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Guided Reading Questions for “The Veldt”

1. When George Hadley entered the nursery, what type of scene did he discover?

2. How did his wife Lydia feel about the nursery?

3. When the father confronted the children about the African scene in the nursery, how did the children respond? Did the parents believe them?

4. Describe the Hadley’s Happy-life Home. What are some of its features, what conveniences is it designed to provide, and what is ironic about its name?

5. What was the feeling the father and mother were getting from the intense scene depicted in the nursery when they entered? At what point does it become a menacing place?

6. Describe the character of the Hadley’s as parents. What type of parents are they? What type of children are Wendy and Peter?

7. David McClean, the Hadleys’ psychologist friend warns that the nursery has taken over George and Lydia’s role as parents. How might this have happened? Do you see parallels with today’s electronic gadgets and toys?

8. What does he suggest the father do about the nursery and the children?

9. If the nursery is a symbol, what does it symbolize? Consider the ordinary connotation or suggestion of the word “nursery” in your response.

10.What restrictions does the father impose on Wendy and Peter? Why might this cause hostility and resentment toward the parents?

11.State how the children reacted when the father “killed” the nursery.

12.Both George and Lydia feel uneasy about the technology in their home. Why, then, do

they maintain it?

13.Explain the quote “We were, [dead] for a long while. Now we’re going to really start

living” (17).

14.Explain the quote “And suddenly they [parents] realized why those screams had sounded so familiar. What does Bradbury suggest about the actions of the children?