One of the major themes of “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury is conformity and non-conformity. This theme is represented by the citizens in this society who spend their lives watching television and Leonard Mead who prefers to walk the city instead of wasting time inside in front of the TV. In this futuristic society set in 2053, people no longer read or do much of anything besides go to work and sit in front of...
One of the major themes of “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury is conformity and non-conformity. This theme is represented by the citizens in this society who spend their lives watching television and Leonard Mead who prefers to walk the city instead of wasting time inside in front of the TV. In this futuristic society set in 2053, people no longer read or do much of anything besides go to work and sit in front of their televisions each night. Meade, however, was once a writer who rejects the lifestyle so many of the three million in the city in which he lives adhere to. He prefers to wander the lonely streets getting fresh air and reflecting on the lives in the dark houses he passes. He comments that his nightly walks are like walking through a graveyard; he is alone and doesn’t see anyone else outdoors.
Mead is a symbol of non-conformity, and he is arrested for acting “odd” by the robot police car that catches him on his nightly walk. Mead tells the police car he doesn’t have a job since he used to be a writer, and that he doesn’t have a wife (which could explain why he takes his nightly walks). It is so strange that Mead walks every night that the police car takes him to the Psychiatric Center for Research on Regressive Tendencies. Because there are facilities like this research center, and one can get arrested for walking, it is implied by Bradbury that the government is happy with the people who conform in this society.
No comments:
Post a Comment