Monday, April 20, 2009

Does the view presented in this story fit with your idea of a future world?

This kind of question is ultimately up to you.  There isn't a right or wrong answer, because it is asking about your thoughts on the future outlook of Bradbury's "There Will Come Soft Rains." The part that you absolutely have to do is defend your opinion.  I will give you my personal thoughts on it and why I have my opinion on the story.  


My answer is two parts.  First, no, the story doesn't fit with my view of a future world.  The part that I disagree with is the nuclear holocaust that has happened to the city.  I am acutely aware of the existence of nuclear weapons and their potential for massive amounts of destruction.  I just do not believe that nuclear weaponry will be used like that again.  The reason I believe that is because of the number of countries that have nuclear weapons.  During the Cold War, the Soviet Union and the United States kept threatening and posturing with nuclear weaponry, but both countries knew that they were ensuring their own destruction with the use of those weapons against the other country.  It was called "mutually assured destruction."  I believe those thoughts still exist.  


On the other hand, yes, I believe that the outlook on the future is an accurate one when the reader looks at the technology in the house.  The story narrates about little robot mice and vacuum cleaners that rush around cleaning the house. I have that in my house.  In fact, I have two robot floor cleaners.  One that does carpets and one that does water on hard floors.  They are both GPS controlled even.  The story mentions that the house asks the occupants questions and waits for responses.  Modern day smart homes are voice controlled.  A person can adjust all kinds of things by speaking it.  Amazon has their "Echo" which is basically a voice control for the entire internet.  The thing is amazing.  The story also mentions that images are projected onto walls.  Again that technology currently exists.  I don't think the house in the story is that far out into the future, because things that Bradbury predicted within the house are already available in various formats.  It won't be long before that kind of house is a standard house for the general population.  

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