The Pedestrian By Ray Bradbury Summary

Ray Bradbury is known for his memorable science fiction stories. Most of his works contain a message that can be applied to the whole of society. One of the most notable of these is The Pedestrian. This work is a cautionary tale that serves as an extraordinary example of what this world could become. One might argue, however, that this story is appealing to the extremes which is also known as the logical fallacy reductio ad absurdum. This means that the story is too absurd to be of any use. The Pedestrian may seem like a whimsical and unrealistic story, but Ray Bradbury’s attitude indicates that it is much more significant. Although his story is merely fiction, his foreboding, and cynical tone disseminate a theme that is both didactic and prevalent to the technology users of the 21st century. The first indication of Bradbury’s perspective can be observed when he describes the citizens. He says they “sat like the dead” (Bradbury 2) in their “tombs”. These descriptions reveal that Bradbury believes the viewing screens are metaphorically and literally sucking the life out of the viewers. The viewing screens can be compared to the TVs in today’s world in which the majority of …show more content…
At the start, Mr. Mead spots the light from the car and is “stunned by the illumination, and then drawn toward it.” (2). This reveals that the townspeople aren’t used to such magnificent light. Even though it is unfamiliar, Leonard is still curious and approaches it because he hasn’t lost his sense of adventure that the other citizens have surely forgotten because of the viewing screens. Later, the voice is said to be “metallic” (2). This vehicle, although not human, is meant to have a person in it. When it is described as being metallic it gives the reader a sense of inhumanity in a normally human event. Thus, further causing them to believe it is a desolate world that Leonard lives