The Martian Chronicles is an anthology by Ray Bradbury which depicts a futuristic world where humans colonize and take over the planet Mars. In this collection of short stories, he touches upon topics such as technological achievements and colonization to foreshadow and criticize the self destructive nature of the human race. Bradbury utilizes symbolic and vivid characterization in this novel to criticize the ignorance of humans in regards to other cultures and their dependence on technology. One of the prominent points of criticism in this anthology is Bradbury’s view on how humans are ignorant to other cultures or ethnicities that they consider to be inferior. In “Earthmen”, Captain Williams and his men are perfect examples of selfish and…show more content… This theme is one of the main points Bradbury is trying to convey through his anthology. Technological ignorance is prominently portrayed in “There Will Come Soft Rains”, which warns his audience of the danger of overuse and over reliance on technology. The house in the story contains robots that have replaced the duties of humans, such as cooking and cleaning. The house continues to run on its own without realizing there is no one to serve. The fact that “the clock ticked on, repeating and repeating” and “the breakfast stove ejected eight pieces of toast” while “tiny robot mice kneaded the rug, sucking gently at the hidden dust” (166-167) criticizes how dependent humans have become on technology to complete even the most basic chores and duties. In addition, these scientific achievements add to another critical idea where humans are so focused on seeing what they can achieve that they are blind to the damaging effects of their accomplishments. Humanity has actually managed to replace themselves with robotic appliances, outdoing itself in their technological endeavors. However, their ignorance to the effects of their overuse of artificial intelligence leads to their demise. Furthermore, Bradbury solidifies his argument in “The Million-Year Picnic” where he reveals that Earth has ultimately destroyed itself. The characterization in this story is
