Ray Douglas Bradbury’s short story: All Summer in a Day

Answer the following questions with reference to Ray Douglas Bradbury’s short story, ‘All Summer in a Day’

(i) Name the planet on which this story is set.

Venus

Describe everyday life on this planet.

• Incessant rain / non-stop for 7 years/ thousands and thousands of days of rain.
• Deafening/ drumming/ gushing of water/ sweet fall of showers / concussions of storms /caused tidal waves to wash over the islands.
• A thousand forests grew rapidly/ only to be crushed by the rain / grow again and be crushed once more.
• No sun for 7 years/ people used sun lamps/ lived in underground houses, tunnels

(ii) Why was there so much excitement in the school room that morning?

The sun would shine that day for a brief 2 hours/ happened only once in 7 years/ they had waited for this day/ The sun was to appear that day and the children (all 9-year olds) were excited because they had no personal memory of seeing / experiencing the sun /they had only heard of it and were eager to experience it for themselves.

What set Margot apart from the other children?

Margot was different/ she would not play (did not run when they tagged her) with the other children / she refused to sing along with them/ sang only if song was about sun or summer.

Her biggest crime was that she had come to Venus only 5 years ago/ so she remembered experiencing the warmth of the sun / the other children picked on her because she was different / they had been on Venus all their lives.

(iii) Describe how the planet was transformed when the sun came out and shone briefly over it.

• A sudden silence descended on the planet / as if all loud thunderous sound had been cut off in a film about a tornado/ avalanche/ hurricane etc.
• It seemed a beautiful tropical picture had replaced the dreary landscape
• Everything was still – the silence was deafening
• The doors opened, and the children could smell the waiting world 
• The sun came out – colour of flaming bronze - it was huge
• The sky was a blazing blue tile colour
• The jungle burned with the sunlight / the children rushed out into the springtime
• The children ran, turned their faces to the sun / took off their jackets / allowed the sun to burn their arms
• They lay on the rapidly growing plants / and delighted in the feel of the warm sun / they ran and played/ laughed and fell/ breathed the fresh air and listened to the silence / didn’t stop running for over an hour.

Why was Margot not able to witness this phenomenon?

Because Margot had been locked into the closet by the other children.

What emotion do you suppose the other children experienced when Margot emerged at the end of the story?

They must have felt guilt /shame/ regret/ remorse/ awareness of wrongdoing/ realization/ solemn/ at having deprived Margot of this marvellous experience - something that she had been yearning for/ could not meet each other’s’ glance.