Ethnocentrism In The Martian Chronicles By Ray Bradbury

The Dangers of Ethnocentrism “The Martian Chronicles” by Ray Bradbury is a collection of short stories in chronological order of the human colonization of Mars. Bradbury composed this book over the length of several years, from the late 40s to the early 50s. This period coincides with the Cold War, a time when Americans felt superior to other countries, most notably the Soviet Union, because of their vast technological advancements. This air of superiority led to an arms race, ethnocentric propaganda, and eventually, national hysteria. One of Bradbury’s main criticisms in “The Martian Chronicles” is the ethnocentrism prevalent in his country during this time period. Bradbury forewarns Americans of their demise by conveying that their ethnocentrism

Teece, in the story “Way In the Middle of the Air”, feels entitled to the labor of African-Americans, exclaiming, “can they do that? [...] ain’t there a law?” (91), referring to the departure of all African Americans in the South. He is so ignorant of other cultures and feel so superior they they believe the only place an African American can build a rocket is in Africa. In “Earth Men”, Captain Williams is characterized in a similar manner; he is self-entitled and arrogant, However, he does not intentionally put others down to feel superior because he believes he is superior. He is disrespectful of Mrs. Ttt’s home and wears his dirty boots indoors because he believes such trivial actions are beneath the gravity of his accomplishments. Captain William’s ethnocentrism clouds his ability to see that his accomplishment means nothing to a different culture. This arrogant man condescendingly informs Mr. Iii that “we’d like a place to sleep. [...] We’d like the key to the city or something” (57). Both Teece’s and Captain Williams’ self-entitlement leads to a superiority complex and ignorance of other

In “--and the Moon be Still as Bright”, Hathaway informs Captain Wilder that some Martians might have escaped disease, but “not enough for there to be a native problem”. The word “native” was and still is commonly used for the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Instead of celebrating that humans didn’t commit an accidental genocide, Hathaway views Martians as a pest on Earth’s new planet. Spender, who represents Bradbury’s views, states that a disease such as chicken pox doesn’t “fit the architecture; it doesn’t fit this world”. This conveys Bradbury’s belief that the Martians, who parallel with the Native Americans, deserve more respect than to be wiped out by a child’s disease. Bradbury warns the readers that ethnocentrism could lead to the death of millions. He points out that it’s happened before and warns that it will happen again if Americans do not change their perspective on their own importance. In addition, Bradbury draws parallels drawn between Biggs and Captain Williams in “Earth Men” to convey that expecting others to stop, celebrate your achievements and disregard their own lives is ethnocentric and disrespectful. Both men die by gunshot in their stories, conveying Bradbury’s warning that ethnocentrism will lead to