Lions and Liars and Lairs – Oh My! Essay Example

evident that Peter and Wendy prefer their electronic nursery over their parents, leading them to lie and betray their authority: "Yes, come tell us about the nursery," said George Hadley. The siblings exchanged glances and replied, "Nursery?" "Tell us all about Africa and everything," the father said with feigned cheerfulness. Peter responded, "I don't understand," to which Wendy added, "I don't remember any Africa," denying its existence (Bradbury, 107). Clearly, Peter and Wendy were dishonest with their parents by fabricating stories about the nursery and even altering the mental combination to support their falsehoods.

The text discusses the validation of Peter and Wendy's feelings towards their father through an antecedent plot: "You know how difficult Peter is about that. When I punished him a month ago by locking the nursery for even a few hours – the tantrum he threw! And Wendy too. They live for the nursery." (Bradbury, 104) The young Peter and Wendy harbor feelings of hatred, coldness, and misunderstanding towards their parents, which contributes to their unpleasant relationship. The story is enhanced by examples of suspense, imagery, and dialogue that further develop the content. The consistent suspense highlights the tension in the relationship and the friction between the characters within the plot. This is evident when the author foreshadows the deaths of Mr. and Mrs.

The familiar screams, old wallet and scarf belonging to the Hadley's were discovered in the veldt, causing Mr. and Mrs. Hadley to suddenly realize why those other screams had sounded familiar (Bradbury, 114). The author effectively utilizes imagery to vividly depict the African veldt by invoking the senses of sight, smell, and touch. Descriptions of "the yellows of

lions and summer grass," the sounds of "matted lion lungs exhaling on the silent noontide," and the smell of meat from "panting, dripping mouths" create an atmosphere of tension (Bradbury, 103). These phrases provoke a sense of serene yet alluring danger, as if a threat could strike at any given moment.

The walls of the nursery represent the children's imagination and depict their challenging behavior, just like the veldt challenges the Hadley family. The story's dialogue reveals emotions in the children that are not mentioned in the prose. For instance, Mr. McClean tells Mr. Hadley, "You've let this room and this house replace you and your wife in your children's affections. This room is their mother and father, far more important in their lives than their real parents" (Bradbury, 111). The author directly addresses the reader about the parents' neglectful relationship with their children; they prioritize the nursery over their parental role, leaving others like Mr. McClean to fulfill their responsibilities. Ray Bradbury employs these literary devices to enhance the story's coherence and effectively spotlight the parallels between tension in the story and tension in the parent-child dynamic.

The author demonstrates throughout the text how the Hadley family relies heavily on technology and other people to take care of their children. This dependency has a significant impact on the children and how they deal with the absence of parental figures. The Hadleys purchase their children's affection by showering them with material possessions, as seen in the quote, "They walked down the hall of their soundproofed Happylife Home, which costs them thirty thousand dollars installed, this house clothed and fed and rocked them to sleep and was

good to them" (Bradbury, 101). However, this ultimately leads to their downfall as the children become deprived of their nursery and possessions against the parents' wishes (resulting in the children killing the parents with the nursery). Another quote from the text states, "They come and go when they like; they treat us as if we were the offspring. They're spoiled and we're spoiled" (Bradbury, 108), indicating that the children have become just as entitled and privileged as their parents. Lastly, Bradbury suggests that while the Hadleys' access to technology is convenient, it can also be exploited and taken advantage of.

"'Why, they've looked it from the outside! Peter!' He beat at the door. 'Open up!' He heard Peter's voice outside, against the door. 'Don't let them switch off the nursery and the house,' he was saying." (Bradbury, 114) The children in the story learn to manipulate the nursery's "affection" just as it can be controlled at will. Consequently, this eventually leads to a cunning plan to bring about the Hadley family's demise. In summary, Ray Bradbury's "The Veldt" exemplifies the importance of not being consumed by technology and strongly advocates for how it impacts relationships. It is not surprising how the author effectively captures the childlike voices of Peter and Wendy, as well as the oblivious personas of their parents. Through vivid portrayals of these characters, literary devices, and the downfall of a machine-dependent lifestyle, this short story comes to life with a resounding impact.