The chicken pox outbreak in The Martian Chronicles dramatically affected the martian race and impacted the plot of the novel. During a previous trip to the planet Mars, human astronauts left traces of chicken pox bacteria, which led to the demise of the Martian race. During the fourth expedition to Mars, the crew spent their first night settling themselves in their stationed area. Eventually, the crew sent the physician-geologist, Hathaway, to explore the Martian cities. Once Hathaway returned to the crew, he noted how “that city there. [had] been dead a good many thousand years,” but in another city “people were living in it last week” (Bradbury 51). Hathaway then revealed these Martians died of chicken pox, as “their metabolism reacted differently. …show more content…
Additionally, the outbreak of chicken pox affected the plot of the story by introducing a complex conflict to the crew as they continue their expedition on Mars. Captain Wilder and his crew begin to celebrate the supposed extinction of Martians, as they sing, dance, eat, and drink throughout the night. Unfortunately, the geologist of the crew, Spender, believes celebrating on Mars makes a fool out of mankind. Spender believes “the idea of them [Martians] watching [the crew] make a fool of [them]selves,” disturbs the Martians and their peace. Wilder soon dismisses Spender as a tired man, and tells him to forget the thought. Therefore, the chicken pox outbreak negatively affects the plot as it introduces conflict between characters of the crew as it is seen as both inappropriate and a careless matter. The atomic war in The Martian Chronicles negatively affected the human race and dramatically impacted the plot of the novel. To begin, the atomic war affected the human race by causing some of the human race to flee to Mars, and ultimately diminishing the human