Analysis of “Kaleidoscope”, an excerpt from Ray Bradbury’s The Illustrated Man
THEME
(Theme is the message the author is sending about life. There are multiple themes in most texts. Remember Ms. Patterson’s tip: Phrasing as “Mankind tends to…” will ensure you are stating a theme.)
In The Illustrated Man, Ray Bradbury tells us that when faced with death, mankind takes measure of life and discovers the value of “memories of things done and accomplished” versus “dreams of things …wanted to do” (24).
SETTING:
(Why does the author choose this setting? How does it enhance the theme? It might help to consider how a different setting might change things.)
Equally lost, equally hopeless, equally disconnected, the astronauts face the same fate in the “dark sea” of space (Bradbury 24).From this position of equality, the reader is able to weigh the astronauts’ reactions against one another and draw a conclusion about the experience.
TONE:
(Is the tone positive or negative? What are some adjectives you would use to describe it? How does the tone support the theme?)
The tone of “Kaleidoscope” is one of hopelessness. The men have no chance of survival, it is simply a matter of time. The men fall “…as pebbles down wells” (Bradbury 21), showing their insignificance in the big picture of space. The men are “falling, falling and nothing they could do to change it” (Bradbury 20). Space “cut you away, piece by piece, like a black and invisible butcher” (Bradbury 25). The tone makes the reader realize that the men have a brief time in which there is nothing to do but take stock of their lives.
CHARACTERIZATION:
(How do the character’s actions, thoughts and deeds enhance or prove the theme?)
Hollis’s initial objectivity and relative calmness about his situation make the regret he experiences at the end more poignant. Hollis tries to “…pack a lifetime of suppressed emotion into an interval of minutes” (Bradbury 24). The knowledge that he had not lived a full life “…began to pull Hollis apart with a slow, quivering precision” (Bradbury 24). He realizes he “…had been as good as dead for a good many years” (Bradbury 24).Ultimately, Holliswishes for the opportunity to commit one good deed before his death. In Hollis’s regret, we see the importance of “things done and accomplished” (Bradbury 24).
KEY EVENTS:
(Choose 5 events from the plot and explain how they deepen your understanding of the chosen theme.)
-One astronaut is “screaming insanely, showing extreme fear. Hollis can’t tolerate it and kills him. (Bradbury 21)
-Lespere reflects on memories of a full life including wives, gambling, drunkenness, etc. He is “…happy, while he fell to his death” (Bradbury 22).Hollis belittles Lespere, showing the reader that he is jealous of the life Lespere led.
-Stone is swept into the meteor “kaleidoscope”. Hollis sees the “wonder and imagination of Stone going off in the meteor storm” (Bradbury 26). This emphasizes the idea that it is not death itself that Hollis fears. It is the idea that he is dying without having fully lived.
-Having realized the emptiness of his life, Holland wishes for the ability to do a “good thing”. (p. 27)
-A boy sees Hollis as a falling star and his mother tells him to “Make a wish.” (p. 27) Hollis’s death gives the boy hope.
HOW THIS THEME APPLIES TO THE REAL WORLD:
-When faced with a terminal illness, the first question people generally ask is: “How much time do I have?” They hope to fill that time with as much life as possible. In It’s Not About The Bike, Lance Armstrong expresses gratitude for the experience of being near death after a diagnosis of testicular cancer. According to Armstrong, the idea that death was imminent, gave him a renewed appreciation for life and the drive to live it to the fullest.
-People create “bucket lists” in the hopes of living life to the fullest before they “kick the bucket” or die. This underscores the idea that mankind believes it is important to have “things done and accomplished” in life (Bradbury 24).
Works Cited
Bradbury, Ray.The Illustrated Man.New York: Bantam Books, 1951. Print.