Name: _________________

Questions for “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury

Vocabulary

veldt: Any of the open grazing areas of southern Africa

odorophonics: an idea made up by Bradbury; a system capable of reproducing selected scents that fool the human
nervous system.

sonics: relating to sound

nursemaid: a female servant in a rich household, generally one who cares for young children

televised: instead of calling home on a phone, the children “televise” home, sending a message over the television

telepathic emanations: thoughts

illusion: a misleading image presented to the vision (something that seems to be there, but is really not)

joviality: good humor, jolliness

Rima: fictional heroine of W. H. Hudson's 1904 novel Green Mansions: A Romance of the Tropical Forest

flue: chimney

neurotic: having a nervous condition or affliction that is debilitating

neuroses: functional disorders in which feelings of anxiety, obsessive thoughts, compulsive acts, and physical
complaints without evidence of disease, in various degrees and patterns, dominate the personality.

insufferable: too extreme to bear

intersperse: scatter between other things

1. In what ways are the Hadley’s a typical North American family?

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 2. What amenities (conveniences, technological devices) does the “Happy Home Life” offer for the family?
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3. What is the significance of the change of program in the nursery, from innocent fairy tales to the
appearance of the lions?

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4. What explains the hatred that the children feel for their parents?

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FOCUS ON NARRATIVE ELEMENTS

5. Define foreshadowing. Identify and explain three specific examples of foreshadowing in the narrative.
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6. Evaluate the end of the story. Why is the last line as follows: “A cup of tea?” asked Wendy in the silence.
a. What point is Bradbury trying to make?
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FOCUS ON CHARACTERS

7. Lydia quotes an old saying, “Children are carpets, they should be stepped on occasionally.” Identify the
figure of speech used in this saying and explain what the saying means. Why does Lydia quote it at this
point in the story?

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8. Compare and contrast what George and Lydia Hadley give their children and what the children really
need.

What do George and Lydia Hadley give their children? What do the children need?

What is the result of this discrepancy?

FOCUS ON THEME
9. Peter says, “I wish you were dead!” George responds by saying, “We were, for a long while. Now we’re
going to really start living. Instead of being handled and massaged, we’re going to live.” Define what it
means for George to “really live”.

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 10. The rise in the popularity of television had a direct influence on Bradbury’s story “The Veldt,” which was
written in 1950. At the time the story was written, many American families were acquiring their first
television sets, and no one was sure exactly how this new technology would impact the relationships
among family members. Some people were afraid that watching too much television would lead to the
total breakdown of the family unit. This fear is directly reflected in “The Veldt,” but in the story, Bradbury
heightens the odds by creating a machine that not only allows children to detach emotionally from their
parents, but one that can also physically destroy parents, as well. Obviously, such detachment that leads
to killing one’s parents is an extreme case. But what are other negative behaviours that manifest from a
dependency on digital screens? Is Bradbury’s story still relevant today? Are the parent’s concerns still
legitimate today? Begin your discussion of these questions with a theme statement.
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11. What is the symbolism in the story?
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Focus on Genre

12. How is this a DYSTOPIAN story?

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