Both stories, “The Commuter” by Phillip K. Dick and “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury, display examples of alternate realities. In “The Commuter,” we follow Bob Paine on his journey to discovering Macon Heights, a town that was nonexistent until Paine went on the B train himself to look for it. While on the train the city went from dark fields to a modern city with thousands of residents and Paine realized that Macon Heights was warping the city and changing a significant amount of it in the process. Everything was changing to the point where he couldn’t remember if any of the businesses were in his city before.
On the other hand, “The Veldt” was more about a smart home with a nursery that can cater to a child’s every desire. The house did everything for the family in it, from tying their shoes to giving them baths, so it’s safe to say they were relying on the house to maintain them. A direct result of this led to the children having the luxury of the nursery was the constant thought of Africa where the lions are feeding on unrecognizable meat. It got to the point where the parents no longer had control of the nursery and the children were becoming threatening towards them. The crystal walls in the nursery were meant for things to be superficial, however it was discovered by the end of the story that the lions were able to attack the parents.
Both stories are similar in the sense that in each one, the characters didn’t know what to expect from the situations and in both of them, the unthinkable happened. For “The Veldt,” it was that the parents got eaten by the lions and for “The Commuter,” it was that the town actually showed up and Paine was able to come back on time before things changed even more. Despite this, the difference between the stories are that the main alternate universe in “The Veldt” was in the “crystal walls” in the nursery, and the alternate universe in “The Commuter” is the town that appeared. I think that “The Veldt” was trying to show how an excessive amount of technological advancements can negatively affect people, especially children undergoing development. This is shown through the importance and respect the children give the house and the nursery. I think they want us to take note of the hold technology has over us and take action to limit it before it gets too serious. As for “The Commuter,” I believe that the story was trying to show that instead of searching for something more, we should appreciate what we already have before it changes to the point where it’s unrecognizable.
In the Commuter, a decision in the past comes into the current reality. What past decision in American history would you see changed and brought into the modern times?
I like how ‘descriptive’ you were about both settings. It allowed me to visualize it more clearly.
I like the connection you were able to make between the two stories. Both stories have a very “expect the unexpected” nature to them and you explained that very well, great job.
“[W]e should appreciate what we already have before it changes to the point where it’s unrecognizable.” will always be a profound statement, not only in a science fiction setting. People need to appreciate their life in the present, and not just hope for a better future.