Page 5 How Story Elements Develop Theme

Themes are usually inferred.

They can be revealed by the way characters change in a story, conflicts in the story, or in statements made by the narrator or characters.

In “A Hero’s Welcome” notice how the father is not given a hero’s welcome and his children have a hard time relating to the stranger, who no longer fits into their world.

 

“There’s a strange man coming up the lane, Ma!”
“Couldn’t believe the amount of stuff in the store windows. Dresses, shoes, chocolate, meat. Same thing in Toronto and I wondered if those people even knew there’d been a war on. Then I get back here, to the farm, and it’s changed.”

 



How does Thomas’s perspective change? For example at first he thinks his father is unfairly critical.

 

“You didn’t take time to clean the stalls though.”
“Harry and I do it after evening milking,” I mumbled. I wondered if he remembered my letter to him telling of the last calving and how Ma and I had been up all night.”
“This here’s got rust on it. You have to take care of equipment if you expect it to run right.”
”Getting the rust off, well, I left that until winter when things slowed down somewhat.”

 



For the younger generation to get along with an older generation do they need to agree on a standard of quality, or measure external to both of them?
  • When his father inspects his work on the farm, neither Thomas nor his father argue about whether or not there is rust on the equipment. Is Thomas misunderstanding his father’s attempt to discuss principles?
  • Can Thomas measure up to an adult example and not make excuses for something undone, a mistake made, or not doing a job right? 
By the end of the story, perhaps because he didn’t make excuses and took responsibility, his dad treats him as an adult. Thomas measure up to the measure in these lines:

 

“Do you think Austin Taylor would sell us his flat lands down by the river?”
“Us! Set the wood down on the porch and turned the idea over in my mind before speaking…
“We could do with some equipment too. New tractor would be nice.” My heart pounded in my ears.

 



On the other hand, in “The Veldt” notice that the protagonist, George, is not held up as a model parent or example at the beginning of the story.

 

For example, on page 252, George drinks too much, smokes too much, and survives on sleeping pills. 
  • How many other addictions are listed in "The Veldt"? 
  • Is George "in control of the house or his kids," or does the house control him? (Read the top of page 254 and the bottom of p. 256 and top of p. 257) 
  • Is he decisive about dealing with his addictions? By the end of the story, what kind of father is George?
  • Although he makes decisions and changes for the better, are his responses too late?

 



For example, George shuts off the nursery in response to the advice of McClean, the psychologist.


"This is very bad... Where before they had a Santa Claus now they have a Scrooge. Children prefer Santa's. You've let this room and this house replace you and your wife in your children's affections. This room is their mother and father, far more important in their lives than their real parents. And now you come along and want to shut it off. No wonder there's hatred there. You can feel it coming out of the sky. Feel that sun. George, you'll have to change your life."

  • Is this the advice of Ray Bradbury, the author, as well the advice of the psychologist?

How has being raised by virtual reality influenced the children?
Do they with agree with their parents on a standard of reality?
Are they willing to measure up to another generation’s standard of excellence and take on responsibility?

Peter, for example on p. 258 when his dad asks for a change that involves work says,

 

“No, it would be horrid. I didn’t like it when you took out the picture painter last month.”
“That’s because I wanted you to learn to paint all by yourself, son.”
“I don’t want to do anything but look and listen and smell; what else is there to do?”

 


  • Because “the kids don’t want to do their homework”, or submit to a code of honour and loyalty external to themselves, are they closing their eyes and living in their dreams to play tea party?

  • The story “The Veldt” is unfinished. How will the story end for David McClean and the children today, tomorrow, or many years into the future? 


 Show What You Know

In your downloaded assignment file for Lesson 6, complete Sections 1 and 2.  Be sure to save your work.  


When you have completed all parts of Assignment 6,

  • be sure you have renamed your file (YOURNAME)la 8-4-6 
  • upload the completed assignment into the 4.6 Assignment file on the next page.
Check your Submission box in two to three days for your marked assignment with feedback from your teacher.