In Ray Bradbury's short story "The Veldt," the character of Mr. McClean is often overlooked when discussing the responsibility for the parents' death. However, upon closer examination of the story, it becomes clear that Mr. McClean is the most responsible for the parents' demise. In this essay, I will argue that Mr. McClean is responsible for the death of the parents, providing evidence from the story to support this claim, along with counterarguments to address possible objections.
Firstly, Mr. McClean's negligence and recklessness are a significant factor in the parents' death. As the technology specialist responsible for maintaining the Happylife Home, he is well aware of the dangers of the virtual reality room. He warns the parents of the potential danger, but instead of disabling the room, he suggests a temporary solution. He also fails to
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McClean warned the parents and gave them options to resolve the issue, but the parents failed to act on the information. However, it is the responsibility of the technology specialist to ensure the safety of the technology he oversees, especially when it poses a danger to human life.
Secondly, Mr. McClean's actions after the parents' death suggest that he knew more than he let on. He appears to be unnervingly calm and collected, and he quickly takes control of the situation, suggesting that he has dealt with similar scenarios before. He also displays a disturbing level of familiarity with the virtual reality room and its capabilities. This suggests that Mr. McClean had prior knowledge of the danger and could have prevented the parents' death if he had acted accordingly.
A counterargument to this point could be that Mr. McClean was simply doing his job and acting in the best interest of the family. However, his actions suggest that he was more interested in covering up his negligence and protecting the reputation of the technology than in ensuring the safety of the