A quality piece of literature is determined by its well-developed content. If it consists of various literary devices and literary elements, the author’s work can be considered “good. ” Using the short story, “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed”, by Ray Bradbury as an example, the inclusion of the literary elements characterization, symbolism, and theme, as well as other literary devices: tone and simile contribute to its superiority. The protagonist, Harry, is characterized in the beginning as a average family man who is trying to do what is bests for his family by moving to Mars.
He is suspicious of the unknown planet, but from the little knowledge he has, he believes they will be safer in their temporary home rather than on war-stricken Earth. He begins to notice strange changes in the plants and animals he eats. This triggers his immediate panic towards retreating back to Earth. Once the rockets, their only way back home, are destroyed, all hope is lost. Harry and his family are forced to remain on the plagued planet with no escape. They were “stranded on Mars, forever and ever” (481).
This changes Harry. He becomes obsessed with building his own rocket in order to return home to Earth. He starts to notice notable changes in his own family which drives him even harder. In the end, his endeavors fail him, for when the rockets are rebuilt and humans travel to Mars to rescue the settlers, there is no one left but Martians. The theme, humans in general shouldn’t forget about the past because it can be used to reflect upon events in the present, is Zmek- 2 developed around Harry’s changes.
Harry and his family ignored the warnings of the ancient ruins and naively settled in the area. Symbolism contributes to the quality of the short story by creating a deeper meaning to various aspects of the plot. The ancient Martian ruins, for example, represent a mistake that is haunting the stranded people on Mars. They are a distant memory of what once inhabited the same area. Harry recognizes this and says, “We’re Earth people. This is Mars. It was meant for Martians” (480).
He desperately wants to return home because he feels like an intruder on someone else’s land. Another symbol that appears in the short story is the rockets. They are the only way of escaping Mars if something goes wrong. When they are destroyed, it represents the humans’ past lives on Earth that will soon be forgotten. They will start a new life as Martians on their own home planet, Mars. The literary devices tone and simile are well used throughout the author’s writing. Tone is the overall feel or scene in a story that provokes emotion.
Harry displays tone by saying, “we must get away… we’ll eat this stuff and then we’ll change- who knows to what” (483). This tone expresses Harry Bittering’s deep distress and anxiety towards the change in appearance in his friends and family. Several similes can be found in “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” as well. Some examples are “… baked liked gingerbread shapes in Martian summers” (481) and “summer moved like flame upon the meadows” (489). These similes add character and contribute to the quality of the literature.
Ray Bradbury created an excellent story by combining literary elements and devices to establish theme, character development, symbolism and tone. Harry Bittering is concrete in his Zmek- 3 personality and beliefs throughout most of the story, but changes in appearance from the beginning to the end. This sets the stage for the overall theme, and symbols are used to represent a deeper meaning for objects shown in the plot. These aspects are what make “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed”, a “good” piece of literature.
