The Veldt The Veldt
The Veldt is, on the surface, simply a well- thought out tale of science fiction, but after careful analysis and thoughtful contemplation the reader soon identifies it as a genuine horror story. The story seems innocently futuristic until the children, Peter and Wendy, loose the concept of reality. This view is rather interesting because the children were able to develop their own environment. The power available to these children is not to be entrusted to the general population. As it turns out the parents are believed to have been eaten by the "images" in the nursery. This concept seems rather far fetched, but if the reader accepts the other technology and accepts the work as a piece of science fiction, then the reader has no logical reason not to subscribe to the theory that the parents were actually eaten. One short coming of the story is the development of the father's character. Initially, the father is not concerned with the dangers of the nursery. He accepts the technology casually. But, too quickly, the father shares the mother's concern and soon starts raving over the disastrous influences of technology. It seems odd that the father's opinion is so easily swayed. Also worthy of being noted is the hypocrisy of the entire nursery. The doctor reveals that the nurseries were developed to analyze children's thoughts. The father, on the other hand, uses the nursery to please his children, insisting that nothing is too good for them. The bizarre twist at the conclusion sends a chill through the reader. It is at this point that the story could be considered a horror story. The evilness of the children finally prevails and the pseudo- parent nursery has granted the wishes of the horrid children.
