Interactive Notes on The Veldt by Ray Bradbury
First Reading of the Story: Students generally relish in the gruesome outcome of this
utopian (and dystopian) story. The story was written in the 1950’s, but the setting of the
story still remains futuristic when compared to this day. Because of its dark nature and
ideas regarding family and technology, the story would be excellent to teach in a grade 8 or
9 class.
Second Reading of the Story: Some questions came to mind during my second reading of
the story:
 How would I characterize Mr. and Mrs. Hadley?
 How would I characterize Wendy and Peter?
 How would I describe the children’s relationship with their parents?
 What is the mood of the story?
 How does Bradbury create this mood?
 How does Bradbury use foreshadowing in this story?
 What is the Happylife Home symbolic of?
Underlining Guide (see attached story):
 Mr. and Mrs. Hadley’s relationship with the house
 Mr. and Mrs. Hadley’s relationship with Peter and Wendy
 Peter and Wendy’s relationship with the house
 Peter and Wendy’s attitude towards their parents
 Keywords
Main Characters:
George Hadley:
 Initially George is very proud of the house:
o “their soundproofed Happylife Home, which had cost them thirty thousand
dollars installed.” (1)
o “[the nursery] had cost half again as much as the house.” (1)
o His immense pride over material items causes him to come across as a bit
pompous.
 George clearly loves his children:
o “‘But nothing’s too good for our children,’ George had said.” (1)
o Ultimately this love is a little misguided; part of being a parent is being able
to say ‘no’ to your children. George repeatedly gives into the whims of his
children, allowing the nursery and house to replace his place in their hearts.
 This is clearly articulated by David McClean: “You've let this room and
this house replace you and your wife in your children's affections.
This room is their mother and father, far more important in their lives
than their real parents. And now you come along and want to shut it
off. No wonder there's hatred here.” (11)

George feels the detrimental effects of the home on his life and sense of self: “You
look as if you don’t know what to do with yourself in this house either. You smoke a
little more ever morning and drink a little more every afternoon and need a little
more sedative every night. You’re beginning to feel unnecessary too.” (4)
Lydia Hadley:
 Lydia is the first member of the family that is made uneasy by the nursery and the
Happylife Home:
o “‘I just want you to look at it, is all, or call a psychologist in to look at it.’” (1)
o “the nursery is different now than it was. “ (1)
o “Did you see? Did you feel? It’s too real…” (3)
 Lydia is very aware of the negative effects the house has on her sense of self value:
o “Maybe I don’t have enough to do. Maybe I have time to think too much. Why
don’t we shut the whole house off for a few days and take a vacation?” (3)
o “I feel like I don’t belong here. The house is wife and mother now, and
nursemaid. Can I compete with an African veldt? Can I give a bath and scrub
the children as efficiently or quickly as the automatic scrub bath can? I
cannot.” (4)
 Like George, Lydia loves her children but, until it’s too late, does not realize that she
had failed to adequately fill the role of a parent:
o “We’ve given the children everything they ever wanted. Is this our reward –
secrecy, disobedience?” (8)
Minor (but significant) Characters:
Wendy and Peter Hadley:
 Not a lot is known about Wendy and Peter aside from their obsession with the
nursery and they’re disinterest in a relationship with their parents.
o “Peter looked at his shoes. He never looked at his father any more, nor at his
mother.” (9)
 The siblings devotion to the nursery is contrasted with the lack of a relationship
they have with their parents:
o “You know how difficult Peter is about that. 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.” (3)
o The exchange between Peter and George (bottom of page 9) exemplifies the
coolness that the siblings feel towards their parents.
o George talking about the siblings: “They’re insufferable – let’s admit it. They
come and go when they like; they treat us as if we were offspring. They’re
spoiled and we’re spoiled.” (8)
o “You've let this room and this house replace you and your wife in your
children's affections. This room is their mother and father, far more
important in their lives than their real parents. And now you come along and
want to shut it off. No wonder there's hatred here” (11)
 The sibling’s grisly plans are alluded to early in the story: “They were awfully young,
Wendy and Peter, for death thoughts. Or, no, you were never too young, really.” (5)

The names Peter and Wendy should ring a bell to students. Like the characters of
Peter Pan, Peter and Wendy Hadley seem to have a stronger attachment to
childhood playtime than to their parents.
