This is the lesson to accompany the story "Marionettes, Inc." by Ray Bradbury and may include extra excerpts from songs and poems as comprehension questions and language development. The actual story in not included here; this lesson is for after reading the story. Created by Coleman’s Classroom.

1. Ray Bradbury
MARIONETTES, INC.

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Ray Bradbury
1920-2012
“I know you've heard it a thousand times before.
But it's true - hard work pays off. If you want to be
good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you
don't love something, then don't do it.”

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SOME OF HIS BOOKS
• Fahrenheit 451
• The Martian Chronicles
• Something Wicked This Way Comes
• Dandelion Wine
• The Sound of Thunder and Other Stories
• Death Is a Lonely Business

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IDIOMATIC PHRASES
Crowd My Luck
being so overconfident as to diminish
one’s luck or fortune

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IDIOMATIC PHRASES
Splitting Hairs
making miniscule differences between
points of argument

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IDIOMATIC PHRASES
Knees Turned To Water
means weak, not solid, can’t stand up

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IDIOMATIC PHRASES
Marriage (or other thing) Hasn’t Been
Roses
roses are positive
rose garden is considered a pleasant
place- many idioms about roses

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Martina McBride
“Rose Garden”

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SONG EXCERPT
I beg your pardon,
I never promised you a rose garden.
Along with the sunshine,
There’s gotta be a little rain sometime…

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LITERARY TERMS: THEME
A main subject discussed or
described in writing

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• Technology
• Benefits
• Detriments
• Relationships
• Braling / Wife
• Braling / Braling
2
• Brailing 2 / Wife
• Smith / Wife
SOME THEMES IN MARIONETTES, INC

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OTHER THEMES?

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MAIN IDEA?
• Technology has risks and costs
• Nothing is free in life
• Relationships are tough
• Others?

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WHO?
• Braling
• Smith
• Braling 2
• Braling’s Wife
• Smith’s Wife

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WHEN / WHERE?
• Modern Era
• British city but could be any city

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WHAT / WHY?
• Both men unhappy in marriage
• Seek relief from technology
• Both situations end badly for the men

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• Why is Braling unhappy with his
wife?
• What does he want?
• Why is Smith unhappy with his
wife?
• What does he want?

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• What happens with Smith?
• What happens with Braling?
• Did the men get what they
deserved?

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• How did the women end up?
Better or worse?

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• How would you use a Marionette
in your life??

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DISCUSSION ?S
Mr. Smith says “I’ll just slip eight thousand
pounds out as a business venter… Nettie
never need know” AND “What did she mean,
taking their money like this?”
What do these two statements tell you about
men and women’s roles and rights in the
story?

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DISCUSSION ?S
• What happened to Mrs. Smith? Where did
she go? Did she ever come home? What
did Mr. Smith do?
• What happened to Mrs. Braling and Braling
2? Did she figure out he was a Marionette?
Did she care?

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FOR MORE INFORMATION
Email Mrs. C
ccoleman@clmn.net
Visit Coleman’s Classroom
www.clmn.net