While "The Veldt" is a critique on neglectful parenting, the reason for the neglect is caused by an unhealthy reliance on technology. The general theme of the danger of technology is illustrated in "The Veldt" and "There Will Come Soft Rains." In both stories, technology has advanced to the point when houses are equipped to perform nearly all domestic tasks. In "The Veldt," the family has a Happylife Home:
. . . which had cost them thirty thousand dollars installed, this house which clothed and fed and rocked them to sleep and played and sang and was good to them. Their approach sensitized a switch somewhere and the nursery light flicked on when they came within ten feet of it. Similarly, behind them, in the halls, lights went on and off as they left them behind, with a soft automaticity.
The home in "There Will Come Soft Rains" is equally efficient. It announces the date and schedule for the family. It cooks the food, cleans up messes, and even reads poetry in the evenings.
The problem, in both stories, is that humans have allowed this technology to overtake their lives. In "The Veldt," George and Lydia have allowed the nursery to become their children's parent. With no mature guidance, their children become spoiled and they eventually use the nursery (technology) to destroy their parents. In "There Will Come Soft Rains," the family has been annihilated by a nuclear explosion. The same principle applies in this story. Humans have utilized technology to destroy themselves.
Bradbury offers a critique of consumerism in both stories. People buy these homes with the notion that their lives will be easier and they will therefore be happier. There is nothing inherently bad about a home of convenience. But the message in these stories is that if humanity is not thoughtful about the ways they are using (and being used by) technology, the results can be destructive. George and Lydia are guilty of allowing technology to control their lives. Their children become spoiled and destructive. The governments in "There Will Come Soft Rains" have chosen nuclear war to solve their problems. Again, this is a devastating application of technology.
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