Bainbridge College August 2026 There Will Come Soft Rains Analysis Essay There are 3 tasks to be completed.. Task 1 Thesis: This task does not need to be

Bainbridge College August 2026 There Will Come Soft Rains Analysis Essay There are 3 tasks to be completed..

Task 1 Thesis: This task does not need to be very long. (300 words or so not including thesis)

Develop a working thesis statement and apply a literary criticism theory to support your claim. Address the following:

the school or theory of literary criticism you will be employing, and the reason you chose it
your working thesis statement in bold.
any discoveries you have made about your topic through your research

Task 2 Annotated Bibliography:

Next, post an annotated bibliography with at least three academic sources that you plan to use for your researched essay. Compose these as though they are entries in a Works Cited page. Make certain that they are listed in alphabetical order and use correct MLA format.
For each source, as you have done before, include 2-3 sentences summarizing the source, 2-3 sentences evaluating the source, and 2-3 sentences reflecting on how you will use the source in your final researched essay. Be sure and look at the feedback you received from your past annotated bibliography discussions to guide you in this one. You can also review the sources in the past bibliographies of your classmates for inspiration, but be careful not to plagiarize.

Task 3 Research Paper:

You are to research and write about the subject of one of your past essays (see attached) from through the lens of one of the schools/theories of literary criticism. You should take this opportunity to improve your existing essay, using the graded rubric and the feedback from your instructor. Then, substantially revise the essay to include claims and textual evidence that support an argument/thesis that reflects the influence of your chosen school of literary criticism.

You will closely review the main idea or claim of your paper and consider if your thesis statement is strong (not obvious). In other words, does your main argument (thesis) convey your own unique view of the text?
Make sure that the literary critical theory you’re choosing is applicable to your topic of discussion (thesis).
Check that the scholarly sources listed in your annotated bibliography provide evidence and support of your thesis.
Make sure that your introduction states clearly what you will discuss in your paper.
Look at the topic sentence in each paragraph of your text to make sure that it points to (supports) your thesis.
Integrate text from your scholarly sources that support (provides evidence and moves your discussion further) your thesis.
Provide your own explanation and elaboration) of any quotations or paraphrased material from your three sources. Avoid the use of “hanging quotations.” Do not include a quotation from one of your sources without providing your own explanation.
Make sure that your conclusion summarizes your main points and reminds the reader of your thesis.
Grading Criteria:
The introduction and the specificity and development of your thesis
Your supporting claims, logic, and organization
The quality of your writing, to include paragraph development and organization: topic sentences, conclusions, transitions, etc.
Your scholarly sources – your understanding of the articles (at least three) and how well these support your claim
Your understanding and application of literary criticism to support your claim (thesis)
Your engagement with the text (your integration of supporting quotations and how well you explain these)
Your conclusion
Format: You are required to use MLA style for all writing assignments. Proper MLA citation and a correctly formatted Works Cited page (12-point font, Times New Roman, double spacing, one-inch margins, Last name and page number on each page, etc.). Please refer to the Purdue Online Writing Lab for MLA formatting and style guide. Include your name, instructor’s name, the title of the class, and the date in the upper left-hand corner of the first page. Center your title (you do not need to underline or italicize it) and place it above the body of the essay. Do not include a title page.
Be sure to maintain an appropriate academic tone (no slang, second-person, contractions, etc.)
Length Requirement: 750-1000 word Sanders 1
Ericca Sanders
Professor James
ENGL 1102 Short Story Analysis
March 25, 2020
“August 2026: There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury- the Power and Dangers of
Technology
“There Will Come Soft Rains” is a science fiction short story by the author Ray
Bradbury. First published on May 6, 1950 (Collier’s), the story tells the story of an automated
house in the post-apocalyptic world, with no characters, except for a dog (the family’s pet) that
eventually dies of radiation poisoning following a nuclear disaster that killed everyone. Indeed,
the story describes how technology is useful and has the potential of making life easier and more
convenient yet powerful and potentially destructive- owing to the nuclear disaster that kills
everything in its path and finally makes the house catch fire, dying off. The short story is an
attempt at understanding the dynamics and this apparent juxtaposition of technology, through its
convenience in making everyday life convenient to its omnipotence, a frightening ability of
technology to destroy its creators. The story is centered on technology as its central theme but
explored under these two juxtaposing points of view- convenience versus the risk of an
apocalypse.
The futuristic story explores a typical day in the house- cooking, cleaning and all manner
of household chores are performed by the house, without human involvement before the house
finally catches fire, stopping all mechanical systems and ‘dying off’ with the married couple,
their two children and their pet.
1
Sanders 2
Automated voice boxes are hidden within the walls of the house announce the time, date,
location, weather and notable events of the day. In the second paragraph of the story a voice
stemming from the kitchen ceiling gave all this information at around seven o’clock in the
morning when the voice-clock in the living room announced the time (pg 1):
“Today is August 4, 2026,” ……….” In the city of Allendale, California” (pg 1).
The same voice reported on the day’s major events:
“Today is Mr. Featherstone’s birthday. Today is the anniversary of Tilita’s marriage” (pg
1).
The system was so thorough and efficiency that it repeated the date and the events at least
thrice, for the sake of ‘memory’ (pg 1). It even reminded the family to go about their duties for
the day, at eight o’clock, instructing the parents to go to work and the children to school. The
automated and mechanical stove then made breakfast for the absent family members, with robot
cleaning-mice getting out of their makeshift burrows to carry any small food debris dropped by
the family. These follow a string of other automated events by the house until it eventually
catches fire.
The author’s use of deceased characters (the family), orderliness and coordination of the
high-tech mechanical system and mono-dialogue, the announcement of events by the machine
are valuable in setting the thematic tone of the story. It heightens the mood and accentuates the
effects of imagery, used by the author in the short story. It delves well into a life in the day of the
family, without the family’s presence. It effectively articulates the usefulness and effectiveness
of technology through showing continuity of daily activities despite the presence of the family.
2
Sanders 3
Ray Bradbury needed to set the story in a presumably post-apocalyptic period in
Allendale California because it helped to clearly articulate the central theme of the story (at least
according to yours truly). The absence of life, albeit despite the continuity of daily activities in
the emanates an eerie mood of death. It induces wonder, reflection on people (the family that
used to live in the house). They were living a modern futuristic lifestyle, as described by the
story, with anniversaries, birthdays, school, work, and so on. Their lives were cut short by an
unfortunate nuclear disaster. The irony of the story is the fact these lives were made more
comfortable by technology but destroyed, rather suddenly by technology itself. This
juxtaposition and eerie tone of the story forms the essence of the story. It is what makes the story
a great piece of literary work.
In conclusion, it is evident that Ray Bradbury was describing and extreme yet possible
event. The story is an eerie description of an apocalypse created by our frantic attempt to
advance and continuously improve on technology and how we make use of it. It describes a sorry
utopia where humans do not cook, clean or remember things on their own. It describes how this
frantic attempt was our downfall. It showed the two sides of technology- the useful and the
dangerous, in an eerie way made possible by science fiction.
3
Sanders 4
Works Cited
Bradbury, Ray. August 2026: There Will Come Soft Rains A Short Story by Ray Bradbury. 6 May
1950. https://ia800505.us.archive.org/2/items/RayBradburySoftRains/There%20Will%20Come%20Soft%20Rains%20-%20Ray%20Bradbury.pdf Accessed
25 March 2020
4

Purchase answer to see full
attachment