Elements In Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine

There are many elements within the book Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury that you have to read closely to catch. While he is more widely known for his science fiction and dystopian novels, Bradbury can write a very detailed realistic fiction. Therefore, we will have to dig deeper to find the true meaning of Bradbury's words. The certain elements that I will explore include character, themes, style, plot, and setting. The characters in Dandelion Wine are crucial to the plot of the book, especially Doug. He faces many things that shape his opinions, or "Revelations," about life. An example of this is when John Huff left, and Doug realized that people are not always dependable, and they will leave. This happens again when the trolley goes out of business, and Doug learns that the best way to keep something alive is by remembering it. Another example is when Great-Grandma died. Doug faced the …show more content…
The book is set in 1928 Green Town, Illinois. The time period in which this book is set is very important because of the view on machines at the time. In 1928, machines were a very new concept, and many people did not know whether or not to trust them. Bradbury had a very cautious view on machines, and it comes through a lot in the book. If the book had not been set in 1928, then I believe the theme "technology should not be used to replace everything" would not be so evident. The fact that it is set in a small town is also important. If Green Town had not been as small as it was, I don't believe some of the "magic" mentioned at the end of the book would exist for example, on page 234, the text states, "...Mr. Jonas, wherever you are, you're thanked, you're paid back. I passed it on." The magic that Mr. Jonas passed to Doug comes from the small town feeling. I think that the "magic" theme comes from the kindness passed around in the small town. That is how the setting relates to the themes of this