| This is one of my favorite stories of his. I still remember reading it my first time back in the late 60's.
One thing I think the story is about is our sometimes obsessive need for perfection. When we take this need (beauty, money, comfort, popularity, etc.) to extreme measures, we damage ourselves. In our obsession, we become blind to what we are doing; and behaviours that we are accepting as normal are viewed by others as being problematic, at best.
You might look at that kind of angle. Maybe we need to accept ourselves and our imperfections a little better. I'm 49 and am absolutely shocked at the amount of women I know personally, who have had breast enhancements, liposuction, etc., who looked JUST FINE to me! Yet they're getting surgery with the risks of disfigurement and infection. Isn't some of this excessive and obsessive? (I'm not saying that all cases of cosmetic surgery are wasteful, but these women -- every one of them -- did not have a need for surgical intervention that seemed apparent to me.) But it did to them. Isn't that a possible example of what is going on in Bradbury's "Skeleton"? |
| Posts: 1964 | Location: McKinney, Texas | Registered: 11 May 2002 |  
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| I think people who attribute moral message and purpose to this and many other stories ae going too far. And this especially goes for teachers who require their students to come up with such interpretations.
I think "Sleeping"'s response is healthy and reasonable, and I hope my encouragement helps her/him.
Every short story must have a 'motor' that drives it. Thhis 'motor' sets the protagonist moving in a direction, a deviation from placid normalcy. this 'motor' can be love, ambition, or, in this case, hypochondria.
The writer may personally approve or disapprove of love, ambition, or hypochondria. But the writer takes his feeling to be in common with that of his audience. He is not messaging them what they already know. He is simply using emotional and moral shadings to amuse, delight, trick, and terrify. That is hihs real purpose. Bradbury wanted to be a magician. He wanted to pull rabbits out of hats and birds out of coat-sleeves. Had he become a stage magician, he would not have been 'messaging' his audience "Bunny rabbits are nice . . . and birds need to be free." He would simply have been amazing and surprising them.
Sure, a writer brings his own feelings and observations to his work. When these feelings rise up very strongly, he is communicating a message to us, as RB does in OTHER WORKS. But let us not mistake his intent here. It is simply to amuse and horrify us, like a stage magician. It is not to preach or warn us against hypocondria. |
| Posts: 34 | Location: houston | Registered: 30 August 2004 |  
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| Does anyone know how to contact Ray? I need to know for english class. anything will help. Please??? |
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