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There Will Come Soft Rains

by Ray Bradbury

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Student Question

How did the silhouettes appear in "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury?

Quick answer:

In "There Will Come Soft Rains," silhouettes appear on the west side of a technologically advanced smart home, which survived a nuclear blast in Allendale, California. These white silhouettes depict a man mowing the lawn, a woman picking flowers, and two children playing catch. They were created by the blast, which vaporized the family and left their outlines on the house. The house, although empty, continues its automated functions until it is destroyed by a fire.

Expert Answers

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In Bradbury's short story, the only house that has survived a nuclear blast in Allendale, California in 2026 A.D. is a technologically-advanced smart home that continues to function after the inhabitants die. Although the automated home is completely empty, the house continues to perform advanced mechanical functions as part of its daily routine.

On the outside of the home, the entire west side of the house is completely black, except for the white silhouettes of a man mowing the lawn, a woman bending down to pick flowers, and the image of two children playing catch with a ball. These silhouettes were caused during the nuclear blast, which disintegrated the people instantly and left an outline of their bodies on the side of the home. Outside of the silhouettes is a thin layer of charcoal covering the entire home.

These silhouettes are all that is left of the family that once inhabited the smart home. Eventually, the smart home burns down and collapses after a tree branch falls through its roof and starts an electrical fire.

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