Ray Bradbury has a history of creating stories that incite fear for the future of technology. Insightful predictions that warn about the fall of humanity by our own hands. As a young child I was given the opportunity to read ‘All Summer in a Day’ by Ray Bradbury and the short story has stuck with me for a majority of my life because of the initial fear it caused. In the short story, Bradbury highlights the pitfalls of bullying when a young child is prevented from seeing the sun on the planet Venus. He displays how tools provided for human advancement can be used for malevolent gain in The Veldt as well.
‘The Veldt’ was similarly terrifying because of its use of small children to depict extreme levels of violence. Societal norms tell us that children are innocent creatures who cannot make poor decisions without outside influence however in this short story that does not seem to be the case for the Hadley family. Mr. and Mrs. Hadley may have spoiled their children, if not for the betterment of their own lives as well, yet this did not seem a reasonable excuse for their execution. Children often times do feel unnerved by their parents authority and feel angst and awkwardness towards their parents “know-it-all” attitudes but to envision, plan out, and carry through with murder takes a mindset that should not be harbored by young minds, with the additional imagery of the book itself gives the story a childlike appearance as though the story told of children’s aspirations was unnerving. Luckily ‘There Will Come Soft Rains’ offers refuge from such a chilling story.
‘There Will Come Soft Rains’ holds back in a way that the other stories mentioned in this post do not, they don’t include the wrath of children. There is human bloodshed caused in an obscene fashion however it stands as a background story, as opposed to the much sadder story at the forefront, of the home the people left behind. The home ticks and toils away for all time with no one left within its walls. As the house begins to wind down for the evening it is torn apart and eaten alive from the inside out. Every circuity nerve burned and was destroyed beyond repair. As the house dies so does a bit of the reader’s soul. After being nearly mauled to death by fire only a single wall is left standing the house is crippled repeating and reliving its death.
Fear Factor
1. The Veldt 9/10
2. All Summer In A Day 7.5/10
3. There Will Come Soft Rains 7/10
Your exploration of the fear factor and the impact of technology on humanity adds depth to your analysis. I like how you have added a personal connection to “All Summer in a Day” – makes it relatable.
The contrast you draw between the fear factor in “The Veldt” and the more subdued tone of “There Will Come Soft Rains” is intriguing. Consider asking readers about their preferences and interpretations to invite conversation. For example, you could ask, “Which story resonates more with you, ‘The Veldt’ or ‘There Will Come Soft Rains’? Why?”
Your fear factor ratings add a unique element to your post. Consider inviting readers to share their own ratings and opinions. For instance, you could ask, “What fear factor ratings would you assign to these stories, and why? Do you agree or disagree with my rankings?”
Your concluding thought about the impact of “There Will Come Soft Rains” on the reader’s soul is powerful. Consider adding a question or invitation for readers to share their own emotional responses to this story. For example, you could ask, “Which Bradbury story left a lasting impact on you, and how did it make you feel?”
By incorporating hyperlinks to related discussions and posing questions that invite reader participation, you can create a more interactive and engaging reading experience. Keep up the great work!
Hi JD! I love how your site looks overall; everything looks very cohesive and personalized. I specifically like how the black bars separate every main feature or thought. I think this makes the whole site very easy to look at and will probably make it easier to go between pages once there are a lot of them.
Your thoughts into Bradbury’s works are very well put, and I like how you intertwined three of his works into your post. I have never read All Summer in a Day, but instead have read Fahrenheit 451, yet it seems as if these works have a lot of overlap as well. I also find Bradbury’s recurring topics of malevolence surrounding children and technology to be quite interesting, yet put differently each time he raises these.
I also read “All Summer in a Day” as a kid! I was eight or nine when I read it and I still vividly remember how sad my classmates and I were when we figured out that the young girl had been trapped in the closet the whole day. I liked how you included another of Bradbury’s work, as well as the fear factor. Your point about how there’s human bloodshed and violence in both short stories we read was really insightful and got me thinking. In addition to your reframing of the death of the house as the violent death of a ‘sentient’ being, reorienting the implications of nuclear war in “There Will Come Soft Rains” as a backdrop of violence makes both stories much more similar to each other than I thought initially.
Hello JD! I enjoyed reading your post, although I have not read All Summer in a Day, it sounds like a story I should consider reading. I liked your comparison of both the stories we read, I agree with The Veldt being terrifying because as you mentioned, as a society we view children as innocent souls and having the initiative to murder their parents would never really be imagined. It scary and very powerful for Bradbury to give us the idea that this could possibly happen all because of the amount of interest we offer to future generations.
As for There Will Come Soft Rains, I loved your explanation of the feelings the story gave off it helped me understand the story more than I originally did. I personally enjoy reading the scarier stories so this one didn’t grab my attention as much as The Veldt did. Overall, your post was amazing!
#DH390
Hey JD!
I love your post and think Bradbury has done a good and scary job of showing the really dark potential effects of technological advancement. I also think he did a good job predicting the future in a way with ‘The Veldt’ because it strongly reminds me of what happens today with kids and iPads or other screens. I understand that it’s easier for the parents but I have seen kids freak out if they don’t get their time with some kind of screen. My question for you is, given the fact that you read ‘All Summer in a Day’ as a kid and it stuck with you, how do you think his portrayal – in general – of technology’s potential dangers has influenced your own views on technological advancement and its role in society today?
#DH390