Happylife Home/Nursery:
 In many aspects the house is personified and takes on humanistic qualities:
o “This house which clothed and fed and rocked them to sleep and played and
sang and was good to them.” (1)
o “Sitting down in chair that immediately began to rock and comfort her.” (3)
o “the dining-room table produce warm dishes of food from its mechanical
interior…‘sorry,’ said a small voice within the table.” (4)
o “And although their beds tried very hard, the two adults couldn’t be rocked
to sleep for another hour.” (9)
o “The house was full of dead bodies, it seemed. It felt like a mechanical
cemetery. So silent.” (12)
o “Nothing ever likes to die - even a room.” (12)
 The house was purchased with the intentions of providing the Hadley’s with
unlimited free time and initially seems like a utopian ideal:
o “But I thought that’s why we bought this house, so we wouldn’t have to do
anything!” (4)
o “Would I have to tie my own shoes instead of letting the shoe tier do it? And
brush my own teeth and comb my hair and give myself a bath?” (9)
o Ironically, this free time ultimately causes a change in self-value for Mr. and
Mrs. Hadley and the setting begins to appear more like a dystopia. As the
story progressed they begin to see value in the everyday lived experiences
that they had lost:
 “I feel like I don’t belong here. The house is wife and mother now, and
nursemaid. Can I compete with an African veldt? Can I give a bath and
scrub the children as efficiently or quickly as the automatic scrub bath
can? I cannot.” (4)
 “Now we’re going to really start living. Instead of being handled and
massaged, we're going to live."” (13)
Point of View:
The Veldt is written from the Third-Person point of view:
 Third-Person Point of View – the narrator is not a character in the story.
 Because the narrator tells the story from the perspectives of George and Lydia it is
not considered an omniscient point of view.
o This means that the reader does not have the same insight to the children’s
minds as it does to the parents’.
o The only change in this point of view is at the end of the story after George
and Lydia have died. At this point in the story the third-person narrator is
speaking from the perspective of Peter and Wendy (14).
Key Themes:
Technology:
 “The Veldt” was first published in 1950, a time when technology was just starting to
entire the everyday lives of families. The infiltration of technology into the home
would have undoubtedly caused uneasiness in some families.
 The Hadley’s initially fully welcomed technology into their lives:
o “their soundproofed Happylife Home, which had cost them thirty thousand
dollars installed.”
o “Every home should have [a nursery].…what fun for everyone, not only your
own son and daughter, but for yourself”(2)
 As the story progresses the Hadley’s lose control of the nursery:
o “‘Or it can’t respond,’ said Lydia, ‘because the children have thought about
Africa and lions and killing so many days that the room’s in a rut.” (6)
o The fear of losing control over technology is something that would have been
prevalent in 1950.
Alienation:
 The idea of alienation is a powerful theme within the story. In “The Veldt” alienation
is tied closely to the theme of technology. George and Lydia Hadley experience
alienation as a result of the technology that has saturated their lives. They
experience the feeling of alienation in primarily two ways:
o They become alienated as the nursery replaces them in their role as parents:
 “You've let this room and this house replace you and your wife in
your children's affections. This room is their mother and father, far
more important in their lives than their real parents. ” (11)
 “I feel like I don’t belong here. The house is wife and mother now, and
nursemaid. Can I compete with an African veldt? … I cannot.” (4)
 “They live for the nursery.” (3)
o Technology replacing the monotony of life, ultimately cutting Mr. and Mrs.
Hadley off from everyday human experiences:
 While this would seem ideal, George and Lydia Hadley begin to feel
“unnecessary” and learn to see the value in these everyday tasks.
 “You look as if you don’t know what to do with yourself in this house
either... You’re beginning to feel unnecessary too.” (4)
 “Maybe I don’t have enough to do. Maybe I have time to think too
much. Why don’t we shut the whole house off for a few days and take
a vacation?” (3)
 It’s interesting that a vacation consists of turning the house off
and giving themselves work to do.
Setting:
 The setting is very prominent in this short story. The entirety of the story takes
place in the Hadley’s Happylife Home, a house designed to take over every
household task (including raising children):



o “But I thought that’s why we bought this house, so we wouldn’t have to do
anything!” (4)
o “Would I have to tie my own shoes instead of letting the shoe tier do it? And
brush my own teeth and comb my hair and give myself a bath?” (9)
o “You've let this room and this house replace you and your wife in your
children's affections.” (11)
The veldt that is produced by the nursery is another important aspect of the setting.
Bradbury takes great care in describing the veldt:
o “The hot straw smell of lion grass, the cool green smell of hidden water hole,
the great rusty smell of animals, the smell of dust like a red paprika in the hot
air…the thump of distant antelope feet on the grassy sod…” (1-2)
o “ you could feel the prickling fur on your hand, and your mouth was stuffed
with the dusty upholstery smell of their heated pelts…” (2)
Bradbury’s detailed descriptions of the veldt contribute to the blurred lines between
fantasy and reality. Bradbury takes far more care in describing the veldtland than he
does any other aspect of the house. Like the children, the reader is meant to see the
nursery as a reality rather than a technology based fantasy.
