“There Will Come Soft Rains”

• Genre: Fiction; science fiction short story
• Originally Published: 1950
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 910L; grades 9-12; college/adult
• Structure/Length: Short story; approx. 9 pages; approx. 15 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: In the year 2057, a fully automated house goes through its daily routine, although the family that once lived there has died in a nuclear holocaust. The house eventually “dies” when it catches fire and cannot save itself.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Death of family; nuclear holocaust

Ray Bradbury, Author

• Bio: 1920-2012; born in Waukegan, Illinois; began writing every day after a childhood encounter with a carnival magician; known for imaginative fiction written in poetic prose; published his first collection of short stories, Dark Carnival, in 1947; wrote novels, stories, and screenplays, including scripts for The Twilight Zone; awarded the National Medal of Arts (2004) and a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation (2007) for body of work
• Other Works: “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” (1949); The Martian Chronicles (1950; includes “There Will Come Soft Rains”); Fahrenheit 451 (1953); Dandelion Wine (1957)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• The Limits of Scientific Progress
• Order and Chaos
• Death and the Passage of Time

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the historical contexts regarding nuclear armament and atomic fear that influence Bradbury’s story.