Stereotypes In The Veldt By Ray Bradbury
“The Veldt” In this short story Ray Bradbury identifies stereotypes within the home. He identifies these stereotypes by putting the idea of the “perfect family” in the reader's mind. He depicts the family as “perfect” by showing the two classic parents, the mom who stays at home with the children and, the dad who goes off to work everyday to provide for the family. Not only does he express the parents as “perfect,” but they have two stereotypical twins, one boy and one girl, with “cheeks like peppermint candy [and], eyes like bright blue agate marbles” (5). He portrays this family as the typical 1950’s family who live in the ideal home that suits their every need. This house is known as the “Happylife Home,” in which, “this house...clothed
…show more content…
In “The Veldt” the Hadleys do the complete opposite and allow their entire lives to be controlled by technology. Not only do they allow technology to control their lives, but George and Lydia spoil their children with any and everything they want. This causes them to expect to receive everything they want, so when George told them they could not take the rocket to New York that is when the hatred sparked and the nursery turned into Africa. When George attempts to discuss shutting the whole house down with Peter, he clearly shares how he feels by stating, “That sounds dreadful! 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,” (7). This shows that the Peter and Wendy have no care for the responsibility for themselves as they complain that they only want to “...look and listen and smell...”(7). This “Happylife Home” makes them rely on technology. For the Hadleys technology does everything for them, from the cooking and cleaning to the bathing and rocking them to sleep. This is not as big of an issue for the parents as it is for the children. As the children have grown up, the only knowledge the children have is about technology and how it runs their everyday lives. In this story, it is not George who has control over the house it is Peter. Peter has spent so much time in the nursery and the
In “The Veldt” the Hadleys do the complete opposite and allow their entire lives to be controlled by technology. Not only do they allow technology to control their lives, but George and Lydia spoil their children with any and everything they want. This causes them to expect to receive everything they want, so when George told them they could not take the rocket to New York that is when the hatred sparked and the nursery turned into Africa. When George attempts to discuss shutting the whole house down with Peter, he clearly shares how he feels by stating, “That sounds dreadful! 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,” (7). This shows that the Peter and Wendy have no care for the responsibility for themselves as they complain that they only want to “...look and listen and smell...”(7). This “Happylife Home” makes them rely on technology. For the Hadleys technology does everything for them, from the cooking and cleaning to the bathing and rocking them to sleep. This is not as big of an issue for the parents as it is for the children. As the children have grown up, the only knowledge the children have is about technology and how it runs their everyday lives. In this story, it is not George who has control over the house it is Peter. Peter has spent so much time in the nursery and the