MC ORB Assignment Packet - Troy High School

The Martian Chronicles: outside reading assignment
What’s in this packet
Page 1 Assignment overview
Page 2 The Martian Chronicles table of contents with page breakdown
Page 3-6 Guiding questions (use these to guide your passage selection in each story)
Page 7-8 Dialectical Journal explanation and sample
Assignment overview:
You are to read ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles by Tuesday Nov. 1 st . This is not a novel, but
instead is a collection of short stories that are all thematically connected. There are 13 short stories
and 11 “linking tales”. The linking tales are used for one of the following purposes:
Place description
Plot summary
Description of time passing
Author commentary
Statement of facts
Anticipation of coming events
The dialectical journal that you are assigned for this work only requires that you read the 13 short
stories.
On the following page you will find the table of contents that shows the main short stories, a page
count for each, and the total page count for all 13 stories. You should use this table to help organize
your completion of this assignment.
PLEASE do NOT procrastinate—I know that reading short stories doesn’t seem like much, but reading
and analyzing requires time so use it wisely.
DJ assignment
You are to select at least 1 significant passage from each story to respond to in dialectical format. You
will have at least 13 passages with responses by the time you have finished reading this work.
Format
Follow the format in the sample on page 8. Your DJs are to be typed. You may print 2-3 per
sheet (adjust your font and margins accordingly). If you do NOT have access to a computer
and printer, please let me know asap (before I collect this assignment, long before).

The Martian Chronicles: Table of Contents
Page # Year Title
Total
Pages
Read by…
These opening stories and bridges serve as a prologue (an introduction to) the rest of the book by
providing us with glimpses of life on Mars and showing Earthlings trying to settle it. The stories
and bridges may not directly relate to the rest of the book, but they will give you a sense of what
you can expect from Bradbury’s chronicles.
The main stories are all quite different from one another so don’t be alarmed. They represent the versatile
talents of Bradbury. Use the questions that follow to help guide your understanding of each individual
story as well as the connecting thread amongst the three.
1 January 1999 Rocket Summer 1
2 February
Ylla 12.5
1999
14 August 1999 The Summer Night 2
16 August 1999 The Earth Men 14.5
31 March 2000 The Taxpayer 1
32 April 2000 The Third Expedition 16 3 (43 pages) by Fri. 10/14
These six stories show the settlement of Mars. Bradbury takes us from the first expedition to the
beginning of the war on Earth. One special note should be made for “Way in the Middle of the Air” (page
89). Bradbury wrote this story in the late 1940s, long before the Civil Rights Act. Bradbury’s
characterization of African Americans and the racism to which they were subjected shows just how “ahead
of his time” Bradbury truly was.
48 June 2001 --And the Moon Be Still as 24.5
Bright
73 August 2001 The Settlers .5
73 Dec. 2001 The Green Morning 4.5
78 Feb. 2002 The Locusts .5
79 August 2002 Night Meeting 8
87 Oct. 2002 The Shore .5
87 Feb. 2003 Interim .5
88 April 2003 The Musicians 1.5
89 June 2003 Way in the Middle of the Air 12.5
102 2004-2005 The Naming of Names 1
103 April 2005 Usher II 15 4 (60 pages) by Fri. 10/21
118 Aug. 2005 The Old Ones .5
119 Sep. 2005 The Martian 12.5
In Part III, the war begins and the Earth men desert Mars; unfortunately, they do not leave it as
they found it. In these stories you will see a few characters dealing with isolation, a story with no
characters at all, and finally a story with “Adam” and “Eve” living very much aware of the evil around them.
One special note about “The Silent Towns”: some of you may be irritated and even possibly offended by
this story, but please bear in mind that Bradbury is trying to make a point and he’s trying to use humor to
make that point.
131 Nov. 2005 The Luggage Store 1.5
133 Nov. 2005 The Off Season 11
144 Nov. 2005 The Watchers 1.5
145 Dec. 2005 The Silent Towns 10.5
156 April 2026 The Long Years 10.5
166 Aug. 2026 There Will Comes Soft 6.5 5 (51 pages) by Fri. 10/28
Rains
172 Oct. 2026 The Million Year Picnic 9.5 9 pages by Tues. 11/1
total 163.5
The main short stories are in bold, the others are linking tales.
THIS IS THE ONLY HOMEWORK YOU WILL HAVE OVER THE NEXT THREE WEEKS
SO PLAN ACCORDINGLY.

