Student Question

What are two instances of the children's unacceptable behavior in "The Veldt," and how do the parents respond?

Quick answer:

Two instances of unacceptable behavior in "The Veldt" include the children lying about the nursery's African setting and Peter threatening his father not to shut off the house. When questioned about Africa, the children deny its presence, and George simply tells them to go to bed. In response to Peter's threat, the parents' only action is to call the psychologist, indicating their inability to effectively manage the situation.

Expert Answers

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The first thing I see as misbehavior is when Peter and Wendy come home and the parents ask them about Africa.  They say that there is no such thing going on in the nursery, but they are clearly lying.  All George does is tell them to go to bed.

The other thing I see is when Peter comes and basically threatens his dad.  He tells him he had better not shut off the house.  He doesn't say what will happen, but he is clearly threatening.  All the parents do about that is to call the psychologist.

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