Do you ever wonder if the invention of man, will outlive man itself? In the shorts story “There will come Soft Rains,” by Ray Bradbury, is clearly states that the house has artificial intelligence and continues doing its daily task as if the owners of the house were still living there. The author uses precise words to hint the absence of humans throughout the story and proves his point by using small details throughout the story. The house states the date and location which is August 4, 2026 in Allendale, California. It also mentions a birthday and an anniversary, and bills needing to be paid. Small things couples would discuss during their mornings. The story then says, “But no doors slammed, no carpets took the soft tread of rubber heels”.
Still there is no human activity throughout the house. The author then states in the story, that the house was the last one standing. Which may mean that some sort of war or catastrophe may have happened, and that the only thing standing was the house that was artificial everything.
The quote, “Here the silhouette in paint of a man mowing a lawn. Here is a photograph, a woman bent to pick a flower. Still farther over, their image burned on wood in one titanic instance, a small boy, hands flung into the air; higher up, the image of a thrown ball, and opposite him a girl, hands raised to catch a ball which never came.” This shows that what may have happened is that there was a family, but they never got to see what had happened after they threw the ball.
Like that maybe everything ended as they were enjoying themselves. In conclusion, even though humans have become extinct in this story the house embodies human like qualities and activities. For instance, in the opening of the story “voice clock sang, Tic-Tock, seven o’clock, time to get up, time to get up, seven o’clock!” It repeated every morning, until finally the house was destroyed. This shows that it is possible for man-made objects, to outlive the creator, man itself. It also proves that there could have been a war going on throughout the story.
