Analysis Of Ray Bradburys Work

An Analysis of Ray Bradbury’s Work

Ray Bradbury does an excellent job of making his literature both interesting and fascinating to read. This makes him a great American author. He wrote a novel, The Illustrated Man, which is filled with details about futuristic events. An effect on the outcome of the way this piece of literature was the time it was written. The time period was revealed through the use of characterization, and setting. Throughout the novel, Bradbury uses the literary elements simile and theme to get his point across.

At the time this was written, World War II was happening. Prior to the 1940s, the United States for the last decade was in a depression and remained isolated from other nations. The United States was sucked into the war when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The Great Depression had an overwhelmingly negative effect on the economy, and as a result of the war “Unemployment almost disappeared because the men were at war, and the women and blacks were allowed to fill the open positions” (American Cultural History the Twentieth Century 2). During this time in age, the Holocaust was taking place. The military provided for a GI bill, which in turn gave more men college educations. “In 1949, three times as many college degrees were conferred as in 1940. College became available to the capable rather than the privileged few” (American Cultural History the Twentieth Century 3). The baby boom was a result of the returning soldiers. Computers were in their early stages of development in the forties. ENIAC was a digital computer that was completed in 1945. The United States dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end the war. Another aspect of the forties was the use of the radio. ...

... middle of paper ...

...r II. The Illustrated Man is an excellent choice for a reader interested in hearing predictions of the future made far in the past. The author used the elements characterization, theme, setting, simile and symbolism in his novel. These elements were used for a specific purpose and to entertain the reader.

Works Cited

Bradbury, Ray. The Illustrated Man. New York: Spectra, 1951.

Fang, Ross, Irving, Ross. "20th Century: Fifth Decade." 1995-1996 1-3. 6 December 2006 .

Goodwin, Susan. "American Cultural History the Twentieth Century." (1999) 1-12. 1 December 2006 .

McNelly, Willis E. . . "Ray Bradbury: Past, Present and Future ." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Volume 10. 1979.

Reid, Robin Ann. A Critical Companion. Library of Congress Cataloguing, 2000.