125 pages • 4 hours read
Ray Bradbury, Michael WhelanThe Martian Chronicles
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1984A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Before You Read
Summary
“January 1999: Rocket Summer”
“February 1999: Ylla”
“August 1999: The Summer Night”
“August 1999: The Earth Men”
“March 2000: The Taxpayer”
“April 2000: The Third Expedition”
“June 2001: —And the Moon Be Still as Bright”
“August 2001: The Settlers”
“December 2001: The Green Morning”
“February 2002: The Locusts”
“August 2002: Night Meeting”
“October 2002: The Shore”
“February 2003: Interim”
“April 2003: The Musicians”
“June 2003: Way in the Middle Air”
“2004-2005: The Naming of Names”
“April 2005: Usher II”
“August 2005: The Old Ones”
“September 2005: The Martian”
“November 2005: The Luggage Store”
“November 2005: The Off Season”
“November 2005: The Watchers”
“December 2005: The Silent Towns”
“April 2026: The Long Years”
“August 2026: There Will Come Soft Rains”
“October 2026: The Million-Year Picnic”
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Essay Topics
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?
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?
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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