Name:
Period:
Ray Bradbury
Author Study
“You don’t
have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get
people to stop reading them.” –Ray Bradbury
“I don’t try to describe the future. I try to
prevent it.”
“There are worse crimes than burning books.
One of them is not reading them.”
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Ray Bradbury is on Fire!—an interview by James Hibberd (Page 299)
A Ray Bradbury Time Line (Pages 300-301)
“The Flying Machine” (Page 303)
“The Dragon”
“I Sing the Body Electric”—The Twilight Zone
He is such a tecnhnophobe!
1. The combining form—phobe comes from the Greek word phobos, meaning “fear.” The
addition of –phobe to another word creates a noun meaning “one who fears or hates something.”
Solve the definition for the fears listed below
a. Acrophobe ____________
b. Aquaphobe _____________
c. Arachnophobe __________
d. Russophobe ____________
e. Now that you have a better understanding of phobes, what might technophobe mean? In a
complete sentence, explain why someone would have such a fear or hatred.
2. In the interview, what are the reasons given by Bradbury to be a technophobe?
3. Short Writing Prompt: Agree or disagree with Bradbury’s statement “If you can’t read and
write you can’t think.”
“The Flying Machine”
Page 303
Before Reading
1. Respond to the statement “If people were meant to fly, they would have wings.” Is it
wrong for humans to attempt acts that nature has not given them the power to do?
During Reading
2. Complete the below chart by explaining the setting, plot, and message of the story.
The Setting:
The Plot:
The message from the author:
After reading
3. What does the Emperor mean by stating “But there are times when one must lose a
little beauty if one is to keep what little beauty one already has. I do not fear you,
yourself, but I fear another man (309).”?
4. Explain: “What is the life of one man against those of a million others? I must take
solace from that thought (310).”
5. The Emperor fears that the beautiful flying machine will be used by a man with “an
evil face and an evil heart” to destroy the Great Wall. What inventions have been
used for both good and evil purposes in our world?
6. Choose two of the following statements and explain how the message can be
attributed to the story—use specific details from the story:
a. Some inventions can be used for both good and evil.
b. Progress cannot be stopped.
c. The beauty of nature is far superior to that of mechanical objects.
d. It is justifiable to take one life to save a whole people.
7. In the boxes below, create an illustration of the two “flying machines” discussed in
“The Flying Machine.” Refer to details in the story to make your drawings as close to
true representations as possible.
The Inventor’s flying machine:
The Emperor’s flying machine:
“The Dragon”
Before Reading
1. In many tales, monsters are dragons, vampires, ogres, and other creatures of the
imagination. What are our modern-day monsters? Has what constitutes a monster
changed? If so, how?
During Reading
2. Complete the below chart by explaining the setting, plot, and message of the story.
The Setting:
The Plot:
After you Read
3. Finish the sentences:
-In “The Dragon” I was surprised when…
-I like/dislike graphic stories because….
The message from the author:
4. In “The Dragon,” Bradbury’s descriptions of the dragon take on new meanings once you
know the dragon’s real identity. What do the following descriptions of the dragon refer to?
a. “unlidded yellow eye”
b. “his breath a white gas”
c. “See him burn across the dark lands”
5. Discuss one of the following possible messages:
a. Our machines are as powerful as the mythical dragons of old.
b. It is heroic to fight against monsters even when they are not real.
c. People of earlier times would see our lives as full of terrifying dangers.
“I Sing the Body Electric”
Name:
by Ray Bradbury
Period:
Adapted for screen in The Twilight Zone
Questions to be answered before viewing the film:
1. If robots could be created “more human than human,” do
you believe that they should be treated as humans? Ie. Robots
would acquire the full rights and protections from the law that
humans currently possess? Additionally, should they be punished
the same as humans? Explain in complete sentences.
2. You currently use artificial intelligence in the form of technology (computers, phones,
video games). Explain your feelings regarding the statement “Technology has made the
standards of life worse during the last few decades.”
During the episode:
3. Describe the setting of the episode.
4. Summarize the plot of the episode.
5. What may be a possible message Ray Bradbury is trying to convey in this story?
After the episode:
6. In a paragraph, discuss the statement “The question is not whether the children can cope
without the robot once they leave for college, but whether the robot can survive without
the children.”