there will come soft rains by ray bradbury summary

There Will Come Soft Rains is a perfect example of this- set in the year 2026, it depicts a scenario where the family living in the house had been killed from a nuclear explosion, yet the robotic house lives on and continues functioning as though it was fully occupied on a normal day. Ray Bradbury was very well known for his humanism-centric work, as well as stories detailing futuristic elements and societal development.

It is the next day, and we know this because despite the destruction, the automated voice keeps repeating the date: “Today is August 5th, 2026.” It crumbles away among the other ruins until only one wall is left. It is unable to save itself, as the fire reaches the attic and causes an explosion. McClellan what poem she wants to hear, and in the silence, chooses one of its own and starts reciting it- Sarah Teasdale.Īt ten o’clock in the night, the house begins to die from a fire. The house continues living as though it is full- pulling out tables and cards and martinis, setting up the nursery full of colourful toys during the kids’ hour, filling the bathtub and setting the table for dinner. The house begins cooking pancakes, and the smell sends the dog into a frenzy, eventually dying from the exhaustion. The dog is worn thin, and one entering the house, realises that the family is no longer there. The house is vigilant- it constantly asks the password even if an animal nears its boundary, and shuts down immediately if something gets too close.Īt noon, the family’s dog lets out a whine, and the house recognizes its voice and allows it to enter. The house had been destroyed and burnt- the only spots that remain are five silhouettes- the parents, the two children and a ball. By ten, the sun is shining again, and the house is shown to be standing alone in the midst of rubble- the only house that survived a nuclear bombing, though its inhabitants don’t seem to have made it out alive.

It is raining outside, and the weather box softly sings a tune in relation to dissipating it.Īt nine-fifteen, the house intoned that it is time to clean, and the entire process is taken care of by tiny, robotic mice. The eggs set for breakfast eventually shrivel, the food untouched, and the futuristic machinery of the house disposes of it automatically. It then continues to set forth a to-do list, involving what time its inhabitants should be leaving for school and work.

The automated voice from the kitchen ceiling announces that it is the 4th of August in the year 2026, and proceeds to list out important occasions of the date. A brief description of the kitchen- where the cooking seems to be happening by itself- shows that this is a futuristic setting.

The story starts at seven in the morning, with an alarm clock singing into an empty house.

There will come soft rains by ray bradbury summary