The Veldt - Skill Check

Which one of the following DOES NOT contain a message the author wanted to teach in this story?

• Spoiled or neglected children can lead to misbehavior

• The children of the future should be allowed to create without restrictions.
• Humans should not allow technology to control them.
• Parents must have and maintain rules for their children.

The climax of the story occurs when...

• Wendy offers Mr. McClean a cup of tea.

• the children lock George and Lydia in the nursery as the lions approach.

• Peter and Wendy are hysterical over the nursery being shut down.

• The home makes dinner for George and Lydia.

What is one of the major conflicts in "The Veldt?"

• Character VS Nature

• Character VS Technology

• Character VS Society

• Character VS Supernatural

Which quote best supports the Character VS Character conflict of the story?

• "Lydia bolted and ran. Instinctively, George sprang after her. Outside, in the hall, with the door slammed he was laughing and she was crying, and they both stood appalled at the other’s reaction."

• George Hadley, bemused, sat watching the dining-room table produce warm dishes of food from its mechanical interior. “We forgot the ketchup,” he said. “Sorry,” said a small voice within the table, and ketchup appeared.

• “They’ve been acting funny ever since you forbade them to take the rocket to New York a few months ago.” “They’re not old enough to do that alone, I explained.” “Nevertheless, I’ve noticed they’ve been decidedly cool toward us since.”

Match the event to the part of the plot

• Resolution

• They walked down the hall of their soundproofed Happylife Home, which had cost them thirty thousand dollars installed, this house which clothed and fed and rocked them to sleep and played and sang and was good to them.

• Falling Action

• “I’m afraid.” She came to him and put her body against him and cried steadily. “Did you see? Did you feel? It’s too real.” “Now, Lydia...” “You’ve got to tell Wendy and Peter not to read any more on Africa.” “Of course — of course.” He patted her. “Promise?” “Sure.” “And lock the nursery for a few days until I get my nerves settled.” “You know how difficult Peter is about that. When I punished him a month ago by locking the nursery for even a few hours — the tantrum be threw! And Wendy too. They live for the nursery.”

• Rising Action

• He squinted at the lions with his hand tip to his eyes. Now the lions were done feeding. They moved to the water hole to drink. A shadow flickered over Mr. McClean’s hot face. Many shadows flickered. The vultures were dropping down the blazing sky. “A cup of tea?” asked Wendy in the silence.

• Exposition

• The door slammed. “Wendy, Peter!” George Hadley and his wife whirled and ran back to the door. “Open the door!” cried George Hadley, trying the knob. “Why, they’ve locked it from the outside! Peter!” He beat at the door. “Open up!” He heard Peter’s voice outside, against the door. “Don’t let them switch off the nursery and the house,” he was saying. Mr. and Mrs. George Hadley beat at the door. “Now, don’t be ridiculous, children. It’s time to go. Mr. McClean’ll be here in a minute and...” And then they heard the sounds. The lions on three sides of them, in the yellow veldt grass, padding through the dry straw, rumbling and roaring in their throats. The lions.

• Climax

• “Well, here I am,” said David McClean in the nursery doorway, “Oh, hello.” He stared at the two children seated in the center of the open glade eating a little picnic lunch. Beyond them was the water hole and the yellow veldtland; above was the hot sun. He began to perspire. “Where are your father and mother?”

Wendy was still crying and Peter joined her again. “Just a moment, just one moment, just another moment of nursery,” they wailed. “Oh, George,” said the wife, “it can’t hurt.” “All right — all right, if they’ll just shut up. One minute, mind you, and then off forever.” “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!” sang the children, smiling with wet faces. “And then we’re going on a vacation. David McClean is coming back in half an hour to help us move out and get to the airport. I’m going to dress. You turn the nursery on for a minute, Lydia, just a minute, mind you.”

What word BEST describes George?

• Spoiled

• Strict

• Overindulgent

• Hurtful

“I’ll be glad when we get away,” she sighed. “Did you leave them in the nursery?” “I wanted to dress too. Oh, that horrid Africa. What can they see in it?” “Well, in five minutes we’ll be on our way to Iowa. Lord, how did we ever get in this house? What prompted us to buy a nightmare?” “Pride, money, foolishness.”

"Pride, money, foolishness" are acknowledged by the parents as negative characters traits. What other character trait BEST fits them here?

• Negligent

• Lazy

• Powerful

• Greedy

And he marched about the house turning off the voice clocks, the stoves, the heaters, the shoe shiners, the shoe lacers, the body scrubbers and swabbers and massagers, and every other machine be could put his hand to. The house was full of dead bodies, it seemed. It felt like a mechanical cemetery. So silent. None of the humming hidden energy of machines waiting to function at the tap of a button.

What are the "dead bodies" in this excerpt?

• The children

• The parents

• The house

• The appliances

“We’ve given the children everything they ever wanted. Is this our rewardsecrecy, disobedience?” “Who was it said, ‘Children are carpets, they should be stepped on occasionally’? We’ve never lifted a hand. They’re insufferable — let’s admit it. They come and go when they like; they treat us as if we were offspring. They’re spoiled and we’re spoiled.” “They’ve been acting funny ever since you forbade them to take the rocket to New York a few months ago.” “They’re not old enough to do that alone, I explained.” “Nevertheless, I’ve noticed they’ve been decidedly cool toward us since.”

Which word BEST describes the children?

• Obedient

• Disobedient

• Insecure

• Spoiled

“Yes, come tell us about the nursery,” said George Hadley. The brother and sister blinked at him and then at each other. “Nursery?” “All about Africa and everything,” said the father with false joviality. “I don’t understand,” said Peter. “Your mother and I were just traveling through Africa with rod and reel; Tom Swift and his Electric Lion,” said George Hadley. “There’s no Africa in the nursery,” said Peter simply. “Oh, come now, Peter. We know better.” “I don’t remember any Africa,” said Peter to Wendy. “Do you?” “No.”

Which word BEST describes Peter and Wendy in this passage?

• Deceiitful

• Clueless

• Naive

• Disrespectful