The setting of the technologically advanced house alludes to both utopian and
dystopian societies. While the house takes care of the family and fulfills their whims
(utopian) it also has a dark side to it. The setting is classified as dystopian once Mr.
and Mrs. Hadley realize the poor quality of life that the house has provided them.
Mood:
 The mood of “The Veldt” is set in the very first line of the story: “George, I wish you’d
look at the nursery.” Nurseries are traditionally a happy, safe space for children to
play in. However, by the end of the first line the reader is already aware that
something is amiss with the Hadley’s nursery.
 As the story progresses it becomes increasingly clear to the reader that something
indeed is sinister about the children’s nursery.
 Bradbury’s description of the veldt details a setting that is not entirely pleasant to
the reader:
o “That sun. He could feel it on his neck, still, like a hot paw” (4)
o “the paper rustling of vultures” (2)
o “the sound of the matted lion lungs exhaling on the silent noontide” (2)
 The reader experiences a growing feeling of impending dread throughout the story
that is compounded by the continuous descriptions of vultures, blood and lions
saliva.
o “There were drops of saliva on [the wallet], it had been chewed, and there
were blood smears on both sides.” (7)
o “He bent and picked up a bloody scarf.” (12)
o “And the lions. And the smell of blood.” (4)
Key Words/Sentences/Dialogue:
Key Word - Scream:
 The word scream is used repeatedly in “The Veldt.” The use of this word and its
connotation not only adds to the mood of the story, it also provides forshadowing
for the reader. There are several instances of foreshadowing in “The Veldt.”
Throughout the story Mr. and Mrs. Hadley hear screams coming from the nursery,
but it is not until they meet their untimely fate that they realize why they sounded
so familiar:
o “Did you hear that scream?” (2)
o “Just before he stepped inside, he heard a faraway scream.” (5)
o “A moment later they heard the screams. Two screams. Two people
screaming from downstairs.” (8)
Dialogue and Sentences:
 The reader’s insight to the characters is gained almost entirely through Bradbury’s
well-chosen, and relatively concise, dialogue.
o "Wendy'll look and come tell us," said Peter.
"She doesn't have to tell me. I've seen it."
"I'm sure you're mistaken, Father."
"I'm not, Peter. Come along now."
But Wendy was back. "It's not Africa," she said breathlessly.
"We’ll see about this," said George Hadley (7)
 This abrupt, conversational dialogue contributes to the reader’s feelings of tension
and urgency. By reading the dialogue the reader gains a sense of the children’s
coolness towards their parents as well as Mr. and Mrs. Hadley’s growing uneasiness:
o "Will you shut off the house sometime soon?"
"We're considering it."
"I don't think you'd better consider it any more, Father."
"I won't have any threats from my son!"
"Very well." And Peter strolled off to the nursery. (9)
 The exchanges between George and Peter are characterized by short, direct
sentences. When encountering this kind of dialogue it is clear to the reader that the
relationship between the children and the parents is strained. There is also a
distinct air of cold indifference concerning Peter’s interaction with his father.
Symbolism:
Vultures:
 Vultures are known in nature for being scavengers and being present when an
animal is dying or already dead. Vultures are mentioned twice in this story, near the
beginning of the story as well as at the very end.
 The early mention of the vultures in the story hints to the final outcome, that death
is near:
o "Nothing over there I can see but cleaned bone, and the vultures dropping for
what’s left." (2)
 Vultures are again mentioned after George and Lydia meet their demise in the
nursery. Here the vultures clearly represent death and confirm the Hadley’s fate to
the reader.
o “The vultures were dropping down the blazing sky.” (14)
Lions:
 The idea of lions being the Kings of the Jungle will be familiar to many readers.
Traditionally lions are symbolic of courage, authority, and dominance.
 In “The Veldt,” the lions not only physically manifest this dominance by their role in
the finish of Mr. and Mrs. Hadley, they also are symbolic of the dominance that
technology has on the family’s life.
Happylife Home:
 The Hadley’s house is by far the most obvious of the story’s symbols. The house is
symbolic of the fear that technology has the potential to take over and make human
experiences obsolete.
 The technology of the Happylife home was intended to make the lives of the
Hadley’s easier, leaving nothing but leisure time of the family.
 The Happylife home is simultaneously representative of a utopian and dystopian
future. The principle of the home is utopian: mundane tasks taken care of by
technology while the family can pursue their own interests. Ironically the imagined
reality is much closer to a dystopia – an imagined future where the quality of life is
very poor:
o “I feel like I don't belong here. The house is wife and mother now, and
nursemaid. Can I compete with an African veldt? Can I give a bath and scrub
the children as efficiently or quickly as the automatic scrub bath can? I
cannot.” (4)