Characters

The short story “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury features four important characters: George and Lydia Hadley and Peter and Wendy Hadley. 

Lydia notices that the nursery in their house has recreated a dangerous African veldt and realizes that the house’s technology have affected everyone in the family. George also becomes increasingly concerned with the nursery’s effects on his children and decides to give up on the house entirely. 

George and Wendy’s children – Peter and Wendy – are more attached emotionally to the nursery than to their parents. When George threatens to close off the house for good, the children become disobedient and cruel. 

George and Lydia Hadley

Outer characterization

In “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury, George and Lydia Hadley are a husband and wife who live in a fully automated house with their two children, Peter and Wendy. The technological advancements in the house, including the nursery - which George thinks had “an absurdly low price” – suggests that they are well-off financially. 

When it comes to their physical appearance, George is only described as having a “sweating face” and “squinted eyes” because of the heat in the veldt. A scared Lydia is depicted as “watery-eyed” as she asks her husband to shut down the house. The lack of details about the spouses’ physical appearance highlights that the focus of the story is on their behavior and on the effects the house has on their family. 

Inner characterization

George and Lydia are materialistic and spoil the children, practically neglecting them while letting the technologically advanced house take care of their needs. 

Lydia comes across as more aware than George of what is...