125 pages • 4 hours read
Ray BradburyThe Martian Chronicles
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1950A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.
“November 2005: The Luggage Store”
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
“November 2005: The Luggage Store” Summary
When news reaches Mars about an impending war on Earth, an unnamed proprietor of a luggage store readies his stock, believing there will soon be an exodus back to Earth. A priest named Father Peregrine is passing time with the Proprietor, and they first discuss the strangeness of news from a distant planet. Peregrine compares it to hearing news of war in China as a child, having to stretch belief to imagine something so unseen. The Proprietor expresses his belief that most people will abandon Mars to help their families on Earth, despite having left the planet due to “politics, the atom bomb, war, pressure groups, prejudice, laws” (175-76). Father Peregrine agrees and purchases new luggage from the man.
“November 2005: The Luggage Store” Analysis
Father Peregrine explores an aspect of human belief in his relation of the new of war on Earth with news of war in China during his boyhood. He suggests that distance mitigates emotional and rational connection while unsettling the process of belief, and he questions the role of faith and belief.
Peregrine asks how the settlers of Mars can resurrect enough belief in Earth to return to its war-ravaged surface. The Proprietor’s answer is simple: human connection.
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