Catherine Rivera
English – Gothic Lit
Blog 1, Option #5
In Ray Bradbury’s
short story “The Veldt,” a sense of mystery and dread evolves into an almost
certain fate for the victims. Bradbury
reminds us that technology can grow out of control. In the story a seemingly normal family lives
in an automated house. The house quickly
becomes a haunted house as the story progresses. In the beginning the parents are confused by
the children’s’ fascination with their nursery.
The house contains a large nursery that can portray any environment the
children want to see. The children
become so enthralled with the nursery that it becomes a way of life for them. When
the father, George Hadley, tells his technology-crazed son that house might be
turned off the son goes crazy. He is furious and says, “I don’t want to do
anything but look, listen, and smell; what else is there to do?” (Bradbury 272).
Peter is obsessed with all the technology in his house especially the
nursery.
Peter and
his sister Wendy develop a strange bond with their house. The house becomes almost human to them. It takes on a life of its own and sense of
mystery and dread builds. Peter is a
very intelligent child and his dad says; “He’s wise for a ten year old. That
I.Q. of his” (Bradbury 269). It is
entirely possible that Peter could learn to control the nursery and is controlling
the nursery when his dad tries to change the scene in the nursery. The children have developed a fascination
with lions in Africa. George goes into
the nursery clearly upset that the children are watching blood and gore in a
nursery meant for cartoons. He tells the
lions to “go away” but they refuse. (269).
The lions instead stand their ground and stare at George. A sense of mystery and dread builds in this scene
because the father is loosing control and the house is gaining control. It is uncanny that the house which is not
suppose to be alive seems to take on a life of its own and challenge the man of
the house.
The parents
call a psychologist in to observe the nursery because the nursery is a
reflection of the mental state of their children. By observing it the doctor can understand
what the children are thinking. Again a
sense of mystery and dread grows as the doctor and George discuss the
nursery. “The lions look real, don’t
they?” said George Hadley. “I don’t suppose there’s any way-” (Bradbury
274). George goes on to say, “—that they
could become real.” Then George
questions the doctor, “some flaw in the machinery, a tampering or something?”
(Bradbury 274). As the discussion goes
on the theory that Peter is controlling the nursery grows more plausible. The suspense increases until the end when the
nursery consumes the parents, and the children are the only ones who know what
really happened. The story line in “The
Veldt” plays out amazingly well and the creativity of the setting is
exceptional.
Bradbury, Ray. “The Veldt”. American Gothic Tales. Ed. Joyce Carol Oates. New York: Plume, 1996. 264-77. Print.
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