The Veldt

by Ray Bradbury
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ray Bradbury, in full Ray Douglas
Bradbury, (born August 22, 1920,
Waukegan, Illinois, U.S.—died June
5, 2012, Los Angeles, California),
American author best known for his
highly imaginative short stories
and novels that blend a poetic
style, nostalgia for childhood, social
criticism, and an awareness of the
hazards of runaway technology.
The Plot

The story concerns a nursery in an automated home

in which a simulation of the African veldt is conjured
by some children, but the lions which appear in the
nursery start to feel very real. ‘The Veldt’ can be
analysed as a cautionary tale about the dangers of
technology, especially when it threatens the
relationship between parents and their children.
CHARACTERS
QUESTIONS

George and Lydia Hadley say it will be like a "vacation" to turn

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off all their tech.

Is it ever a vacation for you to get away from your

technology? Is it relaxing when the power goes out, for
example? Why do you think the Hadleys call it a vacation?
The virtual reality room is important, but what about
the rest of the technology?
How does the house interact with the family?
What other gadgets does Bradbury
mention? Is there a pattern to what gadgets the
Hadleys have in their house?
Should we consider the house a character? How is it
characterized? What about the other automatic
equipment, especially when George turns it off? Do they
seem like living characters when he "kills" them? What do
you think about McClean's comment that "Nothing ever
likes to die—even a room?”
What would this story look like
from Peter and Wendy's point of
view?
What characteristics of the Hadley family
chemistry do you feel have contributed to the
dehumanizing of these children? What actions,
dialogue, and scenes reveal this chemistry?