Supertoys Last All Summer Long

1
Supertoys Last All Summer Long

• By
• Brian Aldiss

2
Setting

• The Future
• Genre
• Science Fiction

3
Setting

• Description of the world
• Three-quarters of the overcrowded world are
  starving
• We are lucky here to have more than enough,
  thanks to population control. Obesitys our
  problem, not malnutrition.

4
Setting

• The Swintons House
• Through technology, everything is perfect.
• Monica can adjust the setting of her house
• These roses are guaranteed free from any
  imperfections

5
Setting

• What literary term is established by the setting
  of this short story?
• Theme
• What is reality?

6
Characters

• David
• Irony
• We expect him to be a real boy.
• Instead he is a supertoy.
• Tone
• Sympathy
• Wants to be accepted and loved
• Cast aside for a real boy
• Similar to Pinocchio

7
Characters

• Monica Swinton
• Tone
• Lonely
• Cannot communicate with David
• Cannot love David
• Wants her own child
• Quickly discards David

8
Characters

• Monica Swinton
• Our Feelings
• Sympathy?
• Anger?
• Disgusted?

9
Characters

• Teddy
• Obviously not real
• David turns to Teddy to explain what is real and
  what is not real

10
Themes

• Loneliness
• What are we willing to do to alleviate our
  loneliness?

11
Themes

• Responsibility of a Creator
• It seems like a paradox that in this day and age
  we can create life but not intelligence.
• What is our responsibility when we create life?
• If our creation does not meet our standards, can
  we discard the creation?
• Similar to Frankenstein

12
Themes

• What is real?
• These roses are guaranteed free from any
  imperfections.
• What allows something to be free from
  imperfection?
• It seems that Aldiss is suggesting that anything
  that is free from imperfection cannot be real.

13
Connections To Movie

• Symbolism
• Circles
• What do circles represent?

14
Connections To Movie

• Circles
• Religious Reference
• Alpha and Omega
• Beginning and end
• Commitment
• Marriage rings

15
Connections To Movie

• Circles
• Insanity
• No beginning or ending point
• Pointless journey
• Halos
• Angels and saints

16
Connections To Movie

• Theme
• How does Spielberg address the themes presented
  in the short story?
• God created Adam and Eve to love him.

17
Writing Assignment

• Compare and contrast the presentation of a major
  theme (loneliness, the responsibility of a
  creator, etc.) presented in the short story and
  the movie.