Ray Bradburys THE VELDT PLOT Two parents use
Ray Bradbury’s THE VELDT
PLOT � Two parents use an artificial "nursery" to keep their children happy. The children use the high-tech simulation nursery to create the predatorily environment of an African veldt. When the parents threaten to take it away, the children lock their parents inside where they are mauled and killed by the "harmless" machine-generated lions of the nursery.
SETTING � In the Hadley's fully automated home, the nursery is a room that comes to life with realistic looking holograms, reflecting anything the children imagine or think about. As the room changes to the veldt setting, it creates a creepy mood and sense of something bad to come. � The future as seen by Ray Bradbury of the 1950 s.
CHARACTERS � George Hadley - Concerned father. � Lydia Hadley - Concerned mother. � Both parents rely on technology too much and realize its negative effect on their children too late. � Peter Hadley - Child of George and Lydia. � Wendy Hadley - Child of George and Lydia. � Very � David spoiled and reliant on their nursery Mc. Clean - Psychologist friend of the Hadleys. � Saw the danger of the nursery and warns the parents to shut it down.
CONFLICT � Protagonist - The Hadley parents, who are concerned about the morbid imagination of their children. � Antagonist - The Hadley children, who are strangely protective of their virtual reality nursery. � Climax - The Hadley parents decide to shut down the nursery, but let the children play in it one last time. � Outcome - The nursery sets its lions on the Hadley parents, killing them and protecting the Hadley children from being deprived of its comforts.
LITERARY DEVICE- SIMILE � The Veldt" there are excellent examples of how Bradbury uses similes and metaphors to help create the ambience in the story. For example, when George is eating dinner and thinking about his recent experience in the nursery, Bradbury uses the phrase, "That sun. He could feel it on his neck, still, like a hot paw“ (Bradbury 14). This simile serves two purposes. Not only does it heighten the description of George's sensation by making the sun's heat seem much more tangible, but it also foreshadows the ending of the story when George and Lydia are attacked by lions.
LITERARY DEVICE- METAPHOR � Bradbury also uses a metaphor effectively near the end of the piece when he has George ask, "Lord, how did we ever get in this house? What prompted us to buy a nightmare? “ (Bradbury 25). By using the metaphor of house as nightmare, Bradbury not only conveys the fact that George has become very concerned but also that he still believes everything will turn out all right. After all, a nightmare is only an illusion. Or, at least that's what George believes.
LITERARY DEVICE- ALLUSION � The names of the children reference Peter Pan and also symbolize how the children don’t want to grow up. Just like the Peter and Wendy want to go to Neverland never grow up.
LITERARY DEVICE� Foreshadowing: According to the text, "When I punished him a month ago by locking the nursery for even a few hours - the tantrum he threw! And Wendy too. They live for the nursery” (Bradbury 12). � This shows the affect of taking the nursery away and hints that something horrible may happen if taken away again.
THEME � The main theme is the abuse of technology. According to the text, “You’ve let this room and this house replace your children’s affections. This room is their mother and father, far more important in their lives than their real parents” (Bradbury 22). The laziness engendered by a fully automated home has destroyed the familial bond. The parents have ceased parenting and technology has stepped in to become the new parent of the children, providing not only comfort and care, but the means to eliminate the old parents.
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