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Isaac AsimovA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
An illusion of perfection typifies this time period, when the US experienced an unprecedented economic and industrial boom, and though it wasn’t a frequent topic for Asimov, it does relate to his Humanist interests in the nature of people’s values and the question of what gives life meaning. Families in the 1950s were part of the Age of Television and the rise of national advertising that televised media and radio allowed. Families would have watched series like The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Love Lucy, and Leave It To Beaver that presented idealized families: Generally, the husband worked, the wife took care of the home, the children were well-behaved, and everyone made it look easy. Commercial breaks presented ads about the newest stovetop, automobile, or cola that would give people greater control over their lives.
“Rain, Rain, Go Away” demonstrates the influence of this context throughout the narrative. In the first scene, after “vanishing into the kitchen [...] Lillian came back into the living room with a patter of high heels” (128). This presents two key ideas about the role of the “perfect” wife in this setting: both that her place is in the kitchen, and that she should always look her best, wearing heels even if all she does is sit home and look at her neighbors through the venetian blinds.
By Isaac Asimov
Foundation
Foundation
Isaac Asimov
Foundation and Empire
Foundation and Empire
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I, Robot
I, Robot
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Nightfall
Nightfall
Isaac Asimov, Robert Silverberg
Robot Dreams
Robot Dreams
Isaac Asimov
Someday
Someday
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The Caves of Steel
The Caves of Steel
Isaac Asimov
The Fun They Had
The Fun They Had
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The Gods Themselves
The Gods Themselves
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The Last Question
The Last Question
Isaac Asimov
The Ugly Little Boy
The Ugly Little Boy
Isaac Asimov
True Love
True Love
Isaac Asimov
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