Literary Devices In The Pedestrian By Ray Bradbury

First, in the story Mead is walking on the street just to walk because he is allowed to but unlike in the film he is not allowed to walk on the street. While walking closer to his house he was “stunned by the illumination” of lights that shined upon him(Bradbury 49), But in the film he would try an avoid any lights that would shine on him. Mead, in the story is standing there just illuminated by the lights but unlike in the film he would not get near the lights because if he did he would be caught by the police. Another difference that affects the theme is that he is walking alone in the story but in the film he is walking with his friend Bob. Mead wants Bob to go on the walk with him because he wants him to experience the outside world instead of staying all cooped up in his home(Bollinger). Unlike in the story Mead wants to get his friend in the film outside to show him what he is missing. These differences in the story and film “The Pedestrian” show a dramatic changes in each of the

Ray Bradbury the author of the short story “The Pedestrian” purpose behind writing this unique story, was to show his audience the threat of technology and how in the future it may potentially take over our lives completely. In a city of 3 million people the crime rates have plummeted so dramatically that there is only one police car left. The author paints a picture of empty streets, dreary houses and dark windows with people stuck inside all night glued to their T.V screens. “It was not unequal to walking through a graveyard for only the faintest glimmers of firefly light appeared in the flickers behind the windows.” People have become so addicted to TVs that they don't emerge from their homes during the night, due to this the crime problems

Bradbury has shown us a glance of what may become our future. These ideas, even in today's world, have a greater meaning. Bradbury's idea of future unfortunately is not far off from our reality. Through symbolism, he allows the readers to extrapolate in a way most books do not offer. One has only to look at current events in our world where symbols – flags, innuendo or even cartoons have caused

In Bradbury’s “The Pedestrian” the year is A.D. 2053 (Bradbury Page 642.) A narrator describes the world through the main character’s, Mr. Leonard Mead, eyes. Bradbury describes a future in which everyone is consumed by their televisions and there are only a few who are not. Bradbury uses a fictional tale to catch the reader's attention and to

Future society is an extremely unpredictable subject, because people all have different views on life. Charles G. Waugh author of the short story, “Long Way Home” tells a story about a caring father losing his son, due to the world's advanced technology. On the other hand in the short story, “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradley, individuals are completely addicted to technology, allowing technology to over rule the world and take over people's minds. Although both stories show a possible outcome of the future, the more realistic future will most likely be “The Pedestrian”.

One example of this is when Bradbury talks about how lonely the streets are when the main character is walking, “The streets were silent and long and empty with only his shadow moving like the shadow of the hawk in midcountry” (“Pedestrian 98”). It really lets the reader soak in the setting and let the reader feel what the main character is feeling. Another form of imagery in the text is when Bradbury talks about the houses and how they look. “And on his way he would see the cottages and homes with their dark windows, and it was not unlike walking in a graveyard where only the faint glimmers of firefly light appeared in flickers behind the windows” (“Pedestrian 96”). This quote is letting the reader know about the street being empty and dark with no one to be seen. One more example is when a cop car pulls up to the character, the car asked him to get in and then describes the inside of the car “He put his hand on to the door and peered into the back seat, which was like a little cell, a little black jail with bars. It smelled of riveted steel. It smells of harsh antiseptic, it smelled to clean and hard metallic. There was nothing safe there” (“Pedestrian 100”). This quote describes the unsettling feeling of the police car and the smell of the metal and

Bradbury writes “He stood entranced, not unlike a night moth, stunned by the illumination, and then drawn toward it.” With this simile, the man is now transfixed by a bright light and unable to move. This is a major shift in the setting and feel because the reader now feels an anxious or agitated feeling instead of the previous calm and content feeling. This simile leaves the reader wondering who is behind this transfixing light and what will that person do with the protagonist. Bradbury uses this suspense and wondering to allow the reader to really feel what the protagonist is

“ To enter out into that silence that was the city at eight o’clock of a misty evening in November, to put your feet upon that buckling concrete walk, to step over grassy seams and make your way , hands in pockets, through the silences, that was what Mr. Leonard Mead most dearly loved to do.” Using the description of setting, such as the misty evening and the sensory details, Bradbury shows Mr. Mead does not always stay inside like others. “... The cottages and homes with their dark windows.” helps give details about how others houses look. “The cement was vanishing under flowers and grass.” Bradbury uses details of the setting to show the only one who has walked over this area in a while is Mr.Mead.

Through the use of stylistic devices and character, Bradbury conveys his theme of the destructiveness of technology. He shows the reader that if technology reaches a point where it is doing daily chores and simple tasks for society, then we

Through the use of foreshadowing, Bradbury emphasizes how the world is becoming dependent and controlled by technology. “The street was silent and long and empty, with only his shadow

In the short story “The Pedestrian” Ray Bradbury tells a story of Mr. Leonard Mead who is alone and isolated in newly innovated world of A.D. 2053. In this futuristic society Mr. Mead is no longer needed as a writer, so he then walks over uneven sidewalks for ten years capturing vivid images of the society he currently lives in which is strongly impacted by technology. Throughout the text, Ray Bradbury uses literary devices such as imagery, foreshadowing, and symbolism to reveal how societies may be strongly influenced by the new advances of technology.

Has mankind managed to progress in a positive way? In “The Pedestrian”, Ray Bradbury shared his opinion about the situation. Using characterization and imagery Bradbury shows that if the world advances to the point where people lose all humanity then the world might as well not exist, although his opinion may not be the opinion of all mankind it is logical and understood. Rays opinion about the future and forces the reader to consider the possible reality of it.

In our lives today, we see the various types of technology and societal problems that were predicted by Bradbury. In the story when the narrator is describing the mechanical dog, he says, “It growled again, a strange rasping combination of electrical sizzle, a frying sound, a scraping of metal,

“All kinds of creative possibilities are made possible by science and technology which now constitute the slave of man, if man is not enslaved by it” as quoted by Jonas Salk during a speech about the technological advances in modern medicine in the 1950s. In the short stories by Ray Bradbury, he illustrates how the characters are struggling to live with the futuristic capabilities of technology. “The Pedestrian” focuses on a man named Leonard Mead who is the only person in society who does not use the technology in his home, his hobby is to walk. However, he is viewed as an outcast. “The Veldt” focuses on how George and Lydia Hadley figure out how their children’s nursery is powered by their mind and how they use it to have a tragic advantage over their parents in the end. While technology can let people connect to others much more efficiently, Ray Bradbury shows how the characters in his short stories “The Pedestrian” and “The Veldt” prove how technology is capable of isolating people from reality.

Having spent one’s entire childhood through war and bombings can inspire many ideas, both positive and negative. From the fear of a nuclear bomb to the proud feeling of witnessing the first American man on the moon, Ray Bradbury took his experiences during World War II and the International Space Race and transformed them into literary pieces, such as “There Will Come Soft Rains”, “The Sound of Thunder”, and “The Pedestrian”. In these short stories, Bradbury includes elements of his own life into the plot, creating a message of caution to the readers through his riveting genre of dystopia. Some topics he stresses include time, technology, and its possible threats to human interaction. Through Bradbury’s unique style, he encapsulates the major issue of the rapid development in society and how it affects people in a social aspect. As new technology and science is innovated, there are many people who debate whether or not it can have harmful side effects to mankind. Among these three short stories, Bradbury uses the stylistic techniques of diction, imagery, and figurative language to convey that as society progresses through time, people lose their sense of humanity.