"I don’t know anything," he said, "except that I’m beginning to be sorry we bought that room for the children. If children are neurotic at all, a room like that—"

Question

"It’s supposed to help them work off their neuroses in a healthful way."

"I’m starting to wonder." He stared at the ceiling.

"We’ve given the children everything they ever wanted. Is this our reward—secrecy, disobedience?"

"Who was it who said, ‘Children are carpets, they should be stepped on occasionally’? We’ve never lifted a hand. 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."

"They’ve been acting funny ever since you forbade them to take the rocket to New York a few months ago."

"They’re not old enough to do that alone, I explained."

"Nevertheless, I’ve noticed they’ve been decidedly cool toward us since."

"I think I’ll have Dave McClean come tomorrow morning to have a look at Africa."

"But it’s not Africa now, it’s Green Mansions country and Rima."

"I have a feeling it’ll be Africa again before then."

A moment later they heard the screams.

Two screams. Two people screaming from downstairs. And then a roar of lions.

"Wendy and Peter aren’t in their rooms," said his wife.

He lay in his bed with his beating heart. "No," he said. "They’ve broken into the nursery."

"Those screams—they sound familiar."

"Do they?"

"Yes, awfully."

Choose one of the three essay topics below. Respond in a multi-paragraph essay. Use text references to support your answer.

Experiencing: Carefully reread the passage from "The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury, and write an essay explaining what advice you would give George and Lydia Hadley on how to become better parents.

Interpreting: Carefully reread the passage. Write an essay describing the tone Bradbury sets and analyzing how he creates that particular mood.

Evaluating: The passage above is almost entirely made up of dialogue, as is much of the story it comes from. Choose another story from the Post War Voices Emerge unit that contains extensive dialogue, and write an essay comparing and contrasting the role of dialogue in the two stories. Which author do you think uses dialogue more effectively?

Answer 1

Interpreting: Carefully reread the passage. Write an essay describing the tone Bradbury sets and analyzing how he creates that particular mood.

In "The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury, the author creates a tone of unease and foreboding through the use of dialogue and descriptions of the futuristic home. From the moment George and Lydia Hadley are introduced, their conversation is strained and uneasy. They discuss the nursery, a room in their house that can create any environment the children desire, and express doubts about its role in their children's lives. George says, "If children are neurotic at all, a room like that--" and his wife finishes his thought, "It's supposed to help them work off their neuroses in a healthful way." This exchange sets the stage for the reader to sense that something is wrong in the Hadley household.

Bradbury's descriptions of the nursery add to the ominous mood. The room is described as "distant African veldt with its lions and hot sun" and "Green Mansions country and Rima." The juxtaposition of these serene and idyllic settings with the ferocious and dangerous lions in the veldt creates a sense of unease as the reader wonders what could potentially happen in this room. Additionally, the repetition of the phrase "They're spoiled" creates a sense of entitlement and lack of discipline that could lead to dangerous behavior.

As the story progresses, the tone becomes increasingly unsettling. The screams of the children are described as familiar, and then there is a roar of lions. George and Lydia realize their children are in the nursery, and the sense of dread and horror builds as they approach the room. When they enter, they are faced with the unsettling image of the lions feasting on their own shoes. This moment of shock and disbelief adds to the tone of unease.

In conclusion, Bradbury creates a tone of unease and foreboding through carefully crafted dialogue and descriptions in "The Veldt." The strained conversations between George and Lydia, combined with descriptions of the nursery as a dangerous place, create a sense of unease that builds throughout the story. The final scene of the lions feasting on shoes is the climax of the unsettling tone and leaves the reader with a feeling of horror and unease.