Ray Bradbury's short story "The Scythe" follows farmer Drew Erickson and his encounter with a mysterious scythe. Erickson finds the scythe in his fields and notices his crops growing unusually fast. He later realizes the scythe is causing the deaths of people in the village. Erickson's wife Molly tries to save him by reading from the Bible, but the scythe continues to control Erickson. It eventually drives him to burn down his own home and farm, fulfilling his fate as a servant of the Grim Reaper. The story serves as a warning about defying one's destiny and the dark powers of death itself.

1. PowerPoint by
Nicholas Shewprasad

2. Early Life
• Born on August 22, 1922
• Had a very happy childhood
• Had an obsession over
adventure books and the
magicians/magic
• Avidly read Frank Baum,
Edgar Rice Burroughs, and
Jules Verne
• Made a decision to be a
writer by the age of 12 or
13, but changed his mind
numerous times

3. Growing Up
• Many scholars give credit to
Bradbury’s loving family who
is responsible for nurturing
Bradbury’s interests.
• Bradbury loved to write
stories about his family as
expressed within his early
stories.

4. Home = “Greentown”
• Bradbury wrote a short story, “Greentown” in
which emulated Waukegan, IL where he grew up.
• Within the story, Bradbury’s uncle can fly, a
traveling circus becomes a school for the
supernatural, and his grandparents provide
shelter for Charles Dickens.
– Most of his early stories did not fall under the horror
genre.
• Because his family would move between Illinois
and Arizona frequently, Bradbury wanted to
create a perfect town, free of problems.

5. Teenage Years
• In 1931, Bradbury moved to
Los Angeles.
• He would go through
Hollywood trying to spot
celebrities.
• Made friends with Ray
Harryhausen (special effects
master) and radio star
George Burns).
• Tried to write like Poe when
he was eighteen, but
decided a unique style was
needed

6. Teenage Years
• George Burns recognized Bradbury’s talent as
a writer for the Burns and Allen Show.
– Bradbury would write jokes, clearly not part of the
horror genre!

7. High School
• Bradbury attended Los Angeles high school
where he participated in the drama club
• His future goal was to be an actor, but
changed to writer when two of his teachers
encouraged his writing abilities.
• Bradbury’s works were all influenced by these
two women, Snow Longley Housh and Jeannet
Johnson.

8. Post High School
• Bradbury graduated in 1938, but did not
attend college.
• Instead he educated himself, by reading
newspapers and going to the library to read.
• He would write short stories about the current
issues in the news, embellished with his twist
of events.

9. A Rising Career
• Bradbury’s first published story was
“Hollerbochen's Dilemma” which was printed
in a fan magazine called Imagination!
– Story about Hollerbochen who knows he will die
the next day.

10. Continuing Career
• In 1941, Bradbury was
paid to print the short
story “Pendulum”
within Super Science
Stories, a magazine.
• To strengthen his
skills, Bradbury
received mentoring
from Henry Kuttner,
Leigh Brackett, Robert
Heinlein and Henry
Hasse.

11. Marriage
• Bradbury wed Marguerite McClure in 1947
– She was a clerk at a book shop where Bradbury visited
often.
• At the wedding, Ray Harryhausen (famous visual
effects creator) served as best man.
• Bradbury had four daughters
– Susan, Ramona, Bettina, Alexandra

12. Rocketing into Science Fiction
• Bradbury entered science fiction where he
became a leading pioneer of the genre .
• Reputation skyrocketed with a science fiction
novel called The Martian Chronicles.
– The story envelopes man struggle to survive on a
distance planet
– This novel alludes to the 1950s conflicts such as
censorship, nuclear war, racism, and foreign
politics.

13. Fahrenheit 451
• Bradbury’s most famous work, released 1953
• Takes place in a Totalitarian regime
• Chronicles the story of Montag, who relishes
burning books, a law implemented by the
government.
• Montag begins to question his acts, steals
books, and then is educated by a professor
• When discovered Montag runs away.

