“The Veldt” is a 1950’s short story written by Ray Bradbury, around a time in American history when there was a fear of technology invading our personal lives and relationships. The story is centered around a family who lives in a home that does everything for them. All of their chores, their everyday tasks, even the matter of getting to sleep are all taken care of. The house even has a nursery where whatever you think will come to life in the means of a simulation on the walls. A central theme that I found in the short story, “The Veldt” is that overdependence on technology negatively impacts one’s sense of purpose and motivation in life. Ray Bradbury makes this point through examples in the way Lydia, George, Wendy, and Peter feel about the house, the types of conversations they have, and the arguments they have with each other.
A way the author conveys this theme is when Lydia, the mother, is feeling anxious and has a conversation with her husband, George, about how she doesn’t have enough to do around the house. In a traditional 1950’s home, the wife or mother would be the one who did all the cooking, cleaning, and comforting in the household. Lydia hasn’t been able to do any of her normal duties, which makes her feel like she doesn’t belong. In the conversation with George, she mentioned that the nursery simulations felt too real, and he told her she just needed some rest because she had been working too much. She then admitted that she actually doesn’t have enough to