Guiding questions for ALL sections:
FYI, as you will be writing a response to literature for this novel, you should pay special attention to questions 3 and 4…
1. What social problem, if any is the focus of this
2. What are the major character dynamics you can identify How are the people characterized How do they
interact Motives
3. What is the central theme or message of the story
4. What is the story saying about twentieth-century America (American society)
The Martian Chronicles: Reading Guide Prompts
Below you will find a brief explanation for some of the stories, along with guiding questions. You should read the
questions before starting the chapter to help guide your reading; these should provide you with a focus. You do NOT
have to respond to these questions—I will not be collecting this from you. You should, however, use these to guide you in
selecting a passage for discussion in your DJ.
Rocket Summer
Bradbury knew as well as anyone that no conceivable number of rocket launches could literally change the weather in this
way; this is simply a fantasy, a tone poem evoking enthusiasm for the coming space age.
Ylla
What features of this story make the setting and the characters alien and strange Identify some specific "exotic" touches.
1. What is Martian technology like What features make them seem all too human, even old-fashioned
2. What are the unspoken assumptions about men's and women's roles in this story
3. What kind of relationship does this couple have "Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes" (See below: “To Celia”) was a
sentimental popular song, old-fashioned even in 1950.
4. If all Martians have last names that consist of a letter of the alphabet, there would seem to be only 26 possible names--
rather restrictive. Can you think of any explanation for this pattern
To Celia
Drink to me, only, with thine
eyes,
And I will pledge with mine;
Or leave a kiss but in the cup
And I'll not look for wine.
The thirst, that from the soul
doth rise
Doth ask a drink divine:
But might I of Jove's nectar
sup,
I would not change for thine.
I sent thee, late, a rosy
wreath,
Not so much honouring thee,
As giving it a hope, that there
It could not withered be.
But thou thereon did'st only
breath,
And sent'st it back to me:
Since when it grows, and
smells, I swear,
Not of itself, but thee.
---Ben Jonson (1573-1637)
The Summer Night
1. How is this linking tale similar in theme to "Ylla"
2. "She Walks in Beauty" was written by Lord Byron in 1815 (see below) as a deliberate contrast to the
tradition praising only "fair" (that is, blonde, light-skinned) women as beautiful. What qualities in the
four lines quoted make it appropriate for its use here
3. Is the Martian ability to read thoughts an advantage or a disadvantage
4. Identify and discuss a familiar process that takes place among human beings for which this story
could be read as a metaphor.
She Walks In Beauty
She walks in beauty, like the
night
Of cloudless climes and starry
skies;
And all that's best of dark and
bright
Meet in her aspect and her
eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender
light
Which heaven to gaudy day
denies.
One shade more, one ray less,
Had half impair'd the
nameless grace
Which waves in every raven
tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her
face;
Where thoughts serenely
sweet express
How pure, how dear their
dwelling place.
And on that cheek, and o'er
that brow
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints
that glow,
But tell of days in goodness
spent,
A mind at peace with all
below,
A heart whose love is
innocent!
---Lord Byron (1788-1824
The Earth Men
1. How is Bradbury working against the standard expectations of a "first contact" story
2. Belief in telepathy (direct mind-to-mind communication of thoughts) has little or no scientific basis,
but it is a staple of science fiction because it makes possible interesting plots and because as here it

