The Theme Of Social Downfall In Meteor And There Will Come Soft Rains

Within the stories “Meteor,” by John Wyndham and “There Will Come Soft Rains,” by Ray Bradbury, the authors effectively create the theme of social downfall at the hands of mankind. “Meteor,” set in a family field, describes the relocation of alien life to Earth and the differing perspectives between the two societies. “There Will Come Soft Rains,” set in a future depiction of the world, 2026, explores the dangers of technology that man has developed. In order for each author to vividly convey the theme of social downfall from essentially arrogance, symbolism is utilized. This occurs through the technologically advanced house in “There Will Come Soft Rains” and the insecticide in “Meteor.” Although both authors convey the similar theme, I believe

Due to the vast varieties of innovative technology, I believe, the race has begun to feel a strong sense of superiority. We rely heavily on this technology, supported by the story on page one. The house cooked, woke the family, and even cleaned, “The rooms were acrawl with small cleaning animals…” Just as the house, mankind feels it is able to perform all and is extremely advanced. However, the author clearly depicts that a creation of great intelligence can fall and perish unexpectedly. This is evident on page three when the author describes, “At ten o’clock the house began to die.” In addition, the author composes many other akin qualities between the house and society, to further develop the symbolism. Just as the house did, mankind would attempt the save itself and fail, explicitly stated on page three when Bradbury includes, “The house tried to save itself.” Furthermore, on page nine of the story, it states, “Among the house one wall stood alone,” clearly indicating the house has fallen just as society will. In my opinion, the use of this vivid symbolism allows the reader to reflect upon themselves and the society that we live in

As the story progresses, it is made apparent that the alien race is much more advanced than mankind. According to the story on page one and seven, this theory is proven when the author includes, “We have become stronger and we have solved problem after problem.” In addition, the author states, “...it's better than anything they've got,” essentially indicating how evolved the alien race is. However, due to the overwhelming abundance of the characteristic, arrogance that the humans have acquired, the intruding society is obliterated by the symbolic insecticide. Insecticide, symbolizing death and ignorance is what allows the alien species to perish, stated on page nine, “He shook the tin and sent a cloud of insect killer over them.” This truly more intelligent society, which could have significantly benefited mankind, specifically with space travel, perishes simply because they were a nuisance. In my opinion, human society depicted in the story did not believe that the race could provide necessary supplies and information to allow man to innovate at a much quicker rate, because it is perceived that humans are the most advanced race. However, this is proven incorrect and as a result, this foreign and assumingly inferior society falls. This is evident on page nine, when the story depicts the characters dialogue, “We won't have any more trouble from them.” Due to the