Thursday, October 27, 2011

What can you infer about the mother's character in "The Veldt?"

Lydia, the mother, recognizes that the children have become too attached to the nursery. She also fears the nursery, which is why she asks George to lock it up for a few days. She is also the one who suggests that they turn the entire house off for a few days so that she will have things to do. She is wise enough to realize that the house has become the children's parent: 



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? I cannot. 



She feels that the house (technology) has made life so convenient for them that they are starting to feel useless. She sees how the children are addicted to the nursery and how unhealthy that is. All of this has led to her feeling more anxious and nervous. She is so nervous that she has begun to believe that the lions might actually be real. Lydia and George have let things get to this point, so the fault is theirs. But Lydia does show the proper concern about their family's unhealthy reliance on technology. However, she lacks the fortitude to keep the nursery locked because she's developed a habit of letting her children have their way. 

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