Setting

Time setting

Ray Bradbury’s short story “Marionettes, Inc.” is set in a futuristic time setting. The short story was first published in 1949, but in the text Smith talks about “ ‘That time back in 1979 when you were going to Rio’ ” (p. 1, l. 21). Braling married his wife in 1979 and they have been married for 10 years. Marionettes Inc. also sells “new humanoid plastic 1990 models” (p. 1, l. 41-p. 2, l. 1). Therefore, the story is set in the imaginary futuristic year of 1990. This setting matches the dystopian themes of the story, envisioning a future in which the evolving technology is misused and people become estranged from one another.

The action of the story takes place over the span of a few hours. The story begins “at about ten in the evening” (p. 1, l. 1) and ends later in the night when the wives are both already asleep.

Physical setting

The story is set in the United States of America. Although the geographical location of the story is not directly stated, the text contains clues suggesting the physical setting. The company producing the marionettes is called Marionettes Incorporated, and the corporate identifier “Inc.” is only used in the United States. Moreover, Smith suspects that his wife has bought “that little house on the Hudson” (p. 3, l. 7). He may be referring to the Hudson River that flows through the state of New York.

The main events of the story take place in various locations. The story is initially set on the street leading to Braling’s house:...