The Veldt
BY RAY BRADBURY
Ray Bradbury
"The Veldt" was written in 1950, by a man named Ray Bradbury. It, like many of Bradbury’s short
stories and like we discussed a moment ago, takes place in a house with abundant technology
and the family who lives there: George and Lydia Hadley and their children, Wendy and Peter.
The title is a mysterious one because it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the story. Does
anyone know what a veldt is?
Setting
Setting is the physical location and time in which a story takes place
To identify setting, we must note the details the author provides concerning:
◦ The story’s location
◦ The time in which the action takes place
Mood
Raise your hand if you’ve recently watched a scary movie?
There’s always that one scene, you know, where the main character is all alone, at night, when
no one else is around, and they make a crazy decision to go wander around in a dark, run-down,
abandoned house. They start playing the scary music, and you just know that the killer is lurking
there behind the door. Think about it… What feelings or reactions does that dark, empty house
create?”
While we often associate setting with the “where” and “when,” there is also an emotional effect
of setting because the setting can create a mood or an atmosphere
Mood
While we often associate setting with “where” and “when” there is also an emotional effect of
setting because the setting can create a mood or an atmosphere.
A story’s mood is the feeling that a text conveys to its readers.
Mood
"The day was perfect. The sun was out, the wind was pleasantly blowing, and the waves were
utterly perfect."
Setting?
How does this setting make you feel? What mood is the author trying to create?
Setting
How does a setting make you feel?
Think about your favourite story. What did you feel while you were reading it? How did the
Setting influence how you felt? Share with the class.
Mood & Characters
We learn about the kind of people our characters in many different ways, but one way is
through their reactions to the setting they’re in and the mood it conveys.
So, as we’re reading, we should ask ourselves:
o How do our characters react to the setting and the mood? Do they react in ways we
might expect or not?
o What does their reaction say about the type of people they might be?
Read the first section of “The Veldt”
After reading paragraphs 1-13 (paragraph 13 ends with: “a hot yellow sun”), ask yourself:
What type of house do the Hadleys live in?
Why did George and Lydia buy the nursery for the children?
Questions
Read P14-33. Paragraph 33 ends with: “appalled at the other’s reactions”
Paragraph 37 starts with “Walls, Lydia”
Paragraph 40 end with “not to read anymore on Africa”
Paragraph 62 ends with “Of course not,” he said.”
What did you notice?
What type of world has been created by Bradbury in this story?
What was the setting like in the nursery?
What was the difference between Lydia and George’s reactions to the nursery?
Do you think that this type of technology is a good thing? Why or why not?
Exit slip
Describe the setting of the nursery in “The Veldt.” What mood do these details establish? How
do George and Lydia react to the setting and mood, and what’s your personal reaction to the
setting and mood? Use complete sentences and evidence from the text to support your answer.
Day 2: Characterization
The process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character
Think about one of your favourite characters in books or movies. What are some adjectives that
describe what kind of person they are?
Characterization types
Direct – what the author tells us about the character
Indirect – the actions of the character
Dynamic –a character that changes throughout the story
Static – a character who stays the same throughout the story.
Communicating Characterization
An author will communicate characterization through:
Speech
Thoughts
Effects on Others
Actions
Looks
Characterization in Frozen
The Veldt: Review of last class
What happened in the story up to this point?
What have we learned about the setting? Where does the story take place?
Questions
Paragraph 63 at the top of page 120 starts: “at dinner they ate alone”
P72 ends: “he had paid no attention”
P94 ends: “we’ll sit and watch”
P126 ends: “put Rima there instead of Lions?” “Yes”
P148 ends: “a smell of cats was in the night air”
Exit slip
How does Bradbury characterize George and Lydia in this story? What sort of people are they?
What does he say about Peter and Wendy? How do they interact with each other? Do you think
this will get better or worse as the story continues? Why?
Day 3: Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is clues that the author gives us about what will happen.
Some things to look for:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
What people are saying
The weather
Animals acting weird
A change in the character
Bad things happening
Look for the foreshadowing…
Personification
Giving human characteristics to something non-human
Examples:
Opportunity was knocking at the door
The stars danced playfully in the night
Time flies
Think of your own examples…
Songs that use personification
Personification
What is the purpose? Why do authors use it in their writing?
Questions
Paragraph 149, at the bottom of page 124, starts: “Father?”
P172 ends with “And Peter strolled off to the nursery.”
P182, on page 126, starts with “There was a terrible screaming…”
P195 ends with “instead of a release away from them.”
P206, near the bottom of p127, starts with “The lions were finished with…”
P222 ends with “threw the switch that killed the nursery.”
Exit slip
What is personification?
What is foreshadowing?
Write a paragraph that outlines how Bradbury uses these literary devices in his writing. How are
they effective in involving the reader in the story?
Day 4: Let’s look at the text again
Go to page 127 and re-read the paragraph that starts with: “Everything.”
What does this paragraph tell us about the relationship between the parents and the children?
How does technology fit in? What is Bradbury trying to get the reader to see by having the
psychologist say this?
Questions
P223, in the middle of page 128, starts with “The children were in hysterics”
P241 ends with “just a minute, mind you.”
P264 ends with “those other screams has sounded familiar.”
Theme
Theme is the implied meaning of the work, or the message that the author intends to convey to
readers.
o Authors develop theme through various “tools” that they use in their writing – they don’t
come out and tell us the message we should take away from reading the text.
o As a reader, it’s your job to dig into the text and determine the deeper meaning that the
author is trying to convey.
o To do this, you’ll need to examine how an author uses different “tools” to create and convey
meaning.
Themes in “The Veldt”
In “The Veldt,” Bradbury conveys his theme through the resolution of the
conflict between the Hadley parents and the children. As readers, we need to study this
resolution, asking ourselves:
o How is the conflict resolved?
o What actions of the parents and the children led to this resolution?
o Why did the parents and children act in the ways they did?
o What message is Bradbury aiming to convey to us about how we should and should not live
our lives?
Themes: Consumerism
George Hadley shows the theme of consumerism because he believes in getting the best that
money can buy for his family. George believes that he can show his family love by buying them
things. Allowing material possessions to stand in for direct human interaction and expressions of
love, however, is what ultimately sets George up as the enemy to his children. The theme is
summed up near the end of the story when George asks Lydia, "What prompted us to buy a
nightmare?" and she replies, "Pride, money, foolishness.“
..."the purchase of goods and services in ever-greater amounts..." -Wiki
Themes: Dystopia
A society that is undesirable and/or frightening.
It is the opposite of a utopia. Dystopias often serve as warnings of potential dangers that can
be brought on through the misuse of technology or power. In "The Veldt," Bradbury
turns the Hadley's Happy−life Home into a dystopia that gradually dehumanizes the
children and destroys the parents. The dangers are revealed slowly through the story as
George begins to realize that the wonderful home that he has provided for his family
might not be so wonderful at all. His dream home actually turns into a nightmare.
Exit slip
Through the shocking conclusion to “The Veldt,” what message does Bradbury convey about the
dangerous effects of technology on parents and children alike?
In your answer be sure to:
Clearly explain Bradbury’s stance on technology and its impact on people and families
Explain how Bradbury uses the story’s conclusion to convey this message
Support your response with two specific pieces of textual evidence and explain how your
evidence supports your claim