Examples Of Materialism In The Veldt

It is an “I want it now and I want it first” world. People constantly pride themselves on possessing the latest goods: the newest cars, the newest phones, and the newest clothes. There is a certain pride and air of exclusivity with being the first to own something. Everyone has felt the pull of materialism, the tug of superficial values, and the urge to indulge in expenditures. Roy Bradbury satirizes this consumer culture in “The Veldt” using exaggeration and irony as the Hadleys become victims of materialist desires.
Bradley targets hubris, ego, and materialism as hindering social interaction. In "The Veldt", the Hadleys are especially guilty of such traits, purchasing the Happylife Home, not for the need, but for the prestige. The Happylife Home is equipped with advanced but unessential technology, able to prepare food and even tie shoelaces. The Hadleys are too consumed with technology to connect with each other. George and Lydia spoil their children with “nursery”, rarely discipline them, and are treated …show more content…
George and Lydia Hadley naively justify their purchases by saying that they want the best for their children. George is so proud of buying the nursery that he originally dismisses his wife’s concerns that something is amiss. George and Lydia have great pride and trust in their purchase: even after realizing the nursery’s ominous nature, they still open the nursery to placate their children. George and Lydia are so trusting of the technology that eventually kills them. In such irony, Bradbury mocks the assumption that new is best, suggesting that consumers blindly trust the latest technology. People are so blinded by the prestige of large investments that they never consider any fallacies with their purchases. Naivety contributes to prideful materialism, as people justify their expenditures with the belief that new is always