Dark They Were and Golden Eyed is a science fiction short story by Ray Bradbury that explores the themes of alienation and transformation. Set on Mars, it follows the Bittering family as they grapple with their identity and the fear of being stranded after communication with Earth ceases. As they adapt to their new environment, they undergo subtle changes that challenge their humanity. This narrative delves into the psychological impacts of colonization and the essence of belonging, making it a thought-provoking read for fans of speculative fiction and Bradbury's work.

Key Points

  • Explores themes of alienation and transformation in a Martian setting
  • Follows the Bittering family as they adapt to life on Mars
  • Examines the psychological impacts of colonization and identity
  • Highlights the tension between human nature and alien environments
newtopiccyclegrowin
Author:Ray Bradbury
12 pages
Language:English
Type:Novel
Science Fiction
newtopiccyclegrowin
Author:Ray Bradbury
12 pages
Language:English
Type:Novel
Science Fiction
305
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DARK THEY WERE AND GOLDEN-EYED
BY RAY BRADBURY
THE rocket's metal cooled in the meadow winds. Its lid gave a bulging pop. From its
clock interior stepped a man, a woman, and three children. The other passengers
whispered away across the Martian meadow, leaving the man alone among his family.
The man felt his hair flutter and the tissues of his body draw tight as if he were
standing at the centre of a vacuum. His wife, before him, trembled. The children, small
seeds, might at any instant be sown to all the Martian climes.
The children looked up at him. His face was cold.
'What's wrong?' asked his wife.
'Let's get back on the rocket.'
'Go back to Earth?'
'Yes! Listen!'
The wind blew, whining. At any moment the Martian air might draw his soul
from him, as marrow comes from a white bone.
He looked at Martian hills that time had worn with a crushing pressure of years.
He saw the old cities, lost and lying like children's delicate bones among the blowing
lakes of grass.
'Chin up, Harry,' said his wife. 'It's too late. We've come at least sixty-five million
miles or more.'
The children with their yellow hair hollered at the deep dome of Martian sky.
There was no answer but the racing hiss of wind through the stiff grass.
He picked up the luggage in his cold hands. 'Here we go,' he said – a man
standing on the edge of a sea, ready to wade in and be drowned.
They walked into town.
Their name was Bittering. Harry and his wife Cora; Tim, Laura, and David. They
built a small white cottage and ate good breakfasts there, but the fear was never gone. It
lay with Mr Bittering and Mrs Bittering, a third unbidden partner at every midnight talk,
at every dawn awakening.
'I feel like a salt crystal,' he often said, 'in a mountain stream, being washed away.
We don't belong here. We're Earth people. This is Mars. It was meant for Martians. For
heaven's sake, Cora, let's buy tickets for home!'
But she only shook her head. 'One day the atom bomb will fix Earth. Then we'll
be safe here.'
'Safe and insane!'
Tick-tock, seven o'clock sang the voice clock; time to get up. And they did.
Something made him check everything each morning – warm hearth, potted
blood-geraniums - precisely as if he expected something to be amiss. The morning paper
was toast-warm from the six a.m. Earth rocket. He broke its seal and tilted it at his
breakfast plate. He forced himself to be convivial.
'Colonial days all over again,' he declared. 'Why, in another year there'll be a
million Earthmen on Mars. Big cities, everything! They said we'd fail. Said the Martians
would resent our invasion. But did we, find any Martians! Not a living soul! Oh, we
found their empty cities, but no one in them. Right?'
A river of wind submerged the house. When the windows ceased rattling, Mr
Bittering swallowed and looked at the children.
'I don't know,' said David. 'Maybe there're Martians around we don't see.
Sometimes nights I think I hear 'em. I hear the wind. The sand hits my window. I get
scared. And I see those towns way up in the mountains where the Martians lived a long
time ago. And I think I see things moving around those towns, Papa. And I wonder if
those Martians mind us living here. I wonder if they won't do something to us for coming
here.'
'Nonsense!' Mr Bittering looked out of the windows. 'We're clean, decent people.'
He looked at his children. 'All dead cities have some kind of ghosts in them. Memories, I
mean.' He stared at the hills. 'You see a staircase and wonder what Martians looked like
climbing it. You see Martian paintings and you wonder what the painter was like. You
make a little ghost in your mind, a memory. It's quite natural. Imagination.' He stopped.
'You haven't been prowling up in those ruins, have you?'
'No, Papa.' David looked at his shoes.
'See that you stay away from them. Pass the jam.'
'Just the same,' said little David, 'I bet something happens.'
Something happened that afternoon.
Laura stumbled through the settlement, crying. She dashed blindly on to the
porch.
'Mother, Father - the war, Earth!' she sobbed. 'A radio flash just came. Atom
bombs hit New York! All the space rockets blown up. No more rockets to Mars, ever!'
'Oh, Harry!' The mother held on to her husband and daughter.
'Are you sure, Laura?' asked the father quietly.
Laura wept. 'We're stranded on Mars, for ever and ever!'
For a long time there was only the sound of the wind in the late afternoon.
Alone, thought Bittering. Only a thousand of us here. No way back. No way. No
way. Sweat poured from his face and his hands and his body; he was drenched in the
hotness of his fear. He wanted to strike Laura, cry, 'No, you're lying! The rockets will
come back!' Instead, he stroked Laura's head against him and said, 'The rockets will get
through, some day.'
'In five years maybe. It takes that long to build one. Father, Father, what will we
do?'
'Go about our business, of course. Raise crops and children. Wait. Keep things
going until the war ends and the rockets come again.'
The two boys stepped out on to the porch.
'Children,' he said, sitting there, looking beyond them, 'I've something to tell you.'
'We know,' they said.
Bittering wandered into the garden to stand alone in his fear. As long as the
rockets had spun a silver web across space, he had been able to accept Mars. For he had
always told himself: Tomorrow, if I want, I can buy a ticket and go back to Earth.
But now: the web gone, the rockets lying in jigsaw heaps of molten girder and unsnaked
wire. Earth people left to the strangeness of Mars, the cinnamon dusts and wine airs, to be
baked like gingerbread shapes in Martian summers, put into harvested storage by Martian
winters.
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FAQs

