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FREE PLOT SUMMARY / SYNOPSIS: THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES
March 2000: The Taxpayer
CHARACTERS
Pritchard
An American taxpayer.
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CONFLICT
Protagonist
Pritchard, who wishes to go to Mars to avoid atomic war on Earth.
Antagonist
The American government, who ignores him.
Climax
His demand to join the third expedition falls on deaf ears.
Outcome
He remains on Earth.
THEMES
Escape from a horrible situation and a false sense of entitlement. The
phrase "I'm a taxpayer" is often used to protest perceived poor
treatment at the hands of the government.
Summary
Pritchard demands to go to Mars to avoid atomic war on Earth, but is
refused.
Notes
The foreshadowing of an atomic war is brought to the forefront in this brief
vignette. Pritchard's desperation seems unwarranted: he may be considered
a crank, someone whose dissatisfactions are out of proportion from the
reality of the situation. And yet, there are subtle hints in other stories
that indicate the extent of the problem: that only Americans make the
voyage to Mars, indicating a strong rift in international relations; the
disillusionment about humanity that Spender expresses quite fatally on
the fourth expedition. In a way, Pritchard is a prophet unheeded by his
people.
Downloadable / Printable Version
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury: Free Summary
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Cite this page:
Mescallado, Ray. "TheBestNotes on The Martian Chronicles".
TheBestNotes.com.
. 12 May 2008 |