Dandelion Wine Lesson Plan

The nature of Douglas's illness is a bit unclear. What exactly happens to him, and why?

As we finish our study of Dandelion Wine, it becomes clear that one of the main themes Bradbury contends with is the overwhelming sense of loss experienced by Douglas. What begins with smaller losses like the Happiness Machine eventually snowballs as John Huff leaves town and the town's older denizens start to pass away.

Douglas begins to go through a psychological breakdown, writing in his notebook that one can't count on people to be around forever. We are, essentially, watching Doug realize and contend with his mortality, as he follows these thoughts to the logical conclusion...