Zero Hour by Ray Bradbury: Summary and Analysis
‘Zero Hour’ is a compelling short story penned by the renowned American author Ray Bradbury (1920-2012), featured in his acclaimed 1953 collection The Illustrated Man. Set in a futuristic America, the narrative delves into the unsettling friendship between a young girl and an alien who seeks her assistance in orchestrating an invasion of Earth, targeting the adults. Readers can access ‘Zero Hour’ here before diving into our detailed summary and analysis below. The story typically takes about fifteen minutes to read.
Summary
In a near-future New York, during an era that reflects the late twentieth century, the world seems to have achieved an uneasy peace. At the heart of the story is a young girl named Mink, who rushes into her parents’ home, requesting kitchen utensils. When her mother, Mrs. Morris, inquires about the purpose of these items, Mink excitedly reveals that she is engaged in a thrilling new game titled Invasion.
This game appears to have captivated children across the nation, while older kids show little interest. A twelve-year-old boy named Joe expresses a desire to join Mink and her friends, but she dismisses him, believing he would mock their play. From the safety of her home, Mrs. Morris observes Mink seemingly conversing with a rosebush in the garden, while her friend Anna diligently scribbles notes on a pad.
During lunch, Mink is initially reluctant to eat her soup but ultimately submits to her mother’s insistence. She argues that the game they are playing is a matter of life and death, mentioning that a mysterious being named Drill is waiting for her. When Mrs. Morris presses for more details, Mink claims Drill is an alien from Mars—or perhaps Jupiter or Saturn—who is part of a group planning to invade Earth. According to Mink, the aliens found a clever way to enlist the help of small children, as adults are too preoccupied to notice their hidden presence.
Mink excitedly shares that Drill has promised her that once the invasion occurs, she will be free from baths and allowed to stay up late, as the aliens regard adults as dangerous due to their disbelief in Martians. At first, Mrs. Morris humors her daughter, dismissing her tales as mere childhood fantasy.
Later, Mrs. Morris converses with her friend Helen via a futuristic videophone, discovering that Helen’s son is also engaged in the Invasion game and has befriended a character named Drill. They reminisce about their own childhood games that involved enemies like Japanese soldiers and Nazis during the late 1940s. Mink then enters with a peculiar yo-yo that mysteriously disappears when it hits the ground. She announces that she must go outside again, as ‘zero hour’ is approaching at five o’clock, less than an hour away.
As the time draws near, Mrs. Morris ventures into the garden, noticing one of Mink’s friends fleeing in tears. Mink informs her mother that Peggy Ann has outgrown the game. Mrs. Morris watches as Mink meticulously arranges the borrowed tools and utensils on the lawn, attempting to form a specific shape, claiming this will allow Drill and his companions to come through once she gets it right.
When Mr. Morris returns home from work, a strange buzzing sound fills the air, followed by a loud explosion. Alarmed, Mrs. Morris and her bewildered husband rush to the attic for safety. As they lock themselves inside, they hear footsteps approaching. Suddenly, the lock on the attic door melts, and Mink appears at the door, accompanied by ‘tall blue shadows’ behind her, playfully saying, ‘Peekaboo.’
Analysis
In many ways, ‘Zero Hour’ can be analyzed alongside the opening tale of The Illustrated Man, titled ‘The Veldt’. Both stories explore the unsettling theme of children conspiring in the demise of their parents, provoking unease by illustrating how young children can harbor the capacity for horrendous actions. Bradbury’s narrative is particularly chilling as the children perceive the murder of their parents as a mere game, blissfully unaware of the horror that lies ahead.
In ‘The Veldt’, a cutting-edge nursery in a modern family home conjures lifelike lions and other animals from the African veldt. However, the room also fosters destructive thoughts in the two children toward their parents. Ultimately, the parents are (seemingly) devoured by the lions, who have transitioned from mere simulations to actual threats. The children orchestrate their parents’ entrapment within the deadly nursery.
The similarities with ‘Zero Hour’ are unmistakable: both narratives feature an external influence that turns children against their parents, contrasting the perceptions of children with those of adults. Additionally, both stories depict the parents taking refuge together before facing their grim fate. The off-page nature of the parents’ demise heightens the stories’ chilling impact.
However, ‘Zero Hour’ introduces two distinctive elements not found in ‘The Veldt’. Firstly, Bradbury cleverly utilizes the well-known concept of the imaginary friend, a psychological phenomenon prevalent in young children but often abandoned as they grow older. This allows both Mrs. Morris and the readers to initially dismiss Mink’s tales of ‘Drill’ as mere childish fantasies.
Secondly, Bradbury offers a fresh perspective on the well-trodden science fiction trope of alien invasion. By the late 1940s, this narrative device was already familiar to audiences, with H.G. Wells having crafted the definitive version in his 1898 novel The War of the Worlds. Mink’s uncertainty about Drill’s origins, whether from Mars or another planet, reflects this novelty. By incorporating young children into the aliens’ invasion plan and framing it as a game, the aliens manage to outsmart the unsuspecting parents.
Mink’s psychology also warrants close examination. She exhibits disdain for older children, like Joe, and even for younger ones like Peggy Ann, as they age out of the game. Her impatience with her mother’s inquiries reveals her belief that adults cannot comprehend the gravity of the situation. If we attempt to view ‘Zero Hour’ symbolically, it may serve as an allegory for childhood attitudes toward parents that are often suppressed, surfacing instead in destructive fantasies and games like Invasion. In this narrative, the game turns out to be all too real, yet Mink still perceives it as a game, as evidenced by her final playful utterance, ‘Peekaboo.’
Sigmund Freud once posited the concept of the family romance, wherein children fantasize that they will be rescued from their ordinary parents to discover they are the offspring of kings or other notable figures. One can speculate whether Bradbury was aware of this theory, as it resonates with Mink’s declaration that she ‘might be queen’ in the new world order ushered in by her alien ‘parents’.