The Martian Chronicles Study Guide

The opening story of the chronicles begins with a description of a brisk Ohio winter, where children can be found sledding, as their mothers bundle in warm fur coats to block the bitter cold. As icicles hang from the rooftops, and frost covers the landscape, the picture is complete of a freezing Midwest winter. Suddenly, the air is heavy with warmth as a rocket in a launching field nearby ignites in a fiery blaze, sending red hot air through the neighborhood, melting the image of winter. The entire climate changes as the snow turns to heated rains, and the land becomes soaked with the suddenly melted snows. The nearby inhabitants think to themselves "Rocket Summer," as the rocket continues to melt winter. (read more)