The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury

Introducing Ray Bradbury:

Ray Bradbury was an American fantasy and horror author who rejected being categorized
as a science fiction author, claiming that his work was based on the fantastical and unreal.
His best known novel is Fahrenheit 451, a dystopian study of future American society in
which critical thought is outlawed. He is also remembered for several other popular works,
including The Martian Chronicles and Something Wicked This Way Comes. Bradbury won
the Pulitzer in 2007, and is one of the most celebrated authors of the 21st century.

Introducing The Illustrated Man :

First published in 1951, The Illustrated Man is a collection of 18 short stories of speculative
fiction by one of the preeminent American writers of the 20th and 21st centuries: Ray
Bradbury. It includes some of his most famous short stories, including “The Veldt” and
“Marionettes, Inc.” While the volume received mixed reviews on release, it was nominated
for the International Fantasy Award in 1952 and is now widely considered to be a highlight
of Bradbury’s career. Several of the stories have been adapted for film, radio, and television
over the years, some by Bradbury himself.
The prologue to the book is subtitled “The Illustrated Man “, and is based on an earlier
homonymous short story published in the Esquire magazine in 1950 which presented a
carnival freak tattooed character

1- Watch the video introducing the book The Illustrated Man , which story
draws your attention? why?

Bradbury 101 - episode 04 - YouTube

2- Listen to the History of Tattoos

La historia de los tatuajes - Addison Anderson - YouTube

What does a tattoo tell you about a person’s place in his/her culture?
What differentiates a tattoo from other means of self-expression?
Who decides what a tattoo means?
What is the modern tattoo machine based on?
Where does the word tattoo come from?
What would an English sailor’s anchor tattoo most likely symbolize or refer to?
How might an English person have referred to a tattoo before the introduction of the word
tattoo?
How might an English person have referred to a tattoo before the introduction of the word
tattoo?

TASKS TO DO

1. INTRODUCING THE ILLUSTRATED MAN , THE CHARACTER . Both stories, the

book and the short story introduce the same character, the Illustrated Man.

After reading the passage , watch this scene from the movie. It will
help you create an image of the grotesque character

https://youtu.be/ia7hgaOTyPw

● What is he like ?

● When the narrator first met the character , what struck him as odd about
him?

● Why does he call illustrations and not tattoos? Why are they special?
What do they do at night ?What does the Illustrated Man say his illustrations
can do?

● Why is this story in the prologue? What function do the tattoos have in the
book?
 ● How did he get tattooed and by whom ?

● What was his job and why couldn’t he keep a job?

● “Everyone wants to see the pictures, and yet nobody wants to see them” .
What does he mean by this ?

2- DESIGN A TATTOO you would wear on your skin . What is it like ?

Does it have a special meaning? Explain .