Let Me Walk You Through The Pedestrian (Pre- Essay)

 Ray Bradbury a little short story called The Pedestrian. In this story, Ray Bradbury uses a guy by the name of Leonard Mead, for the main character. During the day is when you will only find the citizens roaming the city, while nights are dedicated to the families watching  television. Leonard Mead is not like other people though. At night. he usually takes walks up and down the streets, just to relax and cool off. One night he finds a police car, that is of course computer generated. It happens to be the only police on duty, in this big city. This is because there will be no crime when people are stuck at home watching television. So the two talk for a while, then later the car takes Mr. Mead to the Psychiatric Research Center, because the car has no idea why he is not at home watching television. It goes downhill from there for Mr. Mead.

         The title of this story is The Pedestrian. Right then I thought the story would be something about a walker or someone who likes to explore. I was right, it was about Mr. Leonard Mead, a writer, who is not like the other citizens, He is a "pedestrian" who routinely walks at night, while the other's are inside watching television. My thoughts on the title is unique because  it really encompasses the whole story and it's purpose for people to get out of the house, and not depend on technology so much."...Arizona desert with no house in a thousand miles, and only dry river bed, the streets, for company." This refers that there is absolutely no life out there on the streets, and everyone is inside watching television. Everything is "dry" and there is no life.

         In this story, there are some images that I took away from it. When Leonard steps into the cop car, I feel like he tastes defeat, and knows he has lost. "The car moved down the empty river bed streets with the empty side walks, and no sound and no motion all the rest of the chill November right." This quote right here just says that there is nothing left, and everything is done. Nothing came out of Mr. Mead, and I feel like he just gives in and tastes defeat. 

          The author, Ray Bradbury, uses Figurative Language in The Pedestrian to make the story more interesting and exciting. "The tombs, ill-lit by television light, where the people sat like the dead, the grey or multicolored lights touching their faces, but never really touching them." This has to be one of the lines that stood out to me because it is interesting and creepy also. He refers to the house as tombs, and the dead sit there and just stare at the television. It pictured a zombie, with it's normal look, just spaced out and focused on one thing. He also uses similes and metaphors to get the reader more into the story, and also make the story seem like it pops out to the reader. He uses figurative language perfectly.

           Ray Bradbury had a very demanding and frustrated tone. He is frustrated that everyone is inside watching television at night, and that there is only this one man that will  get outside and do something. He wants people to be less dependent on electronics, and do more things with the outdoors and family. I think if he came to our society today, he would be very disappointed with us and technology, and losing touch with each other and the outdoors. Humanity should not forget nature and should be wary of technology.