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+ Overview
Main Character: Mr. Leonard Mead – he loves to walk the city
streets at night.
Setting:
Night time, city streets. The year is 2053.
Totalitarian society; a restrictive society; a society
in terminal decline.
Plot:
Mr. Mead goes for a walk at night. There is no
one on the streets. He passes many houses all of
which have televisions on. He whispers to these
houses as he passes. A police car (human free)
stops him, interrogates him and takes him away.
Themes: * dehumanisation of society through over-dependence on
technology
* the impact of television
* loneliness
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Themes
dehumanisation of society through
over-dependence on technology
* the impact of television
* loneliness
* Decline of society
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On the large sheets…
Discuss, as a group, the features of
language that you can find in your section
of story and highlight them on the sheet.
Add some comments about what you have
found.
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You should be looking for examples of:
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Simile
Metaphor
Alliteration
Onomatopoeia
Word choice
Interesting adjectives
Repetition
Any other interesting features
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Setting
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.
Explanation: This opening sentence creates a desolate setting that is in stark contrast to the
passionate Mr. Mead. He is walking alone on a “misty evening.” The word “misty” is
appropriate for a setting that seems unclear not only to the reader but also to Mr. Mead,
himself. We do not understand why no other people are on the street, and judging from his
constant desire for communication, Mr. Mead also does not understand why people are
choosing to remain quietly in their homes. The concrete that is “buckling” indicates its lack
of use and the people’s lack of desire to leave their homes and visit with others. This could
also be a physical representation, or symbol, that the society is not supporting anyone’s
individual needs. The repetition of “silence,” emphasizing the people’s lack of
communication with one another, is strongly contrasted with Mr. Mead’s “dearly loved”
habit of walking the streets. Bradbury’s sensory details contrast the setting of a society that
is accustomed to isolation and an individual’s passionate desire to have a personal
connection with anyone.
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The Character of Mr. Mead
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The character of Leonard Mead from Ray Bradbury’s
“The Pedestrian” is a fascinating character. He is
the lone human who enjoys walking the streets of his
town at night whilst the rest of society remain
indoors being indoctrinated by the propaganda
broadcast on their “viewing screens.” He is the
symbol of humanity in a society governed by
technology who enjoys the simple pleasures offered
by nature.
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Use PEAR!!!!
Begin your paragraph by stating your point.
This introduces the paragraph and tells the
reader what you will be discussing.
e.g. One interesting aspect of this character is
his closeness to nature.
This is when you give an example of the
technique by using a quotation.
e.g. Man is often shown as truly human
when surrounded by nature and this is
equally true of Mr. Mead, who ‘dearly
loved’ to walk. At one instance his shadow
is described “the shadow of a hawk.”
Once you have quoted you must explain how the
technique is working in the poem. What is the
writer doing here? What effect is he creating?
e.g. This simile likens Mr. Mead to a wild and
free-spirited bird, unrestricted in his thinking or
actions. This is in contrast to the rest of society
who remain indoors, their thoughts directed by
the messages flashed on their viewing screens.
Now you need to respond to the use of the
technique.
e.g. By describing him in these terms Bradbury
highlights how different this character is in this
technology driven world. He will not be dictated to
by the new society rules. Instead like the Hawk
he enjoys the “feel” of the fresh air, the sound of
the “autumn leaves” and the “rusty smell” of the
outside. Simple human pleasures.
Every main body paragraph that you write must follow this model.
One interesting aspect of this character is his closeness
to nature. Man is often shown as truly human when
surrounded by nature and this is equally true of Mr.
Mead, who ‘dearly loved’ to walk. At one instance his
shadow is described as “the shadow of a hawk.” This
simile likens Mr. Mead to a wild and free-spirited bird,
unrestricted in his thinking or actions. This is in contrast
to the rest of society who remain indoors, their thoughts
directed by the messages flashed on their “viewing
screens”. By describing him in these terms Bradbury
highlights how different this character is in this
technology driven world. He will not be dictated to by the
new society rules. Instead like the “hawk” he enjoys the
“feel” of the fresh air, the sound of the “autumn leaves”
and the “rusty smell” of the outside. Simple human
pleasures but dangerous in a world where these are viewed
as “regressive tendencies.
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