Thematic Comparison between "The Veldt" and "Smart House"

The Nursery from the story "The Veldt"

Ray Bradbury’s short story The Veldt and LeVar Burton’s movie Smart House share a common theme; both stories demonstrate how technology can be a dangerous influence. Both narratives demonstrate how dependence on technology creates indolence and a lack of good work ethic. In The Veldt, the Hadley family is entirely reliant on the technological features of the ‘Happylife Home’ to complete daily responsibilities. Lydia, one of the members of the family, depends on the dining-room table to produce warm dishes of food. This displays that she is otiose and does not want to take the effort to make dinner for the family. Lethargy is also demonstrated in the movie Smart House. There is a time when Ben Cooper acts like the “mother” of the family cooking, cleaning and carrying out household chores. After winning the Smart House, he starts becoming lazy. He stops taking charge of household chores and starts depending on the house to do them for him. Both stories show how technology can lead to interdependence. Furthermore, both fictional stories demonstrate how technology breaks the bond between child and parent. George and Lydia Hadley lose the special connection with their children due to the high tech device, the nursery. When the nursery becomes part of the children’s lives, both Peter and Wendy start showing affection towards it and hatred towards their parents. “No wonder there’s hatred here. Feel that sun.” When Ben wins the Smart House named PAT, he stops spending quality time with his father. Instead, he starts showing affection towards the house, spending time with it and discovering all the features of it. The friendly bond between Ben and his father disappears. It is exceptionally difficult creating an affectionate bond with a child, yet it takes one single mistake to break that bond. Profound reliance can take a person away from traditional values that have been passed on from generation to generation. Technology does not allow individuals to work to the fullest potential rather always creates the “easy” way out. There is a saying “no machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.”

Smart House 6/8