3B1
‘There Will Come Soft Rains’
By Ray Bradbury
Miss Hetman
Brave New World
by Aldous Huxley
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Published in 1932.
Set in London of AD 2540 (632 A.F. in the book), Brave New
World is set in a dystopian world in which a totalitarian
government controls society through the use of science and
technology – all humans are produced artificially and are
conditioned from birth to fill set roles in society. Freewill and
individuality do not exist as they make people unhappy. Orwell
suggests that the linking of science, technology, and politics
will likely reduce human individuality. The novel anticipates
developments in reproductive technology and sleep-learning
that combine to change society.
In Brave New World , Huxley anticipated the dangers of
totalitarian governments which would later be played out to
tragic effect in World War II, the great struggle of the Cold War
and the arms race which so powerfully underlined the role of
technology in the modern world.
1984
by George Orwell
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First published in 1949.
A dystopian novel set after a global atomic war in a
society ruled by an oligarchic dictatorship that controls
the population with pervasive government surveillance
and public mind control. Big Brother, the deified Party
leader rules with a philosophy that views individuality and
reason as crimes. The protagonist, Winston Smith, is a
member of the Outer Party who works for the Ministry of
Truth, which is responsible for propaganda and historical
revisionism. His job is to re-write past newspaper articles
so that the historical record is congruent with the current
party ideology. Because of the childhood trauma of the
destruction of his family — the disappearances of his
parents and sister — Winston Smith secretly hates the
Party, and dreams of rebellion against Big Brother.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
by Philip K Dick
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Published in 1968.
The main plot follows Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter of
androids, while a secondary plot follows John Isidore, a man
of sub-normal intelligence who aids some fugitive androids.
The novel is set in a post-apocalyptic near future, where Earth
and its populations have been damaged greatly by Nuclear
War during World War Terminus. Most types of animals are
endangered or extinct due to extreme radiation poisoning from
the war. To own an animal is a sign of status, but what is
emphasized more is the empathic emotions humans
experience towards an animal.
Deckard is faced with "retiring" six escaped Nexus-6 brain
model androids, the latest and most advanced model. Because
of this task, the novel explores the issue of what it is to be
human. Unlike humans, the androids possess no empathic
sense. In essence, Deckard probes the existence of defining
qualities that separate humans from androids.
The book's plot served as the primary basis for the 1982 film
Blade Runner.
The Road
by Cormac McCarthy
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Published in 2006.
It is a post-apocalyptic tale of a journey of a
father and his young son over a period of
several months, across a landscape blasted by
an unspecified catastrophe that has destroyed
much of civilization and, in the intervening
years, almost all life on Earth.
The novel was awarded the 2007 Pulitzer Prize
for Fiction and the James Tait Black Memorial
Prize for Fiction in 2006
Ray Bradbury
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Born August 22, 1920, is an
American fantasy, horror, science
fiction, and mystery writer.
Best known for his dystopian novel
Fahrenheit 451 (1953) and for the
science fiction stories gathered
together as The Martian Chronicles
(1950) and The Illustrated Man
(1951).
Bradbury is one of the most
celebrated among 20th and 21st
century writers of science fiction.
‘There Will Come Soft Rains’
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Was published in in 1950 in The Martian Chronicles a
collection of science fiction short stories by Ray Bradbury.
The theme of the devastating effects of nuclear force was very
applicable to the time period of the 1950s. The world was still
recovering from the effects of World War II and events, such
as the dropping of atomic bombs in Japan was still recent.
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In 1945, the United States released a nuclear bomb over the city of
Hiroshima that destroyed nearly everything in the city. Three days
later, Nagasaki was also bombed. Hundreds of thousands of people
were killed in these bombings, either from direct impact or the
deadly effects of radiation that killed them within a few years of the
incident.
Even though the war ended shortly after these events, the fear of
retaliation and the increasing focus on the development of nuclear
weapons by many military powers worldwide, produced fear in the
minds of people. After the war, tension increased between the two
major military powers of the time, the U.S.S.R. and the United
States, culminating in the Cold War. This era was also a time of
uncertainty, and the idea of being bombed with a nuclear weapon
was a daily fear.
