On the eve of the holidays, the school curriculum is studying the story of the great science fiction writer Ray Bradbury "Vacation".
The writer has always delighted science fiction fans - the colorful images of his works are always complemented by deep meaning. With each story, Bradbury's boundless imagination opens up previously unknown worlds, colorful and fantastic.

Questions and tasks

1. Bradbury's story "Vacation" is quite complex. Read it carefully and think about what, combining fantasy and reality, the author wants to tell us, what to warn us about?

Bradbury tries to convey to the reader the main idea - “Any action entails certain consequences.” Weaving reality and fantasy, he reinforces and exaggerates the idea of ​​the complexity of life choices. When all the people around disappeared, the main characters of the story realized that they could not be happy without “this petty human vanity.”
He also tries to warn that every desire should be carefully considered. A dream cannot be momentary, born over a cup of tea on a Saturday evening, like the heroes of Bradbury’s science fiction story “Vacation.”

2. Read the story out loud. Why was there such strange silence around: “The sea was restless, and the sea was silent”?

With the help of such paradoxical phrases, Bradbury tries to prepare the reader: to create tension, and at the same time, to show that nothing is happening. The further development of the plot is fully consistent with this idea: There are no more people on the whole planet, that’s why it’s so quiet around. However, life goes on as usual, everything else (plants, animals, fish and birds) continues to develop. It seems that nature did not even notice that it had lost a whole part of itself.

Why was the railway made of rust?

Throughout Bradbury's story "Vacation" the development of the main idea can be traced - what is created by human hands exists as long as man himself exists. Who needs “tedious work” besides the worker, who will read books except the reader, what will happen to the railway if it is not repaired? Rust is a symbol of abandonment. The main characters of the story realized that they could not live in a world without people.

Why was the path finally destroyed?

Bradbury's story "Vacation" tells that the main characters, after several months of travel, were no longer happy on the road. Each stop was for them a way to remind themselves, at least for a short time, of their past life - with minor worries, unnecessary tasks and small joys. Therefore, every broken section of the tracks foreshadowed relief for tired travelers.

3. Bradbury paints a picture of a world from which people left a few months ago. What made them leave?

The writer makes it possible to imagine the distant future - when there will be no more people on the planet. The main characters of the story thought about this seriously, and their wish came true in one night - they were left alone on the entire globe.

What happens to the rest? Is it possible to be happy without people and without usual activities?

Those who remain go traveling, spending their time carefree, stopping where their hearts dictate. A few months later, during the next stop, the husband tells his wife how good it would be if everything returned: all the absurdities, the noise and din, evil people and stupid children, hopes, aspirations and love... As it turned out, human happiness is unthinkable without these components.

Ray Bradbury wants to tell the reader about this. “Holidays” is his little warning to people.

4. What kind of world do the father and mother of this small family dream of? How do they make their life plans? Why did the husband cry and wish to take everything back?

Before people disappear, the main characters dream of a world without violence, cruelty, overeating, and meaningless activities. They also want to take a 30-year vacation for themselves - to travel anywhere, not compete with more successful colleagues, not have to fill up the car and not get stuck in traffic jams.
Finding themselves in a world without people, the main characters plan only a couple of things - where they will go and how they will spend their time. All the usual worries are gone, and now the only people on the planet don’t know what to do. They only think about cities where it will be easier to survive.
The husband cried from hopelessness - he wanted to return everything back, but did not know how. Most likely, over several months of such a life, he had already thought about it more than once, not daring to speak out.

To most fully understand the meaning of what is happening to the main characters, it is worth reading “Vacation” (summary).

5. What do you think the boy wrote in the note? Why was the mother afraid that her son’s note was not their dream?

I think the boy just wanted to bring people back. He had no one to play with. The mother was afraid that her son would wish that she and his father would die like the others. She did not want to disappear like the rest of humanity - forever, just as quietly and without a trace.

6. How do you determine the meaning of the story, its title? What worries the writer and what do his works warn people against?

The meaning of Bradbury's story "Vacation" lies in a simple idea - you need to think through the consequences of your desires and actions in advance. Human life is not so simple that if you get rid of one factor, it will become happy. "Vacation" is the perfect title for a story. It fully reflects the essence of the work - prolonged idleness.
The writer is concerned that people often do not attach importance to important aspects of their lives, do not see the main thing, do not understand that without these very aspects life will become unbearable. Bradbury warns his readers against mistakes that cannot be corrected later.

Bradbury "Vacation": Summary

Deserted beach, sunny and carefree nature of the sandy shore. Bees are noisy, swarming, flowers are bending to the ground, the sea is raging. Rusty rails disturb the peace with their trembling - a two-cylinder railcar appears from behind a hillock. A family of husband, wife and son travels on it. They stop for a rest - they have run out of gas and need to fill it up from a spare canister. They unfold the tablecloth, sit down to eat, and remember the past.
A few months ago, one warm evening, a husband and wife were thinking about how nice it would be if all people disappeared. They didn't die, they just disappeared, as if they didn't exist. The next morning they wake up in complete silence - their wish has come true. Then they begin to travel - along the way, stock up in abandoned stores, spend the winter in large cities.
But at this halt. on the seashore, something is changing. The husband cries, arguing that he would like to return everything. The wife agrees. The son, angry with his parents, also cries, writes some wish on a piece of paper and, capping it in a bottle, throws it into the sea. A few hours later they hit the road again.

