The Martian Chronicles

In Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles, he explores mankind's settling of Mars. From Bradbury's writing I see a similarity between this settling and the invasion of the conquistadors of Southern American civilizations. Both began with a more technologically advanced society arriving in a culture filled society with hopes to find more resources for themselves. As the Aztecs and Mayans were wiped out by foreign diseases so were the Martians, leaving their land and resources for their conquerors. Both of these invasions were initiated by the "leading" Western Civilization. Bradbury explores the arrival of societal standards and civilization's draw on resources. His words lend itself to the idea that humans became too advanced without knowing how to handle it thus leading to their demise. Selfishness, greed and over confidence is shown by the invading Americans in this novel. By not showing honor and respect to the previous ancient races' way, by seizing the land as their own and treating the foreign soil as their own they tarnished Mars.
However, on Earth the long term effects of human greed and selfishness had taken its full effect and Earth is no more. I believe Bradbury was trying to expose our culture's shortcomings as warning to the devastation that could occur in response to our actions.