Theme Analysis

The Veldt

Nabila Hapsari J1A017006

Vania Almasah H J1A017007

Kirana Eka Y J1A017011

Puspa Aulia D.Z J1A017017

Qori Aquarina P J1A017021

Vanissa Kevala P J1A017026

English Literature

Faculty of Humanities

Jenderal Soedirman University

2017
 How Technology Kills the Parenthood

In a family, we all knew that a children must obey their parents—or at least listen to their
parents. However, in The Veldt, we found that how George and Lydia spoiled their children turns
out as a boomerang to them. In this story, technology plays as the biggest part why Peter and
Wendy did not listen and obey their parents. Technology’s offering in this story is the Happylife
home, which also include the nursery room. They love it and they hate their parents for locking
the room. From this, we can see the impact of spoiling your children too much can destroy your
parenthood. In many ways, The Veldt is a story about two parents failure to discipline their
children. In this paper, we would like to prove how the technology in their happy life home can
destroy George and Lydia’s parenthood.

First, the house spoiled the parents too much. In the story the writer described the house
as a sophisticated house which can be a wife, a mother, and a nursemaid (Line 103-104). Lydia
does not to do what a housewife usually does. The table in the kitchen automatically can produce
dishes (Line 117). This phenomenon even make herself feels useless as a wife, she feels that she
did not like being in the house because it is strange and she wanted it to change so she try to talk
with her husband about it, but George did not approved it (Line 103). George afraid that he
cannot control their children if there is no nursery room, things like this that makes them become
dependence with the room and the whole house. One of this evidence can prove that even both of
them were not being a full time parents for their children.

Second, the nursery room which makes Peter and Wendy did not obey their parents. As a
child surely they need time to play and learn new things. Both George and Lydia are aware of
this need. Thus, they make and bought the nursery room for their children. However, it turns out
as a disaster for them. Both of their children believe that the nursery room is everything for them.
Since the nursery room can change based on what their thoughts, they are feel free to control the
whole room into what they desire (Line 210). They become addicted with the nursery room and
prefer the nursery room over their parents also they believe that the room is far more important
in their lives than their real parents. We can see in the story that they did not want to locked up
the nursery room so they become rebelled against their parents (Line 276).
 Third, the technology makes the parents did not restrict their children activity and their
attitude, the parents also do not teach their children to socialize and go outside the house, instead
their parents just place their kids inside the house in the nursery room thus all the treats make
they have a bad attitude. They did this for quiet a long time so this makes the children become
addicted with the room and does not want to leave the room even the children dare to lie to their
parents to defend the nursery room (Line 191 – 197). Instead telling the truth, they are blaming
their father and always denying about what happened in the nursery room. (Line 205-207). The
parents spoiled them too much until the moment that the children started to dictate their parents
(Line 392).

In conclusion, the technology in their house triggered the problem in their family
especially the problem with their children. The problem begins when George and Lydia want to
spoil their children by providing all their needs and they also always actualize their children’s
wishes including they bought the nursery room. Moreover, the family also was too much spoiled
by the house because their house has a smart technology which makes their life easier such as the
table in the kitchen which can produce dishes by itself. It caused the parents spoiled their
children too much which make their children did not obey their parents and act as a children in a
family.