Literary Analysis The Illustrated Man

Materials Take out a writing utensil, your note book, your triangles, your book, and the essay assignment paper.

Brainstorm Name on the top. Number 1,2,3

Brainstorm: Answer the following What story is your favorite from the book (or the one you read)? What is the one THEME from the story you think was the most important? What LESSON does the reader learn from that theme (one sentence)?

Literary Analysis Ray Bradbury used his science fiction prowess to examine society through various thematic lenses. Each short story of this collection brings these themes to fruition. Choose a short story that you believe is the epitome of Bradbury’s message, and connect it to the entire collection as well as society-at-large. Analytical thought is the driving force of this essay.

CRAFT and EFFECT Consider the crafts of theme, symbolism, characterization, word choice, figurative language, foreshadowing, metaphor, allusion, imagery, setting etc. Remember the effect is the emotional and intellectual impact the author and his/her craft has upon the reader (mood, tone, etc).

Open your notebook Open to a new page. Make two columns (hot-dog style) Please copy down the following slide.

EMOTIONAL OR INTELLECTUAL LESSON CRAFT: THEME Select one of the themes from the story that you feel is important to the ENTIRE collection. Sub Crafts to consider: Symbolism Characterization (how the characters are developed, what they do) Allusion (“The Veldt”: Peter Pan) Setting (future or space) Imagery (description that readers connect to) Foreshadowing (causes the effect of anticipation/interest) EFFECT: EMOTIONAL OR INTELLECTUAL LESSON Analyze at least one theme from the story, connect to the whole book, and relate to society-at-large/reader’s life. Think message, think theme, think BIG PICTURE

Advice Do NOT spend more than a few lines on summarizing the story. Infuse it into the analysis, instead. Be specific! Analyze!

Requirements PROOF: 3 quotes using MLA format. “Peekaboo!” (177). Third Person: no “I” “I think” etc. Peer Edit: Peer needs to read, comment 7 times. Personal Edits: YOU need to make edits in addition to your peer on the same draft. Final Draft: After peer edits and personal edits, please finalize the draft. Staple all together.

TACE T: “Short Story” in Illustrated Man A: Ray Bradbury C: Theme E: Lesson to society “The Veldt”= Danger of Imagination/Parenting/Abuse of Technology “The Other Foot” = Emptiness of Revenge, Forgiveness “The City” = Revenge, Emptiness of Revenge, Death, Abuse of Technology “The Rocket” = family/relationships, power of imagination, forgiveness “The Rocket Man” = Sun represent death, acceptance of death, relationships, family “Long Rain” = Sun represents life, sanity vs. insanity, redemption, FAITH!! “The Man” = Faith, Vanity, “Zero Hour” = Danger of Imagination, Parenting, Refusal to take children seriously, Taking children seriously, Protecting our children

TACE: Thesis Ray Bradbury’s epic short story collection, The Illustrated Man, tells many tales. “Short story title” is one of the best from that group. “Short story“ along the rest of the book uses the craft of theme to teach a lesson to society. Ray Bradbury’s book, The Illustrated Man, has a story called “Short story” which uses the craft of theme to teach a lesson to society.

Topic Paragraph: “The City” Abuse of Technology Contextual Support “The city, having listened, watched, tasted, felt, weighted, and balanced, must perform a final task” (166). Analysis The City was created for one purpose: revenge. The advanced technology was created and programmed to complete a very dark task. In fact, the technology was performing a very HUMAN task, therefore Bradbury described it with human qualities. This demonstrates how when used in the wrong ways, like seeking a human desire, technology can and will be abused. Transition With the technology of The City, these ancient destroyed people were able to seek revenge, something anyone can relate to.

“The Rocket” Power of Imagination Contextual Support “Perhaps some night you might take me on a little trip” (185). Analysis In “The Rocket”, finally, Bradbury let’s his reader see imagination in a positive light. Though she doubted him at first, Bodoni’s wife goes from fear to trust. She too wants to experience the joys of a powerful imagination and bond with him in the way the children just did. Transition Not only was the wife seeking to connect with her husband, she was also forgiving him for wrongs he had done.

“Zero Hour” Contextual Support Analysis Transition “Parents learn to shut their ears” (169). Analysis Parenting is one of the hardest jobs anyone will ever take on in life. Ask any parent, they will readily admit that they have made mistakes and probably will again. However, a good parent is not only conscious of past mistakes but constantly attempting to become better. Mrs. Morris was making the motions as a parent, but wasn’t truly connecting with Mink. She was “shutting her ears” to what she should have been hearing: Mink was being taken advantage of by an alien force. Transition Though our children probably aren’t becoming friends with real out-of-this-world beings, their imaginative creations must be taken seriously.

“Rocket Man” Acceptance of Death Contextual Support “…only go outside when it’s raining, no sun out, and avoids the sun” (74) Analysis After the Rocket Man’s tragic death, the mother once again tries to cope. Before his passing, the mother pretended the father was dead. While one can understand this method of emotionally “dealing” it is not healthy. Lily only saw her husband about twelve days a year, the rest of the time she couldn’t enjoy him since she acted as if he were dead. The irony is, that after all of that time allowing herself to believe and live as if he was dead, he did die. So she never truly lived. Even more tragic: Doug cannot live a normal life either as he is deprived of the sun. Transition The sun is life. Scientifically speaking, we cannot survive without it. How then, can one see it is as death like Lily did?

“The Veldt” Contextual Support Analysis Transition “ You’ve let this room and this house replace you and your wife……” (16). Analysis The parents have allowed for the home to be everything in their family’s life: comfort, care, and love. With their “Happy Life Home”, George and Lydia have removed their responsibilities of parenthood and along with it the love of their children. Dr. McClean can see what demise has come to the family, but one could argue that Bradbury’s tone emphasizes that the parents should have known all along. Transition The Hadleys didn’t realize what was right in front of them. If they couldn’t grasp something so obvious, how could they imagine what was truly in store for them?

“The Other Foot”: Revenge Contextual Support “I’m not feeling Christian…You remember how they hung my father … the shoe’s on the other foot now… we’ll just wait and see” (29-30). Analysis Willie Johnson has a scarred past that many of cannot relate to thankfully. The murder of his parents in such a hateful way left its burning mark on his heart. It is only natural to want to cause pain to those that hurt you. It is innate. What then keeps us from the dark choices that come to our door step throughout our life? As Willie says, he isn’t feeling very “Christian”. Moral beliefs guide our choices, and sometimes steer us away from our most basic inclinations in order to help us rise above. Transition Bradbury recognizes Mr. Johnson’s basic human desire to seek revenge on the white man, but there is more to the author’s message. One must embrace forgiveness.