The Veldt Foreshadowing

The Veldt

‘The Veldt’ by Ray Bradbury is a short story which is set in a futuristic society, most likely set in the future. In this short story, we scrutinise the voluptuous, surreal life of a family of 4 - The Hadleys - living in an intricate technology-based home. With this setting, Bradbury exemplifies the hidden dangers of technology, making use of techniques such as setting, characterisation, foreshadowing and irony which effectively conveys the theme in a coherent manner.

Bradbury effectively uses characterisation in order to further explore the theme. The house has been consumed by meticulous technology, resulting in vitriolic effects in Bradbury’s clever characterisation of the Hadleys. With the technology acting as pillars

An example of Bradbury’s excellent use of foreshadowing is: "You see, there are the lions, far over, that way.” “Now they’re on their way to the water hole.” As the story progresses, a similar quote is expressed: "The lions looked up from their feeding, watching him." These 2 quotes contribute to an ominous and eerie atmosphere that permeates throughout the story. In the first quote, Lydia's statement that "there are the lions, far over, that way" sets the scene for the rest of the story. The distance of the lions implies that they are still far away and not an immediate threat, but their presence is felt nonetheless. This conveys that the lions are presented as a menacing force that is always lurking in the background, waiting to strike. The use of foreshadowing ultimately culminates in the horrific final scene, where the lions in the veldt consume their Mr and Mrs Hadley. Bradbury’s effective use of personification set up this idea that technology has become too powerful and that the consequences of becoming too reliant on it could be

Firstly, the irony of the children’s behaviour: “Don’t let Dad carry away the nursery. I don’t care. I don’t have any desire to do anything, except look and listen.” This quote is ironic because the children are so connected to the virtual reality environment of the nursery that they are willing to kill their parents to protect it. The main reason for its existence was supposed to be a source of entertainment and education has turned them into violent and indifferent beings. Another example of irony is the parents failed attempt of understanding the consequences of spoiling the kids: “We’ve given the children everything they ever wanted. Is this our reward—secrecy, disobedience?” “After all, we’re not criminals, whatever else we are. We’ve got to tell someone.” This quote is ironic because the parents are worried about their children's disobedience and secrecy, but they fail to see their role in creating these problems. By giving their children everything they ever wanted, including the dangerous nursery, the parents have inadvertently created a monster that they can no longer control. Finally, the irony of the parent's incapabilities: "Behind them, tall archaic trees lifted up their straggling foliage to the sky. Ahead, as far as their telescopic eyes could see, were the silhouettes of other