George Hadley From “The Veldt”: Personal Characteristic Essay

Introduction

The Veldt is a science fiction short story by American writer Ray Bradbury, which takes a reader to the distant future, where people model reality at their discretion. The African Veldt in this work is an innovative room bought by the Hadley couple for their children. At some point, the adults realize that youngsters’ play ceases to be such. Hence, this paper analyzes one of the story’s main characters — George Hadley, the head of the family. George Hadley is one of the Veldt‘s most complex, multifaceted, bright, and interesting characters.

Opinion About the Character

At the story’s beginning, the character sees himself as a happy person with everything necessary to enjoy a full and decent life. George Hadley is a wonderful husband, an exemplary father, and a wealthy man: he has a wife, two children, and a lovely house that saves its owners from needing the slightest work. The hero especially loves his family and is ready to work hard for it, saying that “we’ve given the children everything they ever wanted” (Bradbury 304). Nonetheless, as the plot develops, his self-perception gradually changes, transforms, and reincarnates. His wife says: “You’re beginning to feel unnecessary too” (Bradbury 299). Hence, over time, George begins to understand and perceive the growing sense of anxiety, irritability, and worthlessness in the children’s eyes. One must recognize that George Hadley is a calm, intelligent, and balanced person with a cold and calculating mind that allows him to compare facts, draw clear conclusions, and make objective decisions. Before taking essential steps and determining his concerns, he additionally talked to his friend David McClean. Moreover, he is hardworking and persistent in achieving goals, ready to do anything for the happiness of his wife and children, and, as a result, often makes concessions. He says: “But nothing’s too good for our children” (Bradbury 296). George generally demonstrates weaknesses such as irreverence, ruthlessness, commercialism, and inability to insist on his own and prove his case. Indulging the last whim of the children, as well as “pride, money, foolishness,” eventually led him to adverse consequences (Bradbury 309). Thereby, George additionally demonstrates himself as a cowardly and insecure person in his decisions.

Interaction with Lydia Hadley, his wife, allows George to see himself from the outside, taking into account individual negative aspects and opening his eyes to the actual picture of reality. Over time, he understands that a rich house equipped with modern inventions is an illusion of happiness, the reverse side of the American dream, and nothing more than a ‘beautiful wrapper from bitter candy.’ Furthermore, he is convinced of the truthfulness of this circumstance when communicating with children who are capricious and act arbitrarily, regardless of parental guidance. Consequently, external conflicts, mainly associated with the children’s room, form ideas about how George sees himself as an outsider to his children and perceives them as selfish and greedy. He understands that the technologies and automation of the processes he sought to achieve led to the devaluation of his wife’s work, disobedience of children, and a life devoid of love, mutual understanding, and family harmony. In a way, modern American culture is one of the primary mechanisms for forming such a way of life and the identity of George’s personality. The Veldt demonstrates the culture of “consumption” when people lose their human face in their desire for comfort. They need everything at once, as much and better as possible, and they are ready to kill for this. The author uses the character to demonstrate the loss of ego-identity, the eternal conflict of generations, and the problem of personality education in current conditions. Firstly, George is a specialist in his field and a workaholic who takes care of his family members. Even though money improves the quality of life, he realizes too late that it is impossible to buy the love of children and a sense of belonging. In this case, George loses faith in his social role as a father. In addition, Ray Bradbury focuses on the emergence of disagreements between a parent and a child based on different worldviews and values. George, at some point, realizes his mistake and tries to fix it, while his children do not see a point in life without technology. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that George’s passivity, lack of initiative, and insufficient attention to Peter and Wendy led to the sad outcome.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it should be stated that George Hadley is a relatively positive character in the Veldt, showing diligence, kindness, and condescension to family members. Nevertheless, his obsession with innovation and thirst for money led to the fact that his children began to hate him and showed cruelty. Accordingly, through this character, the author tries to show the underside of modern society concerning consumption. People have become more fixated on money and objects. In such a society, people also began to be used as ‘things’: they are used and ‘thrown away’ as unnecessary, as Peter and Wendy did with their father.

Work Cited

Bradbury, Ray. The Stories of Ray Bradbury. RosettaBooks, 1980.