Essay Question
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In ‘There Will Come Soft Rains’, the use of
techniques such as symbolism,
characterisation and setting are vital to
the success of the text. Explain how the
writer employs these techniques and why,
in your opinion, is it so important to your
appreciation of the text as a whole.
Time Frame
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This week we will be analysing and
evaluating the text with reference to the
essay question.
On Tuesday the 8th we shall plan and then
write the essay. These will be completed
by Thursday the 10th.
I will aim to have them marked by Monday
the 14th and final drafts will be completed
for Thursday the 17th.
Science-fiction as allegory
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As we discussed last week, sci-fi isn’t
always just about robots and aliens. Often
sci-fi texts and films are allegorical.
Allegory is a device used to present an
idea, principle or meaning in literary form.
Allegory communicates its message by
means of symbolic figures, actions or
symbolic representation.
As a literary device, an allegory in its most
general sense is an extended metaphor. An
example of a simple visual allegory is the
image of the grim reaper. Viewers
understand that the image of the grim
reaper is a symbolic representation of
death.
What is the story about?
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Understanding the allegorical nature is
vital to the success of the text in the essay
you need to give evidence that shows
what the message is and how the author
uses setting, characterisation and
symbolism to do this.
So considering all the elements of the
story, what do we think it is about?
Think, pair, share.
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It is a warning against relying too much on
technology, forgetting we are mortal and of
course, nuclear war. Why?
1. The automated house and the machines that
run it of course represent our obsession with
technology and the convenience it can bring.
The house is designed to provide everything the
family could possibly need but firstly it can’t
protect them from nuclear war and secondly it
can’t even tell when the family it is designed to
serve are all dead and gone.
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It is a warning against relying too much on
technology, forgetting we are mortal and of
course, nuclear war. Why?
2. There is also a message that is supposed to
remind us not to disengage too much from
nature and that we are mortal animals – not
gods. This comes in the way that the house
constantly separates itself from the outside
world and in the end it is the natural elements
that causes its destruction. As well as this the
fact that the only characters in the story are
machines and robots, replacing living things
adds to the conflict between nature and
technology in the story.
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It is a warning against relying too much on
technology, forgetting we are mortal and of
course, nuclear war. Why?
3. Of course the story also sends a message
about the horror of nuclear war. It does this
through setting and atmosphere. Not only do we
have the empty, haunted house but we also
have the charred surrounding and the ghostly
shapes on the wall of the house. The
devastation we are presented in the story
reflects contemporary year towards nuclear war
and should resonate even today.
Activity – Annotate the text
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Now that we have the essay question we should
annotate the story, tracking important quotes
that can provide evidence to show how the
different techniques help build the meaning of
the story.
For the rest of the lesson, re-read and annotate
the story, keep the essay question in mind. You
may want to differentiate your annotations with
coloured pens.
Activity
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Now we need to divide the class into 4 groups who will all
analyse one of the techniques from the question as well as
the overall meaning and analysis of the text.
Each person in the group should have a PEC answer
prepared to share with the class as well as guidance on
annotations you have made and any notes you thing the
class should copy down.
Each group shall report back to the class so you can teach
each other about how well the techniques are used in the
story.
Try to format your work in essay style remember to make
your Point, give Evidence for it and then Comment on it with
analysis and evaluation.
Teaching the Class
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Read and discuss each others answers.
Choose the best two to share with the
class.
For each answer, one person should teach
and the other should put notes on the
board for everyone to copy.
For example…
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In ‘There Will Come Soft Rains’, the use of symbolism is
vital to the success of the text. The author employs
symbolism throughout the story by using it to convey the
meaning of the text. An example of this is represented by
the religious references in the text that are designed to
warn us not too put too much faith in technology and also
that we are mortal animals – not gods. One quote that
exemplifies this is when the incinerator in the basement of
the house is referred to as sitting “like evil Baal in a dark
corner”. This is effective because of the satanic and
demonic connotations of the name “Baal” as well as the
word “evil”. This is tied together by the fact that this evil
looking incinerator lies at the heart of the house, and that
the robots feed it all the scraps and dust like they are giving
offerings to a god.