Context
Ideas
Ideas 2
Author
100
What city does the story take place in?
Allendale, California
100
What is the significance of the time period in story?
Nuclear devices are becoming more common and more available. The threat of nuclear war is still evident and with continued development and enhancement of nuclear devices, the world could tumble into a nuclear war at any time.
100
Is the house a protagonist or antagonist in the story? Explain your reasoning.
The house could be considered either one. The house is a protagonist because it is cleaning itself and going through its regular duties when it is attacked by the tree and burns to the ground. The house is an antagonist because it didn't protect the humans and showed no emotion towards their departure.
100
Who is the author of the book?
Ray Bradbury
200
What disaster happened in the city before the story began?
Nuclear explosion
200
What similarities do the poem "There Will Come Soft Rains" and the story have in common?
Both contain the ideas of nature continuing on without humans. Nature cannot save humans, showing humans will destroy themselves, not nature.
200
What is significant about the house choosing the poem, which happens to be Mrs. McClellan's favorite poem?
The poem is about nature ultimately triumphing over humans and technology. Humans will destroy each other with technology and nature will continue on. The humans, in this story, destroyed each other and nature continued onward. It is ironic the house chose this poem because nature eventually triumphed over the house itself.
200
What year was the book published in?
1950
300
What is the ultimate fate of the house?
It burned down
300
What is the significance of the dog in the story?
The dog was once healthy, but is now withered due to the nuclear explosion. Whatever is left from the explosion is tremendously damaged or injured and will never return to normal due to the technological warfare.
300
What is significant about the way the fire is described in the story?
The fire is described in such a furious way to show that technology has its limits. No matter how many robots there are squirting out water, attempting to douse the fire, the technology will not be able to put out the water. The fire is described in a destructive fashion to show how nature will prevail over technology.
300
Name either of the first two publications of the story.
Collier's and The Martian Chronicles
400
What is the poem recited in the story?
There Will Come Soft Rains
400
What is significant about the robot house cleaning the house even when it's empty?
This shows the house will continue on doing what it does even if no one lives there anymore. Technology cannot tell whether humans are gone or not, therefore they cannot feel emotions for humans
400
What is the significance of the repeated references to rain in the story?
Rain is an element of nature, which will help nature win the battle. In the beginning of the story, the house sang for the rain to go away. When the house catches on fire, the rain doesn't help save the house.
400
What is Ray Bradbury's most famous novel?
Fahrenheit 451
500
Who is the author of the poem in the story?
Sara Teasdale
500
What is significant of the cleaning solvent catching on fire, which eventually burns the house down?
The house is so obsessed with cleaning and doesn't worry about anything else. It is ironic that nature destroyed the robot house with the very technology used to maintain cleanliness.
500
What do you think is the overall theme in the story?
The theme is humans are too dependent on technology. Our over dependence on technology could lead to our own demise. Technology and nature will show no emotions towards our departure. Nature will eventually outlast technology, continuing to grow and thrive without any humans around anymore.
500
Why was the novel written during the 1950's Cold War era?
Threat of nuclear disaster was very strong during this time
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