Erika Atwood

15 February 2016

Christina Phillips

English 101

Time Goes On

Mankind seems to be invincible.  What could possibly put an end to the rein of such a dominate species? Even if that species perishes, what is there left after humans are gone? In Ray Bradbury's "August 2026: There Will Come Soft Rains," we are told the story of a house that has survived that nuclear disaster and how it continues to function.  The house, full of working robots, stands alone and provides for a family that is no longer there.  By using the emphasis of the time of day, personification of robots, and a poem written by Sara Teasdale, Bradbury shows that humankind will be destroyed and forgotten and that once any signs of their kind is destroyed as well, only time and nature remains.  

The short story takes place on "August 4, 2026", after some kind of nuclear attack.  To ensure this understanding, Bradbury uses imagery to describe the setting and mood in which this story takes place.  "The house stood alone in a city of rubble ...  gave off a radioactive glow." The nuclear attack has left the city with devastation and radiation.  The house stands alone, silently, giving off an eerie mood of the end of the world.  Bradbury also describes that one side of the house, facing the west, was "black, save for five places." The wall that faces west took the initial blow and majority of the damage. This shows that the attack came from the western country. The five silhouettes on the wall were of a family doing ordinary things like picking flowers, mowing the lawn, and playing with a ball.  Bradbury describes it "as in a photograph" which portrays that the family was unsuspecting of the tragic ending of their kind.  He is trying to warn the reader that our end will come at any moment and there will be no warning. Bradbury uses this story as warning the reader that an attack could happen when they least expect it.

The short story opens with the introduction of a clock that is speaking to wake up a household.  Throughout the story, the clock tells the time as well as reminds the house as to what should happen.  For example the quotes, "Seven-nine, breakfast time" and "eight-one o'clock, off to school, off to work," show that regardless of the empty house, it is still operating as if the humans never left.  The voice-clock not only sets reminders for the late family, but also tells the other robots about their duties.  As the clock said "Nine-fifteen ...  time to clean," other robots appeared to clean the household.  Bradbury does this to prove that at one point, humankind and robots coexisted.  Technology, however, became the dominate species and withstood the attack.  The clock continues to tell the time even though no one is there to acknowledge it.  The narrator includes the passing of time to prove that once mankind is gone, it is not the end of time.  At the climax of the story, there is a fire that destroys all of the other robots.  All that is left is the wall that reports the date and time.  The destruction of the other robots destroyed the only remaining signs of human life.   They continued to cook, clean, and cater to the ordinary functions of humans.  Once they were destroyed, the last clue to how humans lived was taken away.  The only wall left says the date "over and over again and again." The narrator is again trying to emphasize that time continues to run, as well as the robots, regardless of whether humans are still around.  

Bradbury personifies the smaller robots in order to make them resemble humans.  "The rooms were acrawl with the small cleaning animals," The robots are considered animals but are "robot mice" "aluminum roaches and iron crickets" and "copper scrap rats" which means the author is not in favor of their existence, but views them as a nuisance. By making the robots appear as these unpleasant creatures, Bradbury conveys that technology is unwelcomed, but will persist and continue to invade homes.  The animal-like characterizes of the robots make it appear that they are actual living creatures.  One robot, which was cleaning up after the muddy dog, was "angry at having to pick up mud." The author has developed these robots far enough to give them emotions.  During the fire, the robots react like humans and are desperate for their lives.  "The voices wailed ... like children dying in a forest, alone, alone." The robots are referred to children as they are innocent and incapable to protect themselves.  Much like how the humans have left the planet, the robots were taken by and unexpected force with no warning or protection.  The author refers to them as "voices" during the fire and one by one, they die.  Bradbury was making a point that they are like living creatures that met a sudden, tragic end.  They were also fighting for their lives and trying to put out the fire, much like humans would react to the situation.  The entire remaining species of robots was wiped out and the only thing remaining, the only robot left.  This last voice-clock reminds the reader that it is still not the end of time and that tomorrow will come regardless of the fact that only the surrounding nature is there to acknowledge it.  

The inclusion of the poem by Sara Teasdale in the short story also serves an important role in conveying how the end of humankind does not mean the end of time.  Both authors are expressing how little importance mankind has to the world.  Towards the end of the poem, two lines, "Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree,/ if mankind perished utterly;" explain what is currently happening in the household.  The robots did not notice the absence of the humans and continued their usual duties as if the family was still there. Once these robots were destroyed, nature, the surrounding trees and animals, will continue existing like they have before. Even when the voice-clock asked for a poem suggestion, it responds to silence with, "Since you express no preferences", as if there was a response of "no preferences".  Ironically, the voice also says "As I recall, your favorite," as if the former tenant never suspected it to come true.  No matter how many times the poem is listened to, it is never suspected to happen in reality.  Towards the middle of the poem, the quote, "And not one will know of the war, not one/ will care at last when it is done." explains how mankind has gotten to this point.  The humans fought a war with another country and the robots seem unaware of what has happened to the human race.  Not one person or robot has the knowledge to tell the tale.  These lines of the poem apply to the disappearance of the robots as well.  Once the fire started, the house fights back.  "The house tried to save itself ... the wall sprays let down showers of mechanical rain." The house itself was at war with the fire.  Once it was over the only thing left continued to act as if nothing has happened.  Bradbury even reminds the reader that tomorrow will come.  "even as the sun rose to shine upon the heaped rubble and steam: "Today is August 5, 2026,"  The author is expressing that time continued to go on, a new day has started even after everything is forgotten and destroyed.  

Mankind seems to be the most important thing on earth for some.  Bradbury makes a point that even when humans are not dominating this earth, time will still go on.  He even goes as far to create the understanding that when there is nothing on this planet, there is still time.  The constant reminder of the time by the voice-clock, "over and over again and again," settles the thought that time never stops moving.  Even with nothing to acknowledge it, it will continue to run.  The author also included a poem that describes how no one will remember how mankind was nor will they care to express the insignificance of mankind.  The species of personified robots, which would have taken over for mankind, was forgotten as well and proved to be just as insignificant.  No matter how or how sudden a population is ended, time will continue to go on, and tomorrow will come.  
