By Ray Bradbury Ray Bradbury The Veldt was written in 1950 by a man named Ray Bradbury It like many of Bradburys short stories and like we discussed a moment ago takes place in a house with abundant technology and the family who lives there George and Lydia Hadley and their childre ID: 566009
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Slide1
The Veldt
By Ray BradburySlide2
Ray Bradbury
"The Veldt" was written in 1950, by a man named Ray Bradbury.
It, like many of Bradbury’s short stories and like we discussed a moment ago, takes place in a house with abundant technology and the family who lives there: George and Lydia Hadley and their children, Wendy and Peter. The title is a mysterious one because it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the story. Does anyone know what a veldt is? Slide3
Setting
Setting is the physical location and time in which a story takes place
To identify setting, we must note the details the author provides concerning:
The story’s location
The time in which the action takes placeSlide4
Mood
Raise your hand if you’ve recently watched a scary movie?
There’s always that one scene, you know, where the main character is all alone, at night, when no one else is around, and they make a crazy decision to go wander around in a dark, run-down, abandoned house. They start playing the scary music, and you just know that the killer is lurking there behind the door. Think about it… What feelings or reactions does that dark, empty house create?”
While we often associate setting with the “where” and “when,” there is also an emotional effect of setting because the setting can
create
a mood or an atmosphereSlide5
Mood
While we often associate setting with “where” and “when” there is also an emotional effect of setting because the setting can create a mood or an atmosphere.
A story’s mood is the feeling that a text conveys to its readers.Slide6
Mood
"The day was perfect. The sun was out, the wind was pleasantly blowing, and the waves were utterly perfect."
Setting?
How does this setting make you feel? What mood is the author trying to create?Slide7
Setting
How does a setting make you feel? Think about your favourite story. What did you feel while you were reading it? How did the Setting influence how you felt? Share with the class. Slide8
Mood & Characters
We learn about the kind of people our characters in many different ways, but one way is through
their
reactions to the setting they’re in and the mood it
conveys.
So
, as we’re reading, we should ask ourselves
:
o How do our characters
react
to the setting and the
mood?
Do
they react in ways we might
expect or
not
?
o What does their reaction say about the
type
of
people
they
might be?Slide9
Read the first section of “The Veldt”
After reading paragraphs 1-13 (paragraph 13 ends with: “a hot yellow sun”), ask yourself:
What type of house do the
Hadleys
live in?
Why did George and Lydia buy the nursery for the children?Slide10
Questions
Read P14-33. Paragraph 33 ends with: “appalled at the other’s reactions”
Paragraph 37 starts with “Walls, Lydia”
Paragraph 40 end with “not to read anymore on Africa”
Paragraph 62 ends with “Of course not,” he said.”Slide11
What did you notice?
What type of world has been created by Bradbury in this story?
What was the setting like in the nursery?
What was the difference between Lydia and George’s reactions to the nursery?
Do you think that this type of technology is a good thing? Why or why not?Slide12
Exit slip
Describe the setting of the nursery in “The Veldt.” What mood do these details establish? How do George and Lydia react to the setting and mood, and what’s your personal reaction to the setting and mood? Use complete sentences and evidence from the text to support your answer.Slide13
Day 2: Characterization
The process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character
Think about one of your favourite characters in books or movies. What are some adjectives that describe what kind of person they are?Slide14
Characterization types
Direct – what the author tells us about the character
Indirect – the actions of the character
Dynamic –a character that changes throughout the story
Static – a character who stays the same throughout the story.Slide15
Communicating Characterization
An author will communicate characterization through:
Speech
Thoughts
Effects on Others
Actions
LooksSlide16
Characterization in FrozenSlide17
The Veldt: Review of last class
What happened in the story up to this point?
