The Martian Chronicles Dreams, Hopes, and Plans Quotes

How we cite our quotes: ("Story Name," Paragraph)

Quote #7

How he would savor this in his old age. This paying back of the antiseptic government for its literary terrors and conflagrations. Oh, how the anger and hatred had grown in him through the years. Oh, how the plan had taken a slow shape in his numbed mind, until that day three years ago when he had met Pikes. ("Usher II," 95)

Stendahl has a Spender-like ability to plan murder. But instead of a big chunk of dialogue explaining the plan, we only get hints about it: it involves robot lookalikes and a haunted castle. And yet we always know what inspired the plan: Stendahl's hatred of censorship. Evidently, Earth Men destroy Earth culture just as effectively as they destroy Martian culture.

Quote #8

"All I wanted to do was have a hot-dog stand, the only one on Mars, the first and most important one. You understand how it is? I was going to serve the best darned hot dogs there, with chili and onions and orange juice." ("The Off Season," 121)

Not all plans are created equal. Parkhill's dream of opening a hot dog stand on Mars is ridiculous, like Captain Williams's dream of being celebrated by the Martians. You're on Mars, for Pete's sake! Dream a little bigger!

Quote #9

"I thought: Well, here I am, the only lady on Mars, and here is the only man, and, well... " ("The Silent Towns," 148)

Since Gripp is the last man on Mars and Genevieve Selsor is the last woman, they should get married, right? This is another example of an Earth-style plan (like the hot dog one), and those don't go well—since Gripp's dream girl looks a lot different from Selsor.