Man-kind has created an independent life away from nature, living on artificial intelligence and man-made power. Yet, this power could lead to the destruction of man-kind itself. In the story There Will Come Soft Rains, Ray Bradbury illustrates how man will not be able to contend with itself and nature, leaving nothing behind but nature alone.
Throughout the story There Will Come Soft Rains, Ray Bradbury weaves the theme of man verses nature into the lines to show the fall of man when nature reclaims the world. Man-kind has taken much from nature to build technology and a world of their own to live in. In the story, everything in the house is automatic, the cleaning, the cooking, running a bath and even closing the blinds is done by artificial …show more content…
As in the story, rain will start just that. The house sits alone, being the last thing standing from all of humanity until a tree falls into the roof from a gust of wind. The falling of the tree starts the fire, which sets the whole house ablaze. This is nature taking back what was left of man. The fire spreads wildly throughout the house, catching floors, ceilings, drapes and beams into the blaze. The house attempts to fight back by using up all the stored water it has, shutting doors and closing windows. Yet, just like man did not win the fight with himself, he does not win the fight with …show more content…
Ray Bradbury, using the house as the last thing humanity has created and how they have gotten fully emerged with technology, separating themselves from nature. While reading the story, the house has a sense of being alive. In such an instance, the house holds a sense of paranoia, it asks out to no one for the introduction of trespassers and even closes the blinds as if to hid away. Along with paranoia, the house repeats the time over and over again and remembers the date. Time is a human construct, and it abides by it. The house keeps to a strict schedule of telling time and setting up place. The breakfast gets made, the bath is drawn and even when the original owner would have a cigar is still implemented but lighting the cigar in the den for no one to smoke all at specific times. This makes the house seem more a part of man-kind. The house disposed of the breakfast scraps by flowing down it’s “metal throat,” such like humans would eat. Towards the end, the house even holds a sense of panic when faced with the fire. Bradbury illustrates the death of the house. It yells out “fire” in chorus to warn no one, but itself. The water pump which ceases to pump anymore water to smother the flame is like the heart beat stopping on man, leaving him to die. The house is what is left of man-kind and can be seen to resemble man himself, dying at the hands of nature. The personification Bradbury uses, emphasizes the house to seem human. It