Bradbury's "Vacation" is distinguished by its subtlety and thoughtfulness. Analysis of the story allows you to understand what the writer wanted to say.

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“Vacation” you can remember the summary of the story in 3 minutes.

Bradbury "Vacation" summary

One evening, a man, in a conversation with his wife, said how great it would be if all people disappeared and only their family remained. There is no need to get up early, go to work or school, obey the boss, communicate with imaginary friends, or endure the dissatisfaction of others. If the world were empty, they could constantly travel, replenish food supplies in stores, and endless vacations would await them. Waking up in the morning, the husband and wife realized that they were left alone, all the people had disappeared somewhere. They were happy because holidays and travel awaited them.

The parents and the boy went on a trip on a trolley (a small railway cart). The family stopped for a snack because the gas ran out and the trolley stopped. There was not a single living soul around. The seven-year-old boy kept wondering: “Where have the people disappeared?” His parents explained to him that all the people disappeared at their request. They just woke up one morning and found no one. Thus began the endless holidays. Without stress, without work, without school, they decided to travel around the world. The woman felt guilty for what happened. But her husband reassured her, because people did not suffer, but simply disappeared. The boy cried and shouted at his parents.

The main characters, after several months of endless wanderings, began to regret their desire. They wanted the stupid children, people, all the hectic life, hopes to return. The son saw his father crying and concluded that the adults also had no one to play with. The boy wrote his deepest wish on a piece of paper and put it in a bottle, and threw this bottle into the sea. The woman never found out what was written there.

Ray Bradbury "Vacation" summary for the reader's diary You can leave it through the comment form.

Ray Bradbury will be remembered by many readers as a writer with a capital W, who managed to turn science fiction into real art. “Holidays,” a brief summary of which describes to us an alternative version of life on earth without people, touched on many topics vital for humanity. The story shows the inability to set certain goals for oneself, communicate with people around, misunderstanding of the feelings of loved ones, suffering from loneliness and boredom.

A senseless journey

Ray Bradbury wrote “Vacation,” a brief summary of which tells us that sometimes wishes can come true, to show an alternative scenario for the development of events that many people dream about. There are many on earth who want to separate themselves from the whole world, but what will happen if their wish comes true? The main characters of the story are a man, his wife and little son. They travel the world alone, traveling on a small railcar, stopping to rest and have a snack where the rails have to be repaired.

The day turned out to be fresh, butterflies are fluttering around, an atmosphere of peace and quiet reigns, but people are not happy about it. While the man was repairing the rails, his wife and son went down to the sea and laid out a tablecloth, laying out supplies on it. The husband changed into a formal suit, as if he was hoping to meet someone, but there was not a soul around. The family began to make plans for the future, using the atlas to determine which places they would visit. Ray Bradbury wanted to convey the loneliness and meaninglessness of life in his story. Vacations (the summary speaks of the mental suffering of both children and adults), it turns out, can also get boring.

Be afraid of your wishes, they may come true

The story “Vacation” by Ray Bradbury begins with the fact that one evening, sitting on the terrace, a man in a conversation with his wife said how great it would be if everyone disappeared, and only their family remained in the whole world. There is no need to get up early, go to work or school, obey the boss, communicate with imaginary friends, or endure the dissatisfaction of others. If the world were empty, they could constantly travel, replenish food supplies in stores, and endless vacations would await them. Waking up in the morning, the husband and wife realized that they were left alone, all the people had disappeared somewhere. They were happy because 30 years of happiness awaited them.

Regret for what you have done

In order to raise the issue of mutual understanding between people, Ray Bradbury wrote “Vacation”. The main characters, after several months of endless wanderings, began to regret their desire. While planning his further journey, the man began to cry, admitting to his wife that it would be nice to see in the morning that everything was the same as before: stupid children, evil people, all aspirations and hopes had returned. The son saw his father crying and concluded that the adults also had no one to play with.

People should listen to the wishes of loved ones, Ray Bradbury wanted to remind us of this. “Vacation,” a brief summary of which shows the reader the despair of a little boy and the confusion of his parents, told where people’s stupid desires can lead. The son did not want the fate that his mother and father predicted for him, he wrote a note, put it in a bottle, throwing it into the sea, desperately wanting his dream to come true.

Title of the work: Holidays

Year of writing: 1963

Genre: story

Main characters: boy, his mother And father.

