Short Story #220: The Last Night of the World by Ray Bradbury

Title:  The Last Night of the World

Author:  Ray Bradbury 

Summary

A husband and wife begin talking about what they would do if it was the last night on Earth.  They slowly begin to share that both of them have had dreams to that effect that this night would be the last night and that everything would end.  It would not end by violence or plague but just the world would end.  They realize that others have had this dream too and possibly even the children.  They realized that it is probably true but go ahead anyways with their nightly routine of closing down the house, turning off things, cleaning dishes, etc.  Finally, they go to bed and presumably the world ends.

Reflection

This was a more interesting and appealing story of Bradbury's than others I've read.  The willingness of the characters to continue one with their daily routines in the face of the end of the world is fascinating.  It speaks to some ideas of what do we cling to if death is on the horizon--how much is our daily lives part of the bigger picture of our lives.  


Short Story #220 out of 365
Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars)
Date Read:  7/28/2014
Source:  The short story can be found at this website.  

For a full listing of all the short stories in this series, check out the category 365 Short Stories a year.

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