While reading through Rad Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains,” I had many impressions and thoughts on the short story. One of my first impressions of the story is the beginning, where it says, “Morning house lays empty,” but shows breakfast is set out. I thought this scene was a warm and cozy home but lacked the family sitting around the table, showing sadness and a depressing feeling. So, while there are many things to have emotion, it shows the lack of feelings. The rest of the story speaks about technology. This was the most considerable notice in “There Will Come Soft Rains.” One of my questions was why Bradbury put so much emphasis on technology.
Throughout the story, many of the clues point toward the fact that there is technology, like the clock that sings the time and the events that happened around that time, such as going to school or work. Still, there were no humans or humanity mentioned or acknowledged. This story also shows a dog who was described as starving and poor but used to be young and whole. The technology was also depicted as opening the door for do, and how the mice are angry and must clean up the mess. The question is why the mice were angry and how, as the mice were depicting a vacuum cleaner. These mice give me the impression that technology has thoughts and feelings. This whole story was about the lack of humanity involved in everyday things; it made me feel about what would happen if the dog had a human companion who cared for it. Would the dog have died if it received human kindness and love and not had only technology care for it? Another question Bradbury makes me think of is what would happen if technology was the one to control everything without any humanity involved? Would the story scenario become a reality, or would something else be the case? I was surprised as to why Bradbury would write this story. Did he want us to consider the repercussions of technology if we became solely dependent on it, or was there another reason? I started considering whether Bradbury wanted humanity to consider what would happen if we depended on technology. Did he wish us to see how technology is an insidious thing creeping up on us? I get this impression because technology has humanity’s feelings and does the jobs; for example, vacuums are like mice getting angry at the dog for tracking mud or the door opening on its own to allow the dog to come in from the rain. Technology is insidious, meaning that suddenly, technology is doing everything that humans do, and humanity slowly begins to fade, so there is only technology. Bradbury put this story as a warning, and we should consider what he wants us to be warned about. If it is not a warning, what can we gather from this? Those are some of my biggest questions and impressions while reading Ray Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains”.
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Hi Cory:
Thank you for sharing your reflections on Ray Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains.” Your analysis shows you understand the nuances of why these readings were assigned. Here are some comments on the conversational aspects of your writing:
Your personal impressions of the story’s opening scene add a layer of emotion to your analysis.
Your questions about why Bradbury emphasizes technology and the significance of various technological elements in the story are thought-provoking. Consider asking your readers even more questions to encourage them to share their interpretations. For instance, you could ask, “What are your thoughts on the role of technology in ‘There Will Come Soft Rains’?”
Your interpretation of the mice as a depiction of technology with thoughts and feelings is well done – definitely a place to invite conversation.
Your reflection on the lack of humanity in everyday activities raises interesting questions.
Your curiosity about Bradbury’s intent in writing the story and whether it serves as a warning is a significant aspect. Consider asking readers for their interpretations. For example, you could ask, “What do you think Bradbury aims to convey through this cautionary tale? Do you see parallels with contemporary society?” Just switching the way in which you ask questions invites the reader to directly respond.
By incorporating hyperlinks to relevant discussions and posing more directed questions that invite reader participation, you can create a more interactive blog post. Keep up the great work – be mindful of adding paragraphs and formatting for ease in reading.