Bradbury’s works in the Martian Chronicles are all about loneliness and nostalgia’s role in it, in addition to nostalgia’s relationship with regret. This is seen in exuberance in “The Martian”, where a mysterious creature shapeshifts in reaction to the thoughts of others around it. Despite not having a choice in the matter, it spreads sadness wherever it goes as it shifts to the observers’ departed loved ones and other figures of importance before running away, making the loss in their hearts fresh. This creature could be thought of as a harbinger or avatar of the overall theme of the “Martian Chronicles” anthology, as it is a constant reminder of what those around it have lost.
An excerpt from the book
“Thomas Edison’s last words were “It’s beautiful over there.” I don’t know where there is, but i believe it’s somewhere, and I hope it’s beautiful.” The last line of the novel is incredibly symbolic to the whole plot and story of Alaska, Pudge, The Colonel and Takumi. This ending is both climactic and anticlimactic. The end of the novel is when Culver Creek is on it’s last day of school, students are leaving to go home for the summer.
“… she was of Earth, and had not realized that the laws of the space frontier must, of necessity, be as hard and relentless as the environment that gave them birth” (3). Marilyn desperately wanted to see her older brother, Gerry, who was one of the explorers on Woden, the planet to which Barton was delivering supplies. When she learned an EDS would be sent to Woden, she hid aboard the ship, ignoring the sign that read “UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL KEEP OUT!” (3). She assumed that the consequence of stowing away aboard the EDS would be paying a fine rather than paying with her life.
Featured in the academic journal Science Fiction Studies, William J. Fanning Jr.’s article “The Historical Death Ray and Science Fiction in the 1920s and 1930s” discusses the prominence of death rays in the post-World War I era. Based on popular media records (i.e. Books, film, literature, news articles, etc.) Fanning makes claims that people at the time were preoccupied with ideas of the ‘next war’ and the potential destruction of humanity via ‘death ray’, defined in the article as any weapon that could cause such harm. Fanning uses the persuasive techniques ethos, logos, and pathos3 to convince the audience of the points he formulates within the article, and ultimately his overall claim that ‘death rays’ were a prominent part of the 1920s and 30s.
"The whole house is going up," said Beatty. The men walked clumsily to the door. They glanced back at Montag, who stood near the woman. "You’re not leaving her here?" he protested. "She won’t come" (Bradbury 39).
oh everything gone, everything, everything gone now…’ ” (Bradbury 108). This shows that
We'll pass the books on to our children, by word of mouth, and let our children wait, in turn, on the other people. A lot will be lost that way, of course. But you can’t make people listen. They have to come around in their own time, wondering what happened and why the world blew up under them. It can’t last.”
When her only son was going to school , she said; “ I never though a son of mine would choose useless books over the parents that have you life”(Macleod 18). It shows how the mother was putting so much pressure and guilt
When someone allows themselves to believe something whole-heartedly, it can often spur an event or change in their life or the lives of others. These beliefs, or perceptions, have the ability to change people’s points of view so completely that they are unable to return to their previous standard of life. This perceivable change in one’s psyche is exactly what Bradbury attempts to capture in The Martian Chronicles. Bradbury’s words paint a picture of the crumbling of two thriving cultures as they come in to contact with each other. He shows the questioning and cracking of individual’s identities as they face circumstances which interfere with their personal points of view.
Throughout his lifetime, Bradbury was exposed to a wide range of inspirational fantasies and movies that undeniably contributed to his unique style and love as a science-fiction writer. As a child, Bradbury was fortunate enough to have many peers that showcased popular plays, movies, and fantasies. A few notable inspirations to Bradbury were magicians, adventure and fantasy fiction, notably L. Frank Baum, Ernest Hemingway, and Edgar Allen Poe. Born in Waukegan, Illinois on August 22, 1920, Bradbury was a only child. Due to the Great Depression, Bradbury’s parents lost their jobs and, as a result, Bradbury spent his early days in poverty.
This event affects Montag. He continues to want to learn the meanings behind the ink and paper: “There must be something in books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.” (Bradbury 48). Montag does not understand why people will sacrifice their lives alongside
As Montag and Mildred talk about the books, they are distracted by the bombers in the sky. Montag goes on to talk about the lack of attention paid to the bombers: “‘We’ve started and won two atomic wars since 2022. Is it because we’re having so much fun at home we’ve forgotten the world?... The rest of the world’s so poor and we just don’t care if they are’” (Bradbury 69-70).
“I don’t try to describe the future, I try to prevent it.” (Bradbury) Bradbury’s depictions of the future, written in the 1950’s, explain his motives for writing in a science fiction style with a heavier emphasis on fiction than science. Ray Bradbury influences people in a way that cannot be mimicked. He used fictional stories to deliver an important message that can be applied throughout time. The message is how our actions affect our future today.
Susan Sontag, an author of the essay “Imagination Disaster,” explores the world of science fiction as she discusses the tropes in films from the mid-1900s. Throughout her essay, Sontag analyzes why these types of films were created, and basically ties her discussion with humanity. With the growing technological advances, science fiction films state specific things about how science threatens humanity. She also ties her discussion to how sci-fi films tend to serve an attempt at distributing a balance between humanity and the technological world. Sontag claims that science fiction films has suspense, shock, surprises, has an inexorable plot, and how they invite a dispassionate, aesthetic view of destruction and violence.
