Hollis justifies this act as his responsibility to keep the crew calm, “the man was almost at his fingertips, screaming insanely. Bradbury writes, “Hollis felt the impossibility of his position.” (28) In an effort to hold on to the control he found, Hollis takes matters into his own hand as he reaches out for a hysterically screaming crewmate and smashes the glass, ending the man’s life. This causes all the emotions and expressions that the crew experiences to be directed toward Hollis rather than at the Captain.Īpplegate succeeds in antagonizing Hollis and sparking a darker side within him along with the sudden need and urgency to do something. (29) The silence from the team supports Applegate’s sentiments. This is evidenced by Applegate’s blatant disregard for the Captain when he says, “Captain, why don’t you shut up…don’t pull your rank on me”. In the moments after the explosion, by speaking up first, Hollis put himself under the scrutiny of his crew. It also suggests that Hollis cherished and valued his profession above everything else. This stab at Hollis’ career is supposed to leave him vulnerable and defenseless in the vast open space of isolation and, to some extent, it does. Applegate’s’ intentions and actions are meant to incite rage rather than euphoria within Hollis. (31) The apparent irony is very clear, Applegate isn’t trying to make Hollis happy at all but rather the opposite. But you know that…I want to tell you something…Make you happy. He attacks Hollis by going after what Hollis prized most in a “confession.” Applegate says, “I hate you too. For example, as Hollis tries to calm Stimson down, Applegate mutters, “it’s a bad dream” (28), increasing the angst and fear, causing Hollis to scream, “Shut up!”(28) Applegate devotes his final moments to infuriating and upsetting Hollis. He is pestered by Hollis’s positive attitude and constantly interrupts and rebuts Hollis at every turn. However, Applegate, who resorts to aggression and hostility, challenges this newly emerging optimism and leadership within the protagonist. This flicker of hope, no matter how irrational or impossible, allows Hollis to become a leader, someone others can look up to. Amidst the panic, he becomes the voice of reason and courageously dares to hope. When Hollis says these words, Bradbury establishes the beginning of Hollis’s journey toward self-actualization. (28) Hollis appeared to be unfazed by the precarious future and assures his crew that everything will be okay since they are all in the same situation together. There’s a chance we’ll be found”, Hollis tells him.
Hollis is the first to break the chaos as Stimson, crewmate, deliriously loses control of his emotions, “Stimson, take it easy we’re all in the same fix. They are all beyond any reach and are just as lost as a ship on sea without the captain taking charge, the crew searches for something or someone to bring them back to land, anything more familiar than the unknown. All calm and rationality have dissipated along with the few scraps and pieces of the rocket into the vast open space. The men were thrown into space like a dozen wriggling fish” (Bradbury 26). The protagonist, Hollis, perceives himself as a coward but unmasks this mirage as he confronts both death and himself, revealing his true character of leadership and courage.Īfter the explosion, there is frenzy among the crew through the radios, “The first concussion cut the rocket up the side with a giant can opener. Ray Bradbury sets the plot of his short story, “Kaleidoscope”, in outer space, and which portrays the transformative journey of men in their final moments as they struggle to accept their irrevocable demise and resolve the internal clash that arises along with it. Under such situations the event is most likely not foreseen and causes people to react on their own instincts as opposed to reacting in an expected manner that follows the norms of society. A man’s true character is unveiled by his actions and reactions to extreme and unconventional circumstances.