Interpretations
How does Harry feel in paragraph 15 about living on Mars?
Harry feels he doesn't belong on Mars and is unhappy.
What is the main theme of the story? Bonus +100: be as specific as you can.
Change (specifically fear of change and the five stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance).
What happens on Earth while Harry and his family are on Mars?
There is a war on earth and It is destroyed by an atom bomb.
What word means, Completely covered with a liquid?
Submerged
What did the "rocket" symbolize in the story?
Hope; specifically Harry's hopes to return to Earth, to remain human, to resist the powers of Mars and his ultimate fate.
What simile is used in paragraph 15 to describe Harry's feelings?
"I feel like a crystal in a mountain stream, being washed away."
What is the climax of the story? (remember* the climax is the highest point of tension and drama).
When Harry finds out that all rockets on earth have been destroyed.
What subtle changes occur on Mars?
Roses turn green, Harry's cow grows a third horn, and the lawn seeds sprout purple instead of green.
What word means, Abandoned or deserted?
Forlorn
What elements in the story symbolized the hidden forces of Mars that caused the changes in the humans.
Wind, water, mist, dirt
Why are Harry's thoughts expressed in incomplete sentences and with a lot of repetition in paragraph 34?
To speed the action and add to the tension and fear that Harry is feeling.
What idea about Mars does the use of descriptive language suggest in paragraph 41?
The strange beauty and intense climate of Mars.
What physical changes happen to the Bittering family?
Their skin becomes dark and their eyes become yellow.
What word means, artificial waterways for transportation or irrigation?
Canals
What does the color gold symbolize in the story? Reference some areas of the story to help you with your answer.
the potential ease and peace that comes with of accepting inevitable change.
explanation: Harry uses the titular line of the story to describe his own wife, Cora, whose skin has also been darkened to a golden hue by the Martian sun. This indicates the ways in which the golden color, however foreign or uncanny, eventually comes to be an integral part of those he loves most. Cora doesn’t even remember the original color of her eyes, insisting that they must always have been golden. And as Harry grows to accept his new life on Mars, the color gold takes on more positive connotations.
How does the descriptive language in paragraph 41 build suspense?
It emphasizes the destruction that has taken place on Earth and how cut off from Mars the people from Earth are.
Name all of the Bittering family
Harry, his wife Cora; Dan, Laura, and David
Why does the author have Harry begin speaking Martian at this point in the story (in paragraph 135)?
The author wants to show Harry's character changing.
What word means, very large?
Immense
Considering the title, its themes, and its inevitable ending, how might this story be a political commentary of the times in which it were written? (It was written in 1949, shortly after the end of WWII).
Possible subjects:
Fear of the changing world after WWII.
A more globalized world due to American aid, dominance, and presence around the world.
Fear of the atomic bomb.
The inevitable changes in foreign policies that happen after winning/losing a war.
A warning to humanity to value the fragility of human life, and avoid conquests of unknown consequences.
Acknowledgement/or not of American prejudices at the time.
A new fascination with space travel and the future due to advancements in technology during the war.
War!!
How does the dialogue in paragraphs 54-58 highlight Harry's fear of being on Mars?
He realizes the plants are changing and Harry begins to panic whereas Cora remains calm and unaware of the changes, which only adds to Harry's anxiety.
What is the turning point that is suggested in paragraphs 179-181?
Harry's son begins to speak martian, this becomes a turning point because because it suggests that his son is becoming a martian, and more changes are on their way.
Why are the words autumn and work repeated in paragraphs 213-222?
The words are repeated to show that Harry is going through a conflict about the importance of the work he is doing and begins to feel less and less committed to his work.
What word means, made of many small pieces of colored glass or stone?
Mosiac
Why is Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed considered a story of science-fiction? (don't say because it talks about Mars). *a correct answer must include examples of at least 2 out of the 3 criteria for science fiction genre elements.!
It explores unexpected possibilities of the past, present and future.
Mixes scientific facts and theories with imaginative settings and plots
usually includes familiar elements and conflicts found in real life.
What can you infer about the penultimate sentence in the story? (paragraph 277). Explain why.
The new settlers will also turn into Martians (the cycle will be repeated).
Example explanation: The fact that the lieutenant has lost focus, ("are you listening") on the distant Martian hills, suggest that he has started to become bewitched by the planet in the same way the Bittering's group had.
Although the main setting of the story is Mars, there are actually 3 important settings in the story. Bonus (200 points for each sensible explanation): What is the significance of each?
Earth, the American-built town, the Martian Villas
Earth (particularly American culture) represents the familiar aspects of the story (something to relate to).
The American-built town represents a resistance to change (fear of the unknown, xenophobia, a comfort zone).
The Martian Villas represent an acceptance to change (evolution, metamorphosis, defeat)
What is happening to Harry in paragraph 171?
He is coming to terms with his fears of change. He is in a sense being "born again"
diminish gradually in size, amount, or strength (not recede)
Dwindle
Explain why the five stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance are a good representation of the mood changes in the story.
1. Denial- Harry thinks returning to Earth is always an option, when in fact they are on Mars to escape a war on Earth. Even after the news of an atomic blast, he thinks he can build a rocket ship; but to where?
2. Anger- Harry is angry at the other people for not being scared at the changes that are happening and not helping him with the rocket. He calls them "idiots"
3. Bargaining- (this is more difficult to spot) Harry pleads with others to help him with the rocket. He thinks eating only the Deep Freeze (Earth food) will help him stay human.
4. Depression- Harry's experience at the Martian Villa pool talked of a sense of being transformed into something else, his description of these changes were macabre ("bones shown like coral"). This was a reluctant, sad and uneasy beginning to his acceptance. He gave up on fighting about his son changing his name from human to Martian. He was vulnerable and tired.
5. Acceptance- Although he was still reluctant and in a little denial, he eventually moved with his family and the others to the Martian Villas. "We are not going back" is what he says to his wife who insists that he has valuable things to pick up in the American-built town.