Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed

by

Ray Bradbury

Dan, Laura, and David Bittering Character Analysis

Dan, Laura, and David Bittering are the children of Harry Bittering and Cora Bittering. Out of all of Harry’s family members, they are the most in tune with the Martian environment and accept its changes most quickly. Perhaps because they are so young, they have the fewest ties to Earth. They adopt Martian language and names first, and are also the first to encourage their parents to move away from the Earth settlement and into the Martian villas. Like Cora, they encourage Harry to accept the changes that are occurring to them rather than resist them.
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Dan, Laura, and David Bittering Character Timeline in Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed

The timeline below shows where the character Dan, Laura, and David Bittering appears in Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed
Familiarity and Perception Theme Icon
Memory, Identity, and Language Theme Icon
Change and Resistance Theme Icon
The Bittering children also have a sense of unease regarding the environment, and they repeatedly ask to be... (full context)
Change and Resistance Theme Icon
Colonization, Industry, and Leisure Theme Icon
...outbreak of nuclear war, and that no more rockets will be arriving from the planet. Laura, who brings the news, is in tears. At first the family is in stunned disbelief,... (full context)
Memory, Identity, and Language Theme Icon
Colonization, Industry, and Leisure Theme Icon
...reflects that not all change is bad, and that some change is regenerative and positive. The children begin insisting on being called Martian names, and the parents eventually relent. They come across... (full context)