There Will Come Soft Rains Theme

Technology has became the new bomb we must defeat. According to Albert Einstein, “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” Nuclear bombs are able to destroy thousands of lives and can completely destroy cities and towns. In “August 2026: There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury, the author uses setting, symbolism, and personification to convey the theme that technology will destroy mankind. The story explains how the city has only one house left standing after a nuclear bomb has hit the city. The house and voice-clock throughout the story play the roles of the people who used to live in the house. The house starts to disintegrate and vanish forever because technology has grown to strong and has taken

over the world. All throughout the story it points us towards what will occur if we continue to let the things we create take us down.
The story does an outstanding job portraying setting all throughout the story.

The author writes, “Today is August 4, 2026,”...“in the city of Allendale, California” (1). This gives us the idea of the type of weather and climate the story has. California is known for being really warm and has lots of rain in the winter and spring. Bradbury shows us how something has gone wrong with the city: “ The house stood alone in a city of rubble and ashes. This was the one house left standing. At night the ruined city gave off a radioactive glow which could be seen for miles” (1). This shows how the main character the house is all alone and that technology is completely destroying the entire city. The setting portrays what the environment is in the story and how the world is beginning to get destroyed. The setting begins to guide us towards the theme of the

story.
Symbolism is also strongly used to help portray the theme of the story. The story portrays the house and the atomic bomb as symbols of technology. The author states, “Until this day, how well the house had kept its peace. How carefully it had inquired, "Who goes there? What's the password?" and, getting no answer from lonely foxes and whining cats, it had shut up its windows and drawn shades in an old maidenly preoccupation with self-protection which bordered on a mechanical paranoia” (2). This explains how the house has found a way to protect itself, but that it can truly never be safe. This is showing us how powerful technology is and how is can destroy anything in its path. Bradbury explains how the city has been hit by an atomic bomb: “At night the ruined city gave off a radioactive glow which could be seen for miles” (1). This gives us the sense that an atomic bomb has hit, which the atomic bomb also symbolizes technology. The atomic bomb represents what technology will do to us and how we will be gone forever. Symbolism really helps portray the theme that technology will destroy mankind.
Personification is the strongest literary device used to portray the theme of the story. The house and voice clock are huge examples of technology being personified. Bradbury strongly personifies the house: “The front door recognized the dog’s voice” (1). Bradbury is showing us how the house has taken over the role of the people that used to live at the house. The house has grown to be the leader of the house and the person that watches over it. The author also says, “It quivered at each sound, the house did. If a sparrow brushed a window, the shade snapped up. The bird, startled, flew off! No, not even a bird must touch the house!” (2). This gives us the sense that the house has feeling and that it is really scared, most likely by technology. I think that this is showing how even the last thing standing, is completely scared of what we have created. In addition the house asks, “Mrs. McClellan, which poem would you like this evening” (3)? This shows how the house is still acting like people are living in the house and it is just doing its normal routine. The author states, “ Eight-one, tick-tock, eight-one o’clock, off to school, off to work, run, run, eight-one! But no doors slammed, no carpets took the soft tread of rubber heels” (1). This shows how the voice-clock has turned into one of the voices in the house, however nothing happens when it talks because no one is ever around. I think that this is explaining how everyone is gone, every last one of them has been destroyed by technology. Personification is huge in portraying the theme of technology will destroy mankind.
The weather box is also personified a ton throughout the story.

The author says, “The weather box on the front door sang quietly: “Rain, rain, go away; rubbers, raincoats for today” (1)... This shows how the weather box is a major voice and gives direction to the house and the outside. The author also states, “The sun came out from behind the rain” (1). This shows how the author is personifying the weather box, to tell the house and all the other animated features of the house, the type of weather it is outside. I think that the weather box is almost like a weather reporter for the house, since ultimately there is no humans living. Personification helps really convey the theme to all of the readers and

audience.
With setting, symbolism, and personification, Ray Bradbury is able to convey the theme that technology will destroy mankind. The house is ultimately a ticking time bomb because the world is set to end at any moment, when atomic bomb blows up. I feel that the author does an amazing job animating tons of features of the house to help show how technology is our own doom, and even it will be destroyed. There has been many cases in our lifetime, where technology caused lots of damage and killed thousands of lives. It ultimately is a unknown, when technology will destroy us, but it will not be long until it truly occurs. The house is the only one left standing in the story and is juxtaposed with the complete absence of human life. This shows that the technology humans create will eventually destroy them and the world. I believe this short story was written to help us understand there needs to be changes, before we are unable to save the world we love and live on. Setting helps start us off with the environment of the short story then we see symbolism start to take effect and really start portraying the theme. Then personification is the ultimate topper, which is the main part of the story and the main reason, we are able to understand the theme of the short story; technology will destroy mankind. These three literary devices help create an amazing masterpiece and convey a theme that will be remembered forever.