The Veldt by Ray Bradbury :: Veldt

The Veldt by Ray Bradbury   The fib of The Veldt, is a delving into the issue of how modern applied science can destroy the nuclear family. The editor of the Encounters book, John A. Rothermich comments that "This story is almost devoid of characterization.", I agree with this statement and think it is key to the plot of the story. The story begins with the mother of the family, who has quite a generic name. We are given no information of the characters background and how they came to the point in time they are now. The lines "Happylife Home" and the well-known(prenominal) room settings like the parents bedroom and the nursery give you a sense that this is a typical suburban home of the time. The mother seems alarmed or disconnected about something, "the nursery is...different now than it was", this at first might lead you to believe the mother has true individual characteristics. However, when you read on, you see the stereotyped reactions to any situation that comes about, the parents then say "nothings too good for our children". Later in the story the parents discuss the problems of the incredible signboard and nursery, "The house is wife, mother, and nursemaid, Can I postulate with it?", and the father has a generic answer "But I thought thats why we bought this house". The parents in the story look upon their childrens needs as work instead of ways of expressing any love or care. In the story we never learn anything about the children except for their obsession with the nursery, "I dont want to do anything but look and listen and smell what else is there to do?". When the parents tell the children the idea of shutting down the computerized house "for a vacation", the children react ball over and stay with their one, single characteristic given, they act shocked "Who will fry my eggs for me, or darn my socks?". You see then the childrens primary relationship is to the house and not the parents, the children exclaim "I wish you were dead". And sure enough, by the end of the story the children act on their on