What are five ways that the Hadleys are bad parents?
In "The Veldt," Bradbury portrays the Hadley's as bad parents in the following ways.
Firstly, their purchase of the Happylife Home nursery suggests that they are bad parents because they buy it so that it can make their lives easier. Specifically, the nursery takes care of the children so that the parents don't have to.
Secondly, the Hadley's intend to punish their children by locking the nursery and prohibiting their children from reading about Africa. By punishing the children for the nursery's scene, they are blaming the children for a mistake that is not theirs.
Thirdly, despite saying that they will shut off the nursery, George relents by letting his son "play in Africa." Given that he and his wife are frightened by the African images, this shows that George and Lydia do not have their children's safety at heart.
Fourthly, George and Lydia are bad parents because of the amount of smoking and drinking they do, as we see through this line:
You smoke a little more every morning and drink a little more every afternoon, and you are taking more pills to help you sleep at night.
Finally, George and Lydia are bad parents because they feel resentment towards their children:
They’re unbearable—let’s admit it. They come and go when they like; they treat us as if we were the children in the family.
Ironically, George and Lydia cannot see that this is their fault: had they spent time with the children instead of just spending money on them, the children would not act in this manner.
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