Questions for “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury

Questions

1. In what ways are the Hadleys a typical American family?

2.What is the significance of the change of program in the nursery, from innocent fairy tales to the appearance of the lions?

  1. What explains the hatred that the children feel for their parents?
  2. Identify 4 examples of foreshadowing in the story.

“The Veldt”by Ray Bradbury

FOCUS ON NARRATIVE ELEMENTS

  1. Define foreshadowing. Identify and explain 3 specific examples of foreshadowing in the narrative.

Example of Foreshadowing / Explanation
  1. Evaluate the end of the story. Why is the last line as follows: “A cup of tea?” asked Wendy in the silence.
  1. What point is Bradbury trying to make?

FOCUS ON CHARACTERS

  1. Lydia quotes an old saying, “Children are carpets, they should be stepped on occasionally.” Identify the figure of speech used in this saying and explain what the saying means. Why does Lydia quote it at this point in the story?
  2. Compare and contrast what George and Lydia Hadley give their children and what the children really need.

What do George and Lydia Hadley give their children? / What do the children need?
What is the result of this discrepancy?

PLOT

Exposition
Setting
Characters
Conflict
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Conclusion

FOCUS ON THEME

  1. Peter says, “I wish you were dead!” George responds by saying, “We were, for a long while. Now we’re going to really start living. Instead of being handled and massaged, we’re going to live.”

2. Define what it means for George to “really live”.

3.What is the theme of the story?

Compare and Contrast

Early 1950s: / Today:
The minimum wage is $0.75 per hour.
Pulp fiction magazines are widely read, but their popularity is on the decline due to competition from television, comic books, and the paperback novel.
Approximately 23.5 percent of American households own a television set. All sets are black and white.
Businessman Frank MacNamara and his friend Ralph Schneider introduce the Diners Club card. This is the first credit card in history, allowing members to charge food and drinks at twenty-eight participating New York City restaurants.
Treating children through psychoanalytic techniques is a new practice. The main interest in using these techniques on youngsters is sparked by the publication of Anna Freud’s The Psychoanalytic Treatment of Children in 1946. It is several years before the practice is widely adopted.
American children play with the Slinky toy and the Candyland board game.

Source: Short Stories for Students, ©2013 Gale Cengage. All Rights Reserved.Full copyright.