The Martian Chronicles: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Martian Chronicles: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the intricate portrayals of key figures from Ray Bradbury's science fiction work, "The Martian Chronicles." Central to the narrative are characters like John Spender, Captain Wilder, Sam Parkhill, and Hathaway, each representing diverse responses to the human colonization of Mars. Spender, an astronaut haunted by the destruction of Martian civilization, embodies the conflict between human exploitation and preservation, ultimately sacrificing himself in a futile attempt to protect the planet. Captain Wilder grapples with the moral implications of colonization, choosing to abandon Mars in search of a better future, while also witnessing the devastation of Earth.
In contrast, Sam Parkhill sees Mars as a commercial opportunity, illustrating a more opportunistic and destructive human nature. Finally, Hathaway’s journey highlights themes of isolation and the coping mechanisms humans employ when faced with loss, as he creates androids to fill the void left by his family. Through these characters, the narrative explores profound questions about humanity's legacy, the impact of colonialism, and the struggle between progress and preservation, making it a rich text for analysis on character motivations and ethical dilemmas.
The Martian Chronicles: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Ray Bradbury
First published: 1950 (revised version published in England as The Silver Locusts, 1951)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Mars and the United States
Plot: Science fiction
Time: 1999–2026
John Spender, an astronaut, a member of the fourth expedition to Mars. In “June 2001: And the Moon Be Still as Bright,” he is overwhelmed by the deaths of the Martians, accidentally caused when the third expedition infected them with chicken pox. He realizes that Earth people will exploit and destroy Mars, making it into another intolerable Earth. He tries to prevent colonization by stopping his own crewmates and kills several of them in the process. He explains his thoughts to Captain Wilder, but then rather than running away, he allows himself to be found and killed because he realizes that his cause is doomed. The crew buries him as they think a Martian would be buried.
Captain Wilder, an astronaut, the leader of the fourth expedition to Mars. He and his crew find the Martians dead of chicken pox and the planet little more than a museum. He understands that Spender is trying to save Mars from the destruction that humans will bring, and he knows that instead of creating a new life on Mars, the people of Earth will only bring with them the evil that they are trying to escape. Not satisfied with staying on the new planet and watching what will happen, he leaves to take command of a ship going to the outer planets. In “April 2026: The Long Years,” he stops at Mars on his return to Earth many years after war has destroyed most life on Earth and finds Hathaway living alone with a family he has created. Hathaway, now an old man, dies during the reunion, and the captain and his crew leave Mars to go back to Earth to see if any life remains.
Sam Parkhill, an astronaut, a member of the fourth expedition. He sees Mars as a planet ripe for the picking, and he takes considerable joy in destroying Martian monuments. When Spender starts killing crew members, he is the first to want to hunt Spender down, and he is determined to shoot him in the head. Captain Wilder prevents this killing and eventually knocks Sam's teeth out after Spender's death when Sam uses the crystal towers of the deserted city for target practice. In “November 2005: The Off Season,” Sam brings his wife to Mars and sets up a hot dog stand on one of the highways, hoping to cash in on the boom of business he thinks will come when the fleet of colonization rockets arrives. The last of the Martians, knowing telepathically what is happening on Earth, arrive to give him the deed to the planet, but he kills many of them and flees in panic. Finally, they convince him that their intentions are peaceful, and they give him the deed. He thinks that he will at last be a rich man, but on that night war breaks out on Earth, and he and his wife see it catch fire in the night sky.
Hathaway, an astronaut, a member of the fourth expedition. He brings his family to Mars and settles there. In “April 2026: The Long Years,” when war breaks out on Earth and everyone is recalled from Mars, he and his family are up in the hills and are left behind, becoming the last humans on Mars of which he is aware. When his family dies, he creates machines in their images and eventually forgets that they are machines. He creates a lighted city around them and becomes content in the illusion that he is not alone. He dies shortly after Captain Wilder returns and is buried on Mars near the graves of his human family. The androids he creates remain behind to live on the Mars he has created for them.