Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Day One Hundred Sixty-Four: "All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury

The Unknown.

A group of children living underground haven't seen the sun in years when they are told by scientists that on the next day, the rain will stop and the sun will be out for two hours. One of the children among them remembers the sun and its warmth and colors from her time on earth before being forced underground. None of the others believe her. To punish her for "lying" to them and teasing them with a knowledge they lacked, the children lock the young girl into a closet when it is time to go outside and bask in the rare sunshine.

When the story ends, the children return and are mortified at what they have just deprived this girl of. No more sunshine for seven years is the prediction. Their cruelty was only the tip of the iceberg. The young girls' hurtful silence in the face of their cruelty will be the lesson gleaned from it all and scientists cannot predict that.

A link to the story online is below:


http://staff.esuhsd.org/danielle/English%20Department%20LVillage/RT/Short%20Stories/All%20Summer%20in%20a%20Day.pdf

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