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Symbolism In The Veldt By Ray Bradbury

Decent Essays

Children are innocent yet intelligent; discipline is used to help children learn right from wrong. In “The Veldt” writer Ray Bradbury presents a clear message: children should be disciplined by their parents. Bradbury shows this through the children in the story, Wendy and Peter, and how they have no idea between right and wrong; when Wendy and Peter kill their parents, George and Lydia, in the veldt. For this reason Bradbury wants parents to discipline their kids. Ray Bradbury presents the dangerous repercussions of poor discipline through symbolism, imagery, and foreshadowing.
Bradbury uses symbolism, in many instances, to represent to the consequences of letting children run wild. In “The Veldt”, nursery is used to symbolize the leader of the kids. The parents are absent in the kid's life so they imagine having a leader and a constant in their lives. ”They live for the nursery.” as state by the text (Bradbury 3). The kids love the nursery as if it were their parents. Wendy and Peter have replaced the nursery as George and Lydia. Another example of symbolism used by Bradbury is in the African lions. “The lions stood looking at George and Lydia Hadley with terrible green-yellow eyes…The lions came running at them. Lydia bolted and ran. Instinctively, George sprang after her.” this quote is used to show the power struggle in the family (Bradbury 3). Lions are used throughout literature as symbols of power and authority; this example is no different. The ability of the lions taking over and assuming power over George and Lydia represents the struggle for power the parents have over the nursery. In summary, the nursery and the lions show poor discipline. George and Lydia have allowed these items to take over their role as parents. Instead of telling Wendy and Peter the nursery is closed, George and Lydia give in and let them Peter and Wendy walk over them giving the parents no power.
Imagery is spread all throughout “The Veldt”. It is one of the key parts to establish the grave after effects of poor parenting. “And it was clearly indicated that the children had been spending a little too much time on Africa. That sun. He could feel it on his neck, still, like a hot paw. And the lions. And the smell of blood.”

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