solves the knotty problem of how alien races can communicate with each other. What prevents the
Martians from realizing that the men are really from Earth
3. Why might people who believe in "flying saucers" and other alien contacts like this story
4. In the previous stories the Martians had no problem in perceiving that the thoughts invading their
minds were alien; can you come up with any explanation for why they might now view the earth
people as manifestations of their own minds
The Third Expedition
1. Bradbury nostalgically evokes his early 20th-century Midwestern small-town upbringing in many
stories, notably those collected in Dandelion Wine. Yet for all its sentimental appeal, he also
repeatedly uses the setting for the evocation of nightmares. Here he portrays an America, which by
1950 was already vanishing and would be quite unlike the background familiar to any probable
astronaut young enough to be sent to Mars in the year 2000. Because we are reading this story long
after it was written, this incongruity strikes us more forcefully than it would have struck those who
first read it, for they shared Bradbury's nostalgic memory. How does he rationalize his use of this
setting
2. The music mentioned was popular during the first two decades of this century. When this story was
first published, it was titled "Mars is Heaven." Explain this title.
3. The Martians in "The Earth Men" seem to have acted out of confusion rather than malice. Is this true
of the Martians in this story What do you think their motives are Why might those motives have
developed since the time of the earlier story
And the Moon Be Still as Bright
1. The title comes from the Lord Byron poem, "So We'll Go No More A-Roving" (1817—see below) which
is usually read as a meditation on the inevitability of death. What might its meaning be in this story
2. This story seems modeled on World War II movies about a small troop of men from various ethnic
backgrounds faced with a dangerous environment. The token minority figure here is a Native
American named "Cheroke." In the TV version, one character was made into an African-American
instead; but why is Bradbury's choice especially appropriate for this story
3. To what historic event does the death of the Martians correspond
4. The crew seems much like that of a traditional adventure novel: rough, ill-educated sailors, very
unlike the astronauts of our day. Aside from the question of realism, why might Bradbury have
wanted to use a group of "average guys" as his explorers
5. What is the point of Spender's speech about the tendency of Earth Men to rename everything (This
theme is continued later in the story "The Naming of Names.")
6. What critique does Spender make of American civilization as regards art in his final conversation with
the captain
7. What does Spender see as the two cultural forces that clashed on Earth but which the Martians
succeeded in blending
8. How did Martians answer the question, "What is the meaning of life" according to Spender
9. In 1950, tape recording on reels was brand-new cutting-edge technology (brought back from
conquered Germany by GIs), so Bradbury has the Martians record their music in this futuristic
fashion. What is the significance of the captain's meditations on majority rule while he is hunting
down Spender
10. What is the attitude of this story toward democracy
We'll Go No More A-
roving
So, we'll go no more a-
roving
So late into the night,
Though the heart be still as
loving,
And the moon be still as
bright.
For the sword outwears its
sheath,
And the soul wears out the
breast,
And the heart must pause to
breathe,
And love itself have rest.
Though the night was made
for loving,
And the day returns too soon,
Yet we'll go no more a-
roving
By the light of the moon.
---Lord Byron (1788-1824)

The Green Morning
Even in 1950, it was known that Mars had little oxygen in its atmosphere. Its reddish hue suggested that at one time
there had been more free oxygen on Mars, which had slowly combined with iron to produce iron oxide. The
standard science fictional Mars was an exhausted planet whose ancient civilization if any would have died with the
atmosphere. Humans could live there only in sealed environments or by "terraforming" the planet to render its
atmosphere more breathable: a project recently explored in the novels Red Mars and Green Mars by Kim Stanley
Robinson. Bradbury characteristically ignores scientific plausibility here to create a poetic image loosely related to
such projects.
1. What makes this account different from such a scientific project
The Locusts
What significance do the similes used of the rockets have
Night Meeting
One of the favorite SF themes with only very slim scientific justification is time travel. No rationale is offered here
for communication between eras: Mars is magic. But it's pointless to criticize Bradbury too much for this fact: very
few time-travel stories even by the most rigorously scientific authors cannot be reduced to self-contradiction by a
little elementary logic.
1. What is the emotional impact of this encounter between two eras
2. What indication is there in this story that when it was written Bradbury was not thinking of a Mars covered by
the trees described in "The Green Morning"
3. Is there a message in this story
4. What does the closing paragraph convey about the nature of life and time
The Musicians
Bradbury gives no rationale for this determined obliteration of the Martian cities, much more thorough and
deliberate than anything ever attempted in the history of Earthly colonialism. It is here that he first introduces the
concept of "Firemen" who light fires rather than putting them out, a concept developed more fully in his novel
Fahrenheit 451.
1. What seems to be his attitude toward humanity here
Way in the Middle of the Air
This story seems very dated--even condescending--now: but it was written during the first stirrings of the post-
World War II civil rights movement, and was outspoken for its time in its attack on Southern lynching, segregation
and racism generally.
1. What would be the significance of naming a rocket "Over Jordan"
2. To what Biblical events one past, one future is this escape from Earth compared
3. Note that although in "The Shore" it is implied that only Americans can afford rockets, they are here available to
poor people. These stories do not all exist in exactly the same fictional universe. Is human nature portrayed any
differently in this story than in the stories immediately preceding it
4. There is a sequel to this story called "The Other Foot" in The Illustrated Man, in which the African-American
immigrants to Mars have to decide whether to take their revenge on the whites who follow them into exile,
making up a new minority group.
The Naming of Names
The theme of this story is more fully developed in "The Exiles" from The Illustrated Man.
1. What quality of the later immigrants to Mars serves to introduce the next story
Usher II
This story was omitted from the television version, probably partly because it would have been too expensive to
produce; but also because it has no necessary connection with the other stories. It might just as well have been set
on Earth as Mars. It reflects the Bradburian affection for fantasy and horror literature combined. The attack on
censorship which it embodies (foreshadowing the more fully-developed attack of Fahrenheit 451) is justified by
reference to fairy tales and other sentimental children's favorites; but the works being defended most passionately
are the horror tales of Edgar Allan Poe.
1. Why do you think he includes the other seemingly unrelated, non-horror works
2. Many works by Poe are referred to in this story. How many can you identify
3. What movement active in 1950 seems to have inspired this attack on censorship (Hint: Stendhal refers to it in
his conversation with Bigelow.)

