Plot / Reading Comprehension
The Bittering family moves from Earth to this planet.
What is Mars?
Mars symbolizes this idea about change.
What is transformation/change/the unknown?
A comparison using “like” or “as.”
What is a simile?
One theme is that humans cannot always resist this.
What is change?
Why did the Bittering family leave Earth for Mars?
What is the first thing to change that Harry notices?
Peach blossoms
The golden eyes symbolize this transformation into Martians.
What is loss of human identity/change?
Giving human qualities to nonhuman things.
What is personification?
The story suggests environment strongly influences this.
What is identity/behavior?
Harry Bittering fears Mars is doing this to humans.
What is changing them?
The settlers begin giving themselves and places these kinds of names.
What are Martian names?
The wind on Mars symbolizes this force.
What is inevitable change/nature’s power?
Bradbury describing Mars as alive is an example of this.
What is personification?
Fear of the unknown drives many of Harry’s decisions — showing this theme.
What is fear of change?
Why do the other settlers stop trying to fix the rocket?
They lose interest and begin accepting life on Mars.
Harry tries to escape Mars using this.
What is a rocket?
Earth represents this feeling for the settlers.
What is safety/home/familiarity?
Comparing Mars directly to something else without “like” or “as.”
What is a metaphor?
Trying to control nature ultimately fails, showing this message.
What is humans cannot dominate nature?
What decision does Harry make about his family near the middle of the story?
He decides they should move to the mountains.
At the end, new Earth settlers discover the original colonists have become this.
What are Martians?
Abandoned towns symbolize humans losing this.
What is their culture/identity/past?
Repeated imagery of color helps create this literary effect.
What is mood/imagery?
The ending suggests adaptation is sometimes this.
What is inevitable/necessary for survival?
How does Bradbury show that transformation happens gradually?
Through small changes in appearance, behavior, language, and attitudes over time.