The Veldt by Ray Bradbury
1. What aspects of contemporary family life do the “Happy Life
Home” and the nursery satirize?
2. What problems are beginning to trouble Mr. and Mrs. Hadley
since they purchased the Happy Life Home?
3. What is the nursery? How is it supposed to work?
4. Near the beginning of the story, Lydia says, “That’s just it. I feel like I don’t belong here. The house is wife
and mother now and nursemaid. Can I compete with an African veldt? Can I give a bath and scrub the
children as efficiently or quickly as the automatic scrub bath can?” What is significant about the parents
feeling unnecessary in their home? This story was written in 1950; can you think of any parallels to postwar America?
5. What was the original purpose of the nursery? Why do you think the parents would want a psychological
tool in their home?
6. Describe the Hadley’s family dynamic. How do the parents think and act? What about the kids? Who do
you think is in charge?
7. Peter and Wendy, the Hadley children, share names with two main character in Peter Pan. Can you think
of any connection between the two stories?
8. Explain why George and Lydia’s fate is ironic.
9. What clues does Bradbury provide to prepare the reader for the Hadley’s fate and their children’s
cruelty? What is the name of the device which wars the reader of future plot developments?
10. A recurring theme in dystopian fiction is the role of technology (both positive and negative) in people’s
lives. How is this addressed in this story?
Video Comparison
11. Are the setting and characters similar to what you pictured? Why or why not?
12. How does the veldt compare with the story’s description? Do you think its effect is the same?
13. What are some story elements that are present in the video but were not in the story?
14. Why are the children into Star Wars cosplay? Like, for real, I half expected to see a lightsaber.
15. Was the ending (and the parents’ fate) more or less effective in the video? Did you notice any
differences?
16. Peter sipping that tea at the end: Savage