Chicken Pox
As explained in the story " – And the Moon Be Still as Bright," the arrival of mankind on Mars brought the disease of chicken pox to the planet, even though the first three expeditions were killed. When the fourth arrives, the men find that Martian civilization has been destroyed by the disease since the Martians had no immunity to it. Chicken pox becomes a symbol of man's destructive influence: he tends to exploit and destroy everything he comes into contact with, and simply landing on the planet Mars has caused the widespread death of its inhabitants.
Locusts
In the story "The Locusts," Bradbury describes the efforts of the recently arrived Earthen colonists on Mars to expand and settle on the new planet. The image he evokes by the title is an unpleasant one: locusts are symbols of destruction, destroying good things by unapologetically consuming them in a horde. These locusts are symbols of the negative side of Western imperialism as well; man destroys civilizations by absorbing and exploiting them.
White Xylophones
In "The Musicians," some human children in the settlements on Mars go exploring in an old Martian city, and in the houses they play with "white xylophones," which are actually Martian ribcages. This ironic image is both innocent and grotesque, as the children are naïvely playing with the skeletons of people their ancestors accidentally killed. These xylophones are symbols of man's destructive influence as well as his ability to make the best of tragedy.
The Martian
In "The Martian," a lone remaining Martian with the ability to shapeshift comes to a human settlement, taking the form of their lost loved ones. This wonderful ability, however, is horribly abused by the population, all of whom want him as their own. The story climaxes in a scene where, fleeing and exhausted by the constant shifting, the Martian collapses from exhaustion and dies. The Martian is a symbol of man's inherent selfishness and exploitative nature, dramatically illustrating the possible effects of these vices on the lives of others (in the same way as Bradbury's short story "The Visitor") from The Illustrated Man.
The House
In "There Will Come Soft Rains," the main character of the story is an automated house, standing alone in an abandoned spot in California in the aftermath of a nuclear war. This house, derelict and barely functioning, symbolizes the terrible effects that can result from man's proclivity for war and violence. The house's sad repetition of the same daily routine as before the war has an emotional weight, making the image brutally powerful.
