There is no doubt that “The Veldt” is a literary masterpiece. Published in 1950, Bradbury was far ahead of his time, writing this short sci-fi story on the effects of advanced technology. While written over 70 years ago, the story’s underlying meaning is much more relevant in our current day.
With the increasing dependency on advancement and technology, students have slowly started spending more and more time on social media. While moderation is not harmful, we often neglect the side effects on our mental wellbeing. Hence, students must be made aware of the impact of such advancement, which is best illustrated through this short story. While it borders on the extreme, some key lessons can be taken as a reader.
You might wonder why “The Veldt” is taught in school, as it seems quite the logical and straightforward story, doesn’t it? One of the critical lessons that it teaches you is the horrors of misused technology. You might even need to search for “The Veldt” essays, as most teachers will ask you to write a paper on it. While we all hate being obliged to write, this short story is slightly different. The house the characters live in is called “The Happylife Home,” which is quite ironic.
While, at first, both parents and their two kids were absolutely thrilled by this progressive house that does all their tasks, Lydia, the mother, snaps out of it first. She starts feeling inhumane, unnecessary, and worthless. One can argue that overdependence on technology, no matter how convenient, strips away the human, sympathizing side of you.
In the last decade, we have witnessed the astonishing development of new technologies. That includes augmented reality, virtual reality, and even the creation of realistic holograms. While it is pretty impressive, we neglect to think about how those altered realities impact us. For instance, we witness how the two kids become obsessed with their “nursery” throughout the story.
The nursery enabled the kids to change their surroundings by mere thought, giving them the constant thrill as their scenery changed. The power of that room reached a point where the children preferred spending time in that room instead of being in the real world. While that might sound like a blissful reality to some of us, growing up around advanced technology can alter children’s brains. That includes reduced social and emotional intelligence, essentially stripping people of what makes them human.
It’s no secret that human beings are incredibly fragile and malleable. Bradbury wrote “The Veldt” right after World War 2, as the public was focused on the implications of the Holocaust. In the short story, the kids end up murdering their parents and feel quite proud of it. This seems to reflect the consequences of the war, as people’s intentions were amoral rather than decent. Hence, imagine what further technological advancements would render our species?
It’s no wonder the title, Veldt, signifies a large grassland area, specifically in Southern Africa. It preludes to how overdependency on technology can leave people struggling to adapt, just like the two kids were fighting to get what they wanted at all costs.
