Zero Hour (Bradbury): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 14:10, 12 September 2023

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Zero Hour

1947

Summary of the Short Story

Microsummary: A group of children, led by a seven-year-old girl, played a game called 'Invasion', which turned out to be a real alien invasion using children as their fifth column.

In a suburban neighborhood, children were playing a new game called "Invasion". The game was led by a seven-year-old girl named Mink, who was known for her loud and strong personality.

👧🏻

Mink Morris — seven-year-old girl; leader of the 'Invasion' game; loud, strong, and definite.

The game involved the children gathering household items and assembling them in the yard. Mink explained to her mother that they were helping beings from another planet invade Earth. She said that these beings had chosen to work with children because adults were too skeptical to believe in their existence.

Invasion!” said Mink. The door slammed.

As the day went on, the children's game intensified. Mink's mother, Mrs. Morris, became increasingly uneasy.

👩🏻

Mrs. Morris — Mink's mother; initially dismissive of the game, later becomes fearful.

She noticed a strange buzzing sound and an unusual light coming from the yard. When her husband came home from work, she convinced him to hide with her in the attic.

👨🏻

Mr. Morris — Mink's father; unaware of the true nature of the 'Invasion' game.

As they hid, they heard the children entering the house, led by Mink. The strange buzzing sound grew louder and the attic door lock melted. Mink opened the door and greeted her parents, indicating that the "invasion" had begun.

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 | Literary form = short story
 | Year of publication = 1947
-| Microsummary = Children across the country played a game called 'Invasion,' unknowingly helping extraterrestrial beings invade Earth, while their unsuspecting parents dismissed it as harmless fun until it was too late.
+| Microsummary = A group of children, led by a seven-year-old girl, played a game called 'Invasion', which turned out to be a real alien invasion using children as their fifth column.
 }}
 {{Start of text}}
-In a peaceful suburban neighborhood, children were excitedly playing a new game called "Invasion." The game involved gathering household items like spoons, wrenches, and pipes to create a mysterious apparatus. The children claimed that they were helping beings from outer space invade Earth. The adults, amused by the children's wild imaginations, dismissed the game as harmless fun.
+In a suburban neighborhood, children were playing a new game called "Invasion". The game was led by a seven-year-old girl named Mink, who was known for her loud and strong personality.
-Mink, a seven-year-old girl, was the leader of the group. She claimed to be in communication with a being named Drill, who was guiding the children in their efforts.
 {{Character
 | Name = Mink Morris
-| Description = seven-year-old girl; loud, strong, and determined; leader of the Invasion game in her neighborhood
+| Description = seven-year-old girl; leader of the 'Invasion' game; loud, strong, and definite
 | Emoji = 👧🏻
 }}
-{{Character
+The game involved the children gathering household items and assembling them in the yard. Mink explained to her mother that they were helping beings from another planet invade Earth. She said that these beings had chosen to work with children because adults were too skeptical to believe in their existence.
-| Name = Drill
-| Description = extraterrestrial being; manipulates children to help with the invasion; mysterious, cunning
-| Emoji = 👽
-}}
-"Invasion!" said Mink. The door slammed.
 {{Quote
-| Text = Invasion! said Mink. The door slammed.
+| Text = Invasion!” said Mink. The door slammed.
-| Context = This quote is when Mink tells her mother the name of the game she and the other children are playing. It happens early in the story, setting the stage for the events to come.
+| Context = This quote is said by Mink when her mother asked her about the name of the game they were playing. It foreshadows the actual invasion that happens later in the story.
 }}
-Mink's mother, Mrs. Morris, was initially entertained by the game but grew increasingly uneasy as the day went on. She noticed strange occurrences, such as a buzzing sound and Mink's ability to make a yo-yo disappear and reappear.
+As the day went on, the children's game intensified. Mink's mother, Mrs. Morris, became increasingly uneasy.
 {{Character
 | Name = Mrs. Morris
-| Description = Mink's mother; initially amused by the game, but later becomes suspicious and fearful
+| Description = Mink's mother; initially dismissive of the game, later becomes fearful
 | Emoji = 👩🏻
 }}
-As the designated "zero hour" approached, Mrs. Morris became increasingly anxious. She tried to convince her husband, Henry, that something was wrong, but he dismissed her concerns.
+She noticed a strange buzzing sound and an unusual light coming from the yard. When her husband came home from work, she convinced him to hide with her in the attic.
 {{Character
 | Name = Mr. Morris
-| Description = Mink's father; unaware of the true nature of the game until the very end
+| Description = Mink's father; unaware of the true nature of the 'Invasion' game
 | Emoji = 👨🏻
 }}
-In a panic, Mrs. Morris locked herself and her husband in the attic, believing it would protect them from the impending invasion.
+As they hid, they heard the children entering the house, led by Mink. The strange buzzing sound grew louder and the attic door lock melted. Mink opened the door and greeted her parents, indicating that the "invasion" had begun.
-As the clock struck five, the neighborhood was rocked by a series of explosions. The children's laughter turned to screams of delight, and heavy footsteps filled the Morris home. Mink led a group of beings into the house, searching for her parents. The attic door melted away, revealing Mink and the invaders. The beings had used the children's innocence and imagination to infiltrate Earth, and the invasion had begun.
-"They're going to let us run the world. Well, not just us, but the kids over in the next block, too. I might be queen."
-{{Quote
-| Text = They're going to let us run the world. Well, not just us, but the kids over in the next block, too. I might be queen.
-| Context = Mink tells her mother about Drill's promises to the children if they help with the invasion. This occurs during a conversation between Mink and her mother at lunchtime.
-}}
-"Peek-a-boo," said Mink.
 {{End of text}}