Hart, a former writing teacher, is a freelance writer and author of several books. In this essay, Hart examines the reversal relationships that make up the heart of this story.

Ray Bradbury has a point to make in his short story "The Veldt." It is a rather simple and obvious point—Bradbury does not like machines. But the more interesting part of this story is not his dislike of a mechanical world but rather it is Bradbury's explanation of why he does not look upon a world run by machines as some kind of utopia in which human beings are free to pursue other things than the mundane chores of every day living. Quite contrary to the notion of a utopia, in Bradbury's view, machines turn the world upside down, ruining human relationships and destroying the minds of children. Instead of leaving time for people to ponder...