What is the main conflict faced by the Bittering family in the story?
The Bittering family, consisting of Harry, Cora, and their three children, faces the conflict of being stranded on Mars after a nuclear war on Earth destroys all space rockets. Harry Bittering is particularly troubled by the fear of being unable to return home, feeling increasingly alienated in a foreign environment. His internal struggle is compounded by the eerie silence of the Martian landscape and the haunting memories of Earth, leading to a growing sense of despair and isolation.
How does Harry Bittering's perception of Mars change throughout the story?
Initially, Harry Bittering views Mars with trepidation, feeling that it is not a place for Earth people. However, as time passes and the threat of returning to Earth diminishes, he begins to adapt to his surroundings. He experiences a gradual transformation, both physically and mentally, as he starts to embrace Martian life. This change is symbolized by his acceptance of Martian customs and even the alteration of his family's names, reflecting a deeper integration into Martian culture.
What event leads to the Bittering family's realization that they are stranded on Mars?
The realization that the Bittering family is stranded on Mars occurs when their daughter Laura brings news of a catastrophic event on Earth. She reports that atom bombs have devastated New York and destroyed all space rockets, confirming that there will be no way back to Earth. This devastating news plunges the family into despair, particularly Harry, who feels an overwhelming sense of fear and helplessness as he confronts the reality of their situation.
What changes occur in the physical appearance of the Bittering family?
As the Bittering family spends more time on Mars, they begin to experience physical changes, particularly in the color of their eyes. Harry notices that his wife Cora and their children have developed yellow eyes, a change that unsettles him. This transformation symbolizes their gradual adaptation to Martian life and raises questions about their identity and humanity as they become more integrated into the Martian environment.
What does the word 'Iorrt' signify in the story?
The word 'Iorrt' emerges from Harry Bittering's subconscious as he grapples with his identity on Mars. He learns from an archaeologist that 'Iorrt' is the old Martian word for Earth. This revelation is significant as it highlights Harry's deepening connection to Mars and suggests a shift in his perception of home, indicating that he is beginning to identify more with Martian culture than his own.
How does the story depict the theme of adaptation to a new environment?
The theme of adaptation is central to 'Dark They Were and Golden Eyed,' as illustrated by the Bittering family's gradual acceptance of Martian life. Initially resistant to their new surroundings, the family slowly begins to embrace the changes, both in their environment and within themselves. Their physical transformations, such as the change in eye color, symbolize their psychological shift, as they move from being Earth-centric to becoming part of the Martian landscape.
What ultimately happens to the Bittering family by the end of the story?
By the end of the story, the Bittering family has fully integrated into Martian life, with their identities transformed. They abandon their Earth names and customs, adopting new Martian identities and lifestyles. When a rescue rocket arrives years later, they are no longer recognizable as the Earth people they once were, having become part of the Martian culture, which raises questions about the nature of identity and belonging.

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