbing for two young people who are still children to be admiring a sight of death. The children’s enjoyment of the nursery and Africa environment are further highlighted when the parents settle on how to handle to the situation. George’s wife feels the best decision is to lock the nursery from the children. George opposes her decision as he expresses, “They live for the nursery,” (Bradbury 16). Use of the word “live” is not being used by its literal definition by Bradbury, similarly to “running” in “Marionettes Inc.” Instead, Bradbury is vividly proving to readers the children have ultimately been captivated by this nursery, especially the African environment. Their captivation by this nursery has forced them to believe their parents are no longer necessary as the both the automated house and room fulfills their every desire. “The Veldt’s” creepy tone is further developed, as the children seem to have disregarded what is really important in their lives and passed it aside for technology, almost as

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Education In The Glass Castle

    1031 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jeannette and her siblings were left without a proper education due to the fact of their parents' weird way living. The Walls children were always moving from place to place because of Rex and Rosemary. Parent interaction in their children's educational learning has a big effect in the ending. If a parent is involved, asks about their child's schoolwork, how their day was, etc., the child will do better in school because their parent actually cares. On the other hand, if a parent rarely shows interest in their child's school studies, the child may believe that they do not have to try hard in their studies because the parent will no...

    Read More

  • The Detrimental Influence of Media and Technology on Society

    766 Words  | 2 Pages

    Aldous Huxley, a renowned English writer, once said “Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards.” The advancements that we have made in the recent years are astronomical. However, people of the present time are becoming increasingly dependent on technology and adversely influenced by the portrayal of the media. Initially media and technology were designed to facilitate a person’s life but as generations pass, it has become a liability rather than an asset.

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis of "The Yellow Wallpaper"

    861 Words  | 2 Pages

    The nursery in the story symbolizes the way women were treated like children. In the story, the narrator's husband places her in a nursery room, because she was going through post pardon depression, and he felt she shouldn't be able to see her child while she was sick. As she starts settle into the room, the more she begins to act like a child. Like a baby she could not leave the room whenever she wanted to, she couldn't do nothing but look at the wall and ceiling, and she was kept in one place under the care of her husband. John would treat her like a child by calling her names like "blessed little goose," and "little girl." Just like a baby she would cry for nothing most of the...

    Read More

  • American Dream Essay

    1786 Words  | 4 Pages

    Technology began skyrocketing, which lead to a drastic shift in citizen’s daily lives therefore causing a new American Dream to form. Before the Contemporary Period Americans did not have all the luxuries that are used today; such as Internet, cell phones, and televisions. With the use of this new form of communication news and ideas were spreading fast. Social norms and politics began to change dramatically. As shown on the technology timeline within the past fifty years America experienced a rapid growth of technology that has never been seen before, only 50 years ago on January 1, 1950 the first remote control was invented. This remote was not wireless, but as only 60 years had past Americans now have smart phones, smart TVs and wireless internet that is available almost anywhere (Science and Technology). Americans have had to adapt to th...

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Ray Bradbury's 'The Veldt And August 2026'

    1171 Words  | 3 Pages

    Today’s world is full of robots that vacuum the floor and cars that talk to their drivers. People can ask their phones to send a text or play a song and a cheerful voice will oblige. Machines are taking over more and more tasks that are traditionally left to people, such as cleaning, navigating, and even scheduling meetings. In a world where technology is becoming increasingly human, questions arise about whether machines will eventually replace humankind altogether. In Ray Bradbury’s short stories, “The Veldt” and “August 2026,” he presents themes that technology will not only further replace the jobs of humans, but it will also outlast humankind as a whole. Although this is a plausible future, computers just cannot do certain human jobs.

    Read More

  • LOTF Theme

    839 Words  | 2 Pages

    Civilization vs. Savagery is one of the main themes in the novel, Lord of the Flies. Civilization forces people to suppress their darkest urges, whereas savages surrender to their darkest impulses. William Golding represents the differences in civilization and savagery in the conflict between the two main characters: Ralph, who represents civilization, order and leadership; and Jack, who represents savagery and the desire for power.

    Read More

  • The Barad-Dur Theme

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    Likewise, the first time we are introduced to the armor-clad Rohans, their theme is also absent.

    Read More

  • Ray Bradbury's The Veldt and Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis

    920 Words  | 2 Pages

    Abandonment occurs on two levels in Bradbury's story. First, the children are figuratively abandoned by their parents when they are left in the care of a technological baby sitter (Harold, 2001). As the character of David McClean tells George, "You've let this room and this house replace you and your wife in your children's affections. This room is their mother and father, far more important in their lives than their real parents"(Bradbury, 163). This accidental abdication of parental responsibility sets the children up to become emotionally attached to the nursery. Then, when George threatens to turn off the nursery, the children are terrified because now they are going to be abandoned by their new, surrogate parent, the nursery.

    Read More

More about The Veldt Theme

Open Document