125 pages 4 hours read

Ray Bradbury, Michael Whelan

The Martian Chronicles

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1984

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Essay Topics

1.

Choose two examples of characters who embody colonialist values and two characters whose values and actions run counter to them. Compare their roles in the wider narrative. Does Bradbury favor one over the other, or does he indict them both?

2.

In his depiction of the colonization of Mars, Bradbury uses the conquest of the Americas as a model. Choose three examples from the novel and explain their historical analogues. How do these examples support the overall narrative?

3.

In “Night Meeting,” Bradbury proposes a path to equality in race relations. What are the details of this path? What role does time play in his message?

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