Ray Bradbury: Short Stories Lesson Plan

What is a common theme that runs through all three of the stories in this section? How is this theme presented in each story?

The common theme is that human beings have taken technology too far. Instead of enhancing our lives, technology has made people weak and complacent. The house in “There Will Come Soft Rains” does everything for people, and the result is a population that can’t figure out a way to avoid their own destruction. The people in “The Pedestrian” are so busy consuming media they have no time to see and feel the real world. And there’s so much noise and distraction in “The Murderer” that people can’t even think. As the Murderer says, “It was all so...