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An Analysis Of Ray Bradbury's All Summer In A Day

Decent Essays

Imagine living on a different planet, but being isolated and friendless. This happens to a girl named Margot in the short story, “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury. Margot is treated poorly by her classmates throughout the story. In the story, several scientists, along with their children, occupy underground tunnels on Venus. It seems perfect-minus one problem. It is constantly raining, for seven years in a row. The sun is said to come out on the day the story takes place, and Margot can’t wait. She is the only one of her classmates who remembers the sun, since she moved to Venus when she was five. However, the envious children grab Margot and shove her in a closet. The sun comes out, and they play and delight in its warmth. When it goes away, they remember Margot, and, heads hung low, they let her out of the closet. The children of Venus are harsh towards Margot because they are jealous of her. Because of this, she becomes isolated, depressed, and is constantly harassed by her peers. One of the several results of the children’s jealousy towards Margot is her becoming isolated. “So after that, dimly, dimly, she sensed it, she was different and they knew her difference and kept away.” (Bradbury, 1954). The author uses repetition, particularly the repetition of the word “dimly”, to indicate that Margot was unaware of how different she was from the other children. After she rejects the shower though, she finally begins to understand why the children keep their distance from her. On the other hand, the children did try to include her in their games, but due to her depression, Margot withdraws herself from them. Ironically, the children themselves are acting this way because they are also isolated from others. From what can be seen in the story, the children sleep in the same room, and do not speak often with others. So when they can leave their proverbial prison, they jump at the opportunity. Bradbury writes, “Then wildly, like animals escaped from their caves, they ran and ran in shouting circles.” (Bradbury, 1954). The children’s isolation causes them to express their rage at Margot in unique forms. Meanwhile, Margot becomes depressed from her long seclusion from her classmates. Another problem that arises

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