"Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master." This quote can be used to describe the message of the short story "There Wil Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury. The story is set in the future and revolves around a house that is full of technology. The house is still functioning even after all the humans die from a nuclear explosion. Throughout the story, the author builds the theme that technology can be both a blessing and a curse by using figurative language and irony. First of all, the author shows the pros and cons of technology by using figurative language. He does this by describing how advanced the house is. It makes breakfast every day, cleans up the rooms, and prepares the nursery for the children. The writer uses a simile to describe how "the dinner dishes manipulated like magic tricks." This shows how excellent technology is and how useful it can be by helping us accomplish everyday tasks. On the other hand, the author shows the bad side of electronics and mechanics in the world. He does this by personifying the house and giving it …show more content…
There are many instances of situational irony in the text one of them being how "...the stove was making pancakes which filled the house with a rich baked odor.." while the dog was "... frothed at the mouth, lying at the door, sniffing..." This ironic instance can be used to show how technology is bad because it shows that technology does not care about life and that it is mindless. The house didn't even notice or care that the family dog was starving. On another note a part of the irony that shows the good parts of technology is how "this was the one house left standing." The reader would expect for all of the buildings to be destroyed especially after a nuclear explosion yet there was one house that survived. This shows how helpful technology can be since it was able to survive something like