4. The mentions of a number of characters from Oz will be unfamiliar to those unfortunate enough to know that
land only from the Hollywood movie and who have not read the long series of novels by L. Frank Baum. What is
a Babbit (Look it up.)
5. Does this story successfully convey an anti-censorship message Why or why not
The Martian
From this point on, having seemingly exterminated the Martians, Bradbury brings them back again and again in
various forms. Rather than view this as a damaging inconsistency it makes more sense to read these stories as
variations on a theme.
1. What human characteristics is Bradbury commenting on in this story
The Luggage Store
This story seems wildly implausible now, but it was modeled on the flight of émigré s from Europe back to the U.S.
at the beginning of each of the great World Wars; and would have seemed familiar to readers in 1950.
1. What motivates the immigrants to return to Earth
The Off Season
Visions of atomic apocalypse were published in some numbers in the years immediately following the bombing of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Even though in 1948 the Soviet Union was far from posing any serious nuclear threat,
Bradbury's story reflects the fears of many that humanity had entered an era of unprecedented danger.
1. In which earlier story did Sam Parkhill play a role
2. Is his behavior here consistent with that in the earlier story Explain.
3. How does this story compare with the traditional battle-with-aliens-for-survival story
4. The description of the death of Earth is even more fantastic than the collapse of an entire city from the impact
of a single bullet earlier in the story. Why do you think Bradbury uses such exaggerated language
5. What would a real nuclear war probably look like from Mars
The Silent Towns
Bradbury wrote a variation on this story entitled "Night Call, Collect," published in I Sing the Body Electric. This
story is probably the most stereotypically “sexy” in the book.
1. What do you think its message is
The Long Years
This story celebrates love, marriage, and other traditional family values.
1. Does it make you feel better about the human race
There Will Come Soft Rains
This story was partly inspired by the silhouettes of people burned by the bomb onto buildings and streets in
Hiroshima. Like "Usher II," there is no obvious reason for it to be included in a volume of stories set on Mars, and
was omitted from the television miniseries. It is an unusual story in that it has no living human beings in it.
1. How does Bradbury manage to tell the family's story anyway
The Million-Year Picnic
This was the first of the Martian Chronicles stories to be written, shortly after the end of World War II. It was first
published in Planet Stories in the summer of 1946.
1. Does the story make you feel hopeful for the survival of the human race
2. What measures does the father take to try to ensure for his children a better future
3. Do any of these measures conflict with values expressed earlier in The Martian Chronicles
4. Many people who have read and loved The Martian Chronicles forget entirely that the Earth is destroyed in a
nuclear holocaust during the course of the book and are surprised to be reminded of the fact. Why do you
suppose this is true

Dialectical Journal
What is a “dialectical journal”
A dialectical journal is a running “dialogue” between you, the reader, and what you are reading.
This is done by recording notes in the form of quotations or paraphrases and then interpreting
what you have recorded, thus demonstrating a critical understanding of the text.
This sort of journal is especially useful for literary response assignments ☺
How do I organize this journal
A dialectical journal takes the form of a double entry notation, with the quotation/passage
located on the left side of the page and your reaction on the right side.
Sentence, line, phrase, or
paraphrase that:
1. May remind you of
something; make you
think or question
2. May reveal insight
about theme,
character
development, etc.
3. May be an example of
pleasing or disturbing
writing style
Response/commentary options:
1. Making a Connection: to personal
experiences, life, other literature, etc.
2. Interpret/Evaluate: Determine the
meaning of what you’ve read; Form
opinions both while you’re reading
and after you’ve finished. Develop
your own judgments about the
characters and your own ideas about
events.
3. Extend the meaning: what does the
quote say about all people and
humanity
4. Challenging the text: forming
questions about the validity of
implied/explicit connections or
claims, reliability of narrator,
development of plot, character, style,
etc.
Grading criteria
An A (excellence) journal will do all of the following:
Selects detailed and meaningful passages
Insightful interpretation and commentary about the text; avoids clichés and
summary
Includes comments about literary elements such as diction, imagery, syntax, and
how these elements contribute to the meaning of the text.
Makes insightful personal connections and asks thought-provoking, insightful
questions
Coverage of text is complete and thorough
Journal is neat and organized; student has followed directions in the organization
of journal

