Ray Bradbury is best known for Fahrenheit 451 and with good reason, too. But people tend to overlook some of his short stories, which are just as great themselves. One of these great short stories is “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed.”
“Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” Summary
“Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” is about Harry Bittering and his family’s effort to escape war on Earth by building a colony on Mars. Throughout the story, Bittering is uneasy, feeling as though there’s something unnatural about the place (Read more about the importance of setting in a story). Just as he’s making up his mind to leave, the war on Earth destroys all of the available spaceships, and Bittering and his family are stuck on Mars.
And that’s when things take a turn for the worse. Everything around them begins to change, from their eye color to everything they plant in the ground. Roses are even turning green. He tries to build a ship, but by that time, everything is pretty much ruined since the Bitterings themselves are changing— from their complexion to their bone structure.
Cut to five years later, the Earth war has ended, and a new ship arrives on Mars with the mission to save the stranded Earthmen. But when they get there, there are only Martians—no trace of the humans remains anywhere.
What is the meaning of “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” (Bradbury)
It’s easy to spot the message in “Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed”, considering Bradbury is known for one reoccurring message in most of his work: humanity will be the cause of humanity lost. More specifically, they will be lost by pushing the boundaries a little too far. But what about the symbolism you may have missed in the story?
- Bittering’s anxiety and uneasiness over his surroundings proved logical in the story. He was right to be wary, he was right to be fearful of the circumstances. Bittering is more than just a character, he’s a symbol for the part of humanity that knows where to draw the line. He’s the part of humanity that knows when something is just…a little too much, a little too…inhuman.
- His unfinished rocket, which he begins to make in an attempt to flee, gets lost and forgotten when everyone, including himself and his family, began to turn into Martians. The unfinished rocket is more than just metal, or an attempt to save humanity: it’s symbolism for fate. This was Bradbury essentially saying “this is our fate as a species to wipe other species out, including our own, by pushing too far, and treading where humans were never meant to.”
- Mars itself plays a big role in the story, besides being the primary setting. But Mars is more than the setting in the story: Mars is future changes. The war on Earth led them to arrive on Mars, the same planet that made them into something other than human. Mars represents all the changes that humanity still has to go through, all the changes caused by crossing the line one too many times.
- The fact that they turn into Martians themselves is another symbol. In pop culture, Martians are usually depicted as vicious and bloodthirsty, with acid for blood, or as little green men with laser guns and a tendency to probe people. Either way, they’re a representation of everything we don’t understand, of the unknown, the unexplored, the inhuman. For all the humans attempting to colonize Mars to turn into Martians, it’s a symbol that to finally understand that which we do not know, we have to sacrifice our humanity. And it begs the question: Is it worth it? The answer can be found when the rescue team approaches them at the end of the story. They’re so far gone, they’re unrecognizable.
- Finally, the last bit of symbolism is one that most people miss. We see it through the better part of the story when the changes are taking place. Their eyes turn golden, much like it’s said in the title. Another thing that’s mentioned a lot in the story is Mars itself, “the cinnamon dusts and wine airs,” (Bradbury, 133). The connection? They’re turning into part of the planet itself, they’re turning into inhabitants—another natural part of the land. In other words, they’re slowly losing their humanity and turning into that which they should have never turned into. Bittering’s fears turned into a reality.
Symbolism in stories is like subliminal messages from the author, hidden in plain sight, and knowing where to find them is half the battle. Understanding the messages is the main obstacle. Authors use these symbols as a way of proving their points and working through them is the hardest part.
If you haven’t read “Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed”, you definitely should. If you’ve read it before, perhaps you should read it again and notice the hidden messages. After all, dissecting this is very human, and not at all a means of crossing the line into alien territory.
More about Ray Bradbury’s Masterful Symbolism
Watch this superb video by Wisecrack!
[x_video_embed type=”16:9″ no_container=”true”][/x_video_embed]
Sources:
Bradbury, Ray. “Dark They Were, And Golden-Eyed.” Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Twentieth Century. Ed. Orson Scott Card. Ace Trade Pbk. ed. New York: Ace, 2004. 133. Print.
