Examples Of Personification In The Veldt

“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity”- Albert Einstein (BrainyQuote.com). Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and The Martian Chronicles, makes this particularly apparent in his short science fiction story, “The Veldt.” “Through the remainder of the century, Bradbury continued to write novels and short stories but also branched out to many other formats and media. He has written play scripts, screenplays, teleplays, and poetry” (Milne). “The Veldt” was yet another example of his diversity. This is a short story written in the 1950s about a fictional house that does everything from sweeping the floors to cooking the Hadley family’s food. In the short story, “The Veldt,” Bradbury uses personification and foreshadowing to prove that becoming over-dependent on technology can lead to horrific outcomes.

Bradbury wrote and I quote, “watched the stove busy humming to itself, making supper for four.” Although the kitchen actually is making dinner for the family, it is unrealistic and the author is making the kitchen seem like a person because it is “humming.” This is the first sign of how much the family relies on the “Happylife Home.” In my eyes, it is extremely ironic that “His dream home actually turns into a nightmare” (Milne). This is referring to George Hadley who thought the house was going to help the family; instead, everything that could go wrong did go wrong. The family became over-dependent on the technology to such a far degree that, in turn, the family destroyed