The Individual in The Pedestrian by Ray Bradbury

528 Words2 Pages

It is fairly simple for people to be regarded as a person who is

suspicious, or subversive. Another thing which is very easily done to

people is to dismiss them. Many ways in which this can happen are

shown in the short story, "The Pedestrian." It shows examples of this

in the way which the man is treated and how the whole world has become

such a cold place.

As the man was taking a walk, it seemed like a very cold place from

the start of the story. As he gets stopped by the police car it begins

to talk to him. At that point the thought begins to occur to you, as

if something is wrong because there is nobody driving the car. The

humans who used to drive these cars, the police officers have been

replaced by machines. The government and society is dismissing them

because they are no longer needed. A new, more efficient and less

costly way of doing things has been found. This is a frightening idea,

to see people being replaced by cold, hard steel.

He continues to talk to the car it asks him why he is talking and

begins to see him in a suspicious way simply because he does not

conform to the ideas which have been accepted by the rest of society.

This lead you on to think that if you choose not to follow the "norm"

and truly think freely that you will be thought of as somebody who

will pose a threat. This is something that people have been trying to

do for many centuries. They believe that they must stop anything that

can pose a threat even if the person who is posing the threat is

right. People will go to outstanding lengths in order to protect what

has been established. This is also visible in our present day society.

If you don't do what you are told you are cast aside.

If you follow the story a little further and begin to delve into the

plot even further it shows the possibility of being punished simply

for not doing what others around you are doing. The man is taken away

simply because the people who are in authority have labelled him. His

behaviour is regarded as regressive. It is hard to imagine that

somebody could be taken away simply for walking but if that is what

those in power must do to keep you under control that is what the will

do.

It makes a person wonder what kind of thought process it would take to

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