The story “The Veldt” touches on a subject that seems to strike a nerve with the middle aged generation. They feel that children these days are much too engrossed in their video games, IPods, and television shows. Overall, this generation feels that there is much too much emphasis on technology in today’s world. This story focuses, almost solely, on the fear that advances in technology will eventually leave people with no reason to live, and after that it will eliminate people completely. In this story, George and Lydia play the role of the older generation that fears this new technology while their children seem to embrace in fully. This fear is manifest in the form of the children’s nursery room that changes the scenery to what the children want it to look like. George and Lydia grow scared when they feel that the lions in the African dessert scene are too real. George feels that the house, which does all of their everyday chores for them, has left the children spoiled. Lydia begins to feel unimportant because she is no longer in charge of taking care of her children. She feels as though she has been replaced by this house. The story seems to take a very strong stance on the subject of advancing technology. The story makes a point to show all of the negative things that could potentially befall the human race if we allow our beloved technology to take over our lives. It makes the children perfect examples of what can go wrong when we become desensitized to the real world and begin to focus more and more on mechanical things to give us happiness. The children cannot bare to live without their various gadgets that are installed throughout the house. They would rather kill off their parents then live without the technology. It’s almost as if the house has replaced their parents.
- MJF
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