What have we learned about the setting? Where does the story take place?Slide18
Questions
Paragraph 63 at the top of page 120 starts: “at dinner they ate alone”
P72 ends: “he had paid no attention”
P94 ends: “we’ll sit and watch”
P126 ends: “put Rima there instead of Lions?” “Yes”
P148 ends: “a smell of cats was in the night air”Slide19
Exit slip
How does Bradbury characterize George and Lydia in this story? What sort of people are they? What does he say about Peter and Wendy? How do they interact with each other? Do you think this will get better or worse as the story continues? Why?Slide20
Day 3: Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is clues that the author gives us about what will happen.
Some things to look for:
What people are saying
The weather
Animals acting weird
A change in the character
Bad things happeningSlide21
Look for the foreshadowing…Slide22
Personification
Giving human characteristics to something non-human
Examples:
Opportunity was knocking at the door
The stars danced playfully in the night
Time flies
Think of your own examples…Slide23
Songs that use personificationSlide24
Personification
What is the purpose? Why do authors use it in their writing?Slide25
Questions
Paragraph 149, at the bottom of page 124, starts: “Father?”
P172 ends with “And Peter strolled off to the nursery.”
P182, on page 126, starts with “There was a terrible screaming…”
P195 ends with “instead of a release away from them.”
P206, near the bottom of p127, starts with “The lions were finished with…”
P222 ends with “threw the switch that killed the nursery.”Slide26
Exit slip
What is personification?What is foreshadowing?
Write a paragraph that outlines how Bradbury uses these literary devices in his writing. How are they effective in involving the reader in the story?Slide27
Day 4: Let’s look at the text again
Go to page 127 and re-read the paragraph that starts with: “Everything.”
What does this paragraph tell us about the relationship between the parents and the children? How does technology fit in? What is Bradbury trying to get the reader to see by having the psychologist say this?Slide28
Questions
P223, in the middle of page 128, starts with “The children were in hysterics”
P241 ends with “just a minute, mind you.”
P264 ends with “those other screams has sounded familiar.”Slide29
Theme
Theme is the implied meaning of the work, or the message that the author intends to convey to readers.
o Authors develop theme through various “tools” that they use in their writing – they don’t come out and tell us the message we should take away from reading the text.
o As a reader, it’s your job to
dig
into the text and determine the deeper
meaning
that
the author is trying to convey.
o To do this, you’ll need to examine how an author uses different “tools” to create and convey meaning.Slide30
Themes in “The Veldt”
In “The Veldt,” Bradbury conveys his theme through the resolution of the
conflict
between
the Hadley parents and the children. As readers, we need to study this resolution, asking ourselves:
o How is the conflict resolved?
o What
actions
of
the parents and the children led to this resolution?
o
Why
did
the parents and children act in the ways they did?
o
What message
is
Bradbury aiming to convey to us about how we should and should not live our lives?Slide31
Themes: Consumerism
George Hadley shows the theme of consumerism because he believes in getting the best that money can buy for his family. George believes that he can show his family love by buying them things. Allowing material possessions to stand in for direct human interaction and expressions of love, however, is what ultimately sets George up as the enemy to his children. The theme is summed up near the end of the story when George asks Lydia, "What prompted us to buy a nightmare?" and she replies, "Pride, money, foolishness
.“
..."the purchase of goods and services in ever-greater amounts..." -WikiSlide32
Themes: Dystopia
A society that is undesirable and/or frightening.
It is the opposite of a utopia. Dystopias often serve as warnings of potential dangers that can
be brought on through the misuse of technology or power. In "The Veldt," Bradbury
turns the Hadley's Happy−life Home into a dystopia that gradually dehumanizes the
children and destroys the parents. The dangers are revealed slowly through the story as
George begins to realize that the wonderful home that he has provided for his family
might not be so wonderful at all. His dream home actually turns into a nightmare.Slide33
Exit slip
Through the shocking conclusion to “The Veldt,” what message does Bradbury convey about the dangerous effects of technology on parents and children alike?
In your answer be sure to:
Clearly explain Bradbury’s stance on technology and its impact on people and families
Explain how Bradbury uses the story’s conclusion to convey this message
Support your response with two specific pieces of textual evidence and explain how your evidence supports your claim