Plot

The father of the family, tormented by the constant circulation of people around him, dreams of arranging the longest vacation for his family. He wants to be alone with his wife and son and take a break from work, society and endless stupid communication. He carelessly expresses his wish, and it unexpectedly comes true. The next morning, the family wakes up and finds no one nearby: neither neighbors, nor acquaintances, nor even a single person in their village. Then the family, having collected a basket of food, sets off on the longest journey of their lives along a narrow-gauge railway on a small “trolley”. They stop in those places that somehow attract their attention, rest and hit the road again. But there is no trace of a person anywhere. And the boy asks his father:

“Were there other people on earth before?”

Both the man and the woman regret that their wish came true; they are afraid that people disappeared due to their fault. And the boy writes his cherished wish on paper, puts this note in a bottle and throws it into the sea.

Conclusion (my opinion)

We don't always think about what will happen if our wish suddenly comes true. For the people in the story, it came true, but they did not become happy, now they are afraid of the future, they do not know what happened to people on earth, but they feel guilty for their disappearance. And the boy now blames his parents for their common misfortune.

American writer Ray Bradbury is one of the authors who were able to turn science fiction into art. In his novels and even short stories, Bradbury always touches on many topics that are important to everyone. The work “Vacation,” the genre of which can be defined as dystopia, shows readers why loneliness, the lack of clear life plans are scary, and why communication and the ability to find a common language with others is so important for us.

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Problems of the story

Ray Bradbury's work "Vacation" describes the possibility of life on earth without people. The main idea is “Be afraid of your wishes, they can come true.” The writer with his creativity tried to consider the following tasks:

• inability to set specific goals;
• excess communication with people;
• loneliness, boredom.

The main character wished for a certain development of events, but when it happened, he did not know what to do next and how to use the opportunity given to him.

Bradbury reminds his readers that although there are many people on earth who want to remain completely alone, they have no idea what to do later when their desire comes true. In the story, the writer touches on many problems of his time. The reader sees that the main characters, who realized their dream, did not become happier. What they dreamed of brought them awareness of their bitter fate.

For a modern person, people around them are not always pleasant and desirable; familiar activities cause boredom. The writer is trying to convey to his readers that without certain foundations and principles, the existence of society is impossible. Bradbury's creativity helps a person understand his essence and purpose in this world.

The main characters of the story are a husband and wife and their little son. Left alone in the whole world, they travel, stopping periodically. The writer tells us about their experiences and aspirations.

The story begins with a description of a beautiful summer morning, fresh and sunny. Clouds floated, butterflies and dragonflies flew, there was a smell of flowers and herbs. A handcar is moving along the railway, on which a husband and wife and their seven-year-old son are sitting. When the gasoline ran out, the travelers were forced to stop for a rest.

The boy constantly asks his parents where all the people have gone. From the words of the man and woman, it turns out that one morning the father made a wish that all people on earth would disappear, and they could rest only with their family. The man dreamed of no work, no bosses, no noisy surroundings, no obligations, etc. There would be constant summer around them.

The next morning they woke up and their wish came true. People disappeared, cities were overgrown with grass and flowers, birds sang, and the sounds of cars and mechanisms fell silent. After breakfast, the wife was afraid that her husband was not going to work. She still did not fully believe that, in fact, there was no one. The man laughed and joyfully said that he would no longer see a disgruntled boss or flattering employees. According to him, now they don’t owe anyone anything, their duty is to be happy. Thus began their lonely 30-year vacation.

The wife believed that they needed to have more children, but the husband said that their son would be the last person on earth. Then the world will belong to animals, birds and plants. Perhaps then another species of beings will arise that will combine natural curiosity with natural happiness and build a different world. The family gathers and goes on an endless journey through desert cities.

The boy's mother blames herself a little for the disappearance of people, but her husband reassures her, saying that they did not suffer, they just disappeared and that's all. Having rested, the family decides to move on. The father takes the atlas to pave the way forward, and then his wife sees a tear fall onto the paper. The man cannot stand it and says that he really wants people to return to the world, and everything will be as before.

The boy hears his parents' conversation and also begins to cry. He runs away to the sea, and there he writes his wish on paper, seals it in a bottle and throws it into the water. The parents don't know what he wrote about. The family again continues its difficult, lonely route through a deserted world.

Conclusions from Bradbury's story

Bradbury's book "Vacation" clearly demonstrates the despair of people who have not coped with their desires. The child does not want a repeat of the fate of his parents; he wants to return the world to its previous state.

Due to their haste, people found themselves in complete isolation and the long-awaited holidays became a tedious wait to meet anyone. The father of the family put on a formal suit and hat for the trip, as if he was constantly looking forward to meeting people who had previously been unpleasant to him. But he realized that it was impossible to live alone. While making his wish, he did not think about what would happen next. He didn't even care what it would be like for his son when he remained the only inhabitant of the earth. Now the man had an epiphany.

The writer makes it clear through his narration that a person cannot exist alone. To live, we all need:

• society;
• moral principles;
• foundations, traditions.

Even if the people around us are not always pleasant to us, we must adapt and take into account the interests of others. “Holidays” speaks of the mental suffering of adults and children. The father is worried about his stupid desire, and the boy understands that adults are also wrong. He wants to correct his father's mistakes and makes efforts to do this. study at the link.