14. Awards
• O. Henry Memorial Award
• Benjamin Franklin Award (1954)
• Aviation-Space Writer's Association Award for
Best Space Article in an American Magazine
(1967)
• World Fantasy Award for Lifetime
Achievement
• Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction
Writers of America

15. Film Adaptations
• Alfred Hitchcock asked Bradbury to help
create some episodes for the TV series Alfred
Hitchcock Presents
– “Shopping for Death”
– “Design for Loving”
– “Special Delivery”
– “The Life Work of Juan Diaz”
– “The Jar” – 1 hour episode

16. Later Life
• Bradbury wrote numerous stories incorporating
horror and science fiction.
• Bradbury has received most of his recognition for
Fahrenheit 451 (science fiction)
• In 1980, a film adaptation of The Martian
Chronicles was created, greatly disappointing
Bradbury.
• He was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of
Fame.
• Ray Bradbury passed away at the age of 91 on
June 6, 2012

17. Lasting Impressions
• Bradbury has an asteroid named after him 9766
Bradbury
• Was a key player in the 1964 World’s Fair in New
York, creating the script for the US Pavilion.
• Contributed his knowledge of science to Disney’s
Spaceship Earth at EPCOT (WDW) and Orbitron at
Disneyland parks in Paris and Anaheim.
• Bradbury discusses his accomplishments:
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTXckvj7KL4

18. But what about horror?
• Bradbury’s works of horror include:
– The Martian Chronicles
– The October Country
– “The Jar”
– “The Fog Horn”
– “Marionettes Inc.”
– “The April Witch”
– “The Scythe” – (today’s reading)

19. Science Fiction vs. Horror
• Although not as well know for his horror
stories as his science fiction stories, Bradbury
incorporates horror into most of his stories.
• The Martian Chronicles is classified as a
horror/science fiction novel
• Bradbury craftily incorporates human feeling
into his writings, evoking emotion.

20. “The Scythe”
By
Ray Bradbury

21. Scythe
• What is a scythe?
– “an implement used for
mowing (as grass) and
composed of a long
curving blade fastened
at an angle to a long
handle” (Merriam
Webster Dictionary)
– First began use in the
12th century as an
effective way of mowing
grain/corn

22. Drew Erickson
• Main character
• Established as a farmer in the second
paragraph by his “farmer hands”
• His hands are mentioned again in paragraph 7
and again in paragraph 10.
– Could this be foreshadowing something?
• Clearly Drew is a hard worker and clearly life
does not like him

23. First Encounter (Page 2 bottom)
• Importance of the quote
– What does it mean?
– Notice how Bradbury foreshadows something to
happen later (last sentence of passage)

24. The Curious Crop (Page 3 center)
• What is happening here?

25. Scythe Takes Over (Page 4 bottom)
• Notice any repeated diction?
• Notice Bradbury mentions Hell a few times.
What could this mean?
– Foreshadowing Erickson’s fate as the Grim Reaper

26. Page 5 – Sudden Realization
• Erickson realizes he has killed people by
cutting the grain
• Is there any significance of Molly reading the
Bible to Drew?
– I thought it was a way of purifying Drew and
getting rid of his sin as the Grim Reaper
– Removing his “possession” by the Grim Reaper

27. Return of the Reaper (Page 8 top)
• Importance of the first passage?
• Notice the quote emblazoned on the scythe
returns again, but is repeated twice, like a
motto that Erickson must reap the souls to.

28. Scene of Fire (Page 10 center)
• Why is this scene important?
– Alludes to Hell
• This will complete his fate as the Grim Reaper.

29. Erickson tries to defy fate
• What happens to Erickson’s family?
• Who was to blame? Why?

30. Fate of the Grim Reaper
• What is the Grim Reaper causing? Name events.

31. End of Story
• Erickson becomes obsessed with the scythe
and it eventually controls his life.
• What did you think about the ending?
• Bradbury creates clues by using diction that is
repeated over and over.
• Bradbury leaves an impression that the Grim
Reaper causes turmoil and who knows when
your life will get cut?