Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles

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Twentieth-century Americans witnessed stunning scientific discoveries, such as the atomic bomb and the space age, frightening political maneuvering stemming from America’s sense of superiority and the Cold War, and continued social strife in racial tension and religious intolerance. These scientific, political, and social phenomena clearly influenced Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles. The development of the V-2 weapon, capable of reaching heights of 100 miles, during World War II marked the beginning of the space age. After the war ended, rocket-powered weapons development led naturally to space exploration programs. In addition, the Cold War arose from the rivalry and weapons buildup between the United States with its Western allies and …show more content…
The description of the house evokes a serene, peaceful environment of fruit-bearing walls and creek-inlaid floors. Everything about the house has been designed to complement the Martian climate. For example, being farther from the Sun than Earth, the Martians have found a way to get as much sunlight as possible: The house “turned and followed the sun, flower-like” throughout the day, but to withstand the cold of night, it “closed itself in, like a giant flower, with the passing of light”. Because the climate is also mostly dry, the Martians have invented ingenious ways to harness their limited water supply to provide necessary humidity: Within the home, a “gentle rain sprang from the fluted pillar tops, cooling the scorched air, falling gently on Ylla. On hot days it was like walking in a creek. The floors of the house glittered with cool streams”. The Martians have remained in control of their technology, using their impressive technological advances to enhance their harmonious relationship with nature. They sleep on clouds of chemicals that support and conform to their bodies overnight and gently lower them down to the floor in the morning. Books are fashioned from durable metal, eliminating the need for wasteful, polluting paper production. One of Mr. K’s books signs of “ancient men who had carried clouds …show more content…
The crew’s cavalier attitude clearly shows the typical Earthman’s, or more specifically, the typical American’s, insensitivity to the loss of life or culture as long as their goal is achieved. They revel in their success despite the discovery that a nearby Martian city’s population was decimated as recently as a week ago. Crewmember Biggs especially lacks respect for Mars or its lost civilization: he pollutes a canal by throwing wine bottles into it and later vomits the effects of that wine all over the beautiful ancient tile in the Martian city the team investigates. Of the sixteen surviving crewmembers, only Spender and Captain Wilder understand the reverence that Mars
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