Sample dialectical journal
Notice how this student doesn’t solely focus on the quote itself. This student has used the quote
as a springboard for a discussion on various elements found up to that point in the novel.
This student chose to incorporate a discussion of certain literary elements, which is always a
viable option, but not always be applicable.
Keep in mind that your goal is to interpret the meaning beyond the text, don’t get caught up
in observations or is simple summary. Whatever you do, do NOT summarize the events
depicted in the passages you select; I’ve read the book, I know what happens. What I don’t know
is what YOU think it all means…
“Title of short story”
“With hands locked together, invisible among
the press of bodies, they stared steadily in front
of them, and instead of the eyes of the girl, the
eyes of the aged prisoner gazed mournfully at
Winston out of nests of air” (97).
George Orwell, 1984*
SAMPLE FORMAT FOR
HARD COPY (PRINT OUT)
DEADLINES ONLY
Response
This quote reveals the deplorable state of
Winston’s situation through the use of
symbolism and comparison. Firstly, the quote
describes Winston and the dark-haired girl as
invisible, indicating that their shared defiance
of the Party and their unmistakable rebellious
behavior is futile, and both they and their
actions are meaningless. The depiction reduces
them to virtual worthlessness, and one is able
grasp the senselessness of their exploits. In
addition, Orwell employs a symbolic, indirect
metaphor to compare the eyes of the girl with
those of the aged prisoner. Even though
Winston is experiencing the closest thing to
“love” that he has felt in a long time, it is ironic
that he still does not know the color of the eyes
of the girl. Even though they share this brief
moment of compassion with each other,
demonstrated through the holding of the
hands, they do not look at each other, and
instead Winston is forced to look upon the
prisoners that are passing through. By
comparing the girl’s eyes with that of the
prisoner, Orwell is able to hint at a possible
foreshadowing and to make the implication
that Winston’s relationship with the darkhaired
girl could ultimately lead to their
arrests, and then to their deaths. The fact that
Winston is establishing this bond between
himself and the prisoner through the prolonged
eye contact illustrates the fact that Winston
himself is not far from being in the other man’s
position, as he himself is also technically an
enemy of the Party now as well because of his
traitorous and disloyal behavior.
-A. Kansari*
*YOU do not have to include the title of the book or you name after each entry…

Jane Doe
English 2 AP, period 1
Link
16 October 2011
SAMPLE FORMAT FOR
TURNITIN.COM DEADLINES
YOUR PAPER SHOULD LOOK
EXACTLY LIKE THIS…
DJ Entries: Part 1
“Ylla”
“With hands locked together, invisible among the press of bodies, they stared steadily in front of them,
and instead of the eyes of the girl, the eyes of the aged prisoner gazed mournfully at Winston out of nests
of air” (97).
Response:
This quote reveals the deplorable state of Winston’s situation through the use of symbolism and
comparison. Firstly, the quote describes Winston and the dark-haired girl as invisible, indicating that their
shared defiance of the Party and their unmistakable rebellious behavior is futile, and both they and their
actions are meaningless. The depiction reduces them to virtual worthlessness, and one is able grasp the
senselessness of their exploits. In addition, Orwell employs a symbolic, indirect metaphor to compare the
eyes of the girl with those of the aged prisoner. Even though Winston is experiencing the closest thing to
“love” that he has felt in a long time, it is ironic that he still does not know the color of the eyes of the
girl. Even though they share this brief moment of compassion with each other, demonstrated through the
holding of the hands, they do not look at each other, and instead Winston is forced to look upon the
prisoners that are passing through. By comparing the girl’s eyes with that of the prisoner, Orwell is able to
hint at a possible foreshadowing and to make the implication that Winston’s relationship with the darkhaired
girl could ultimately lead to their arrests, and then to their deaths. The fact that Winston is
establishing this bond between himself and the prisoner through the prolonged eye contact illustrates the
fact that Winston himself is not far from being in the other man’s position, as he himself is also
technically an enemy of the Party now as well because of his traitorous and disloyal behavior.
“The Earth Men”
Passage (#).
Response:
Your response goes here
“The Third Expedition”
Passage (#).
Response:
Your response goes here