Post by missmcgrory on Apr 7, 2015 10:29:28 GMT
Some issues with expression, but the analysis is the kind of thing we're aiming for!
Ray Bradbury-The Pedestrian Critical Essay
How does Ray Bradbury explore the theme of technology limiting freedom in the short story ‘The Pedestrian’?
Ray Bradbury, in his short story ‘The Pedestrian’, depicts a negative picture of the future to the reader. Bradbury presents the image of a dystopia, where technology rules over freedom. However, the protagonist in the story, Leonard Mead, differs from the rest of society, as instead of wasting a lifetime in front of the TV, he prefers to go out walking. He loves the freedom of the outside world, but this is taken away from him when he is arrested by the police. He is taken to a corrective institute because his love for walking is seen as unnatural. Bradbury uses techniques such as word choice, mood, sentence structure and imagery effectively to show how technology limits freedom.
In the first half of the story, Ray Bradbury builds a tranquil atmosphere through his use of word choice. This is shown when Bradbury writes “silence” and moon-lit”. Here, Bradbury emphasises the vast emptiness of the city. He adds a natural feel to Mead’s walk, one of which would be found whilst walking in a great forest, not a city. This shows Mead to be free from technology, as he is outside in a natural environment whereas the rest of society are limited through their over-reliability on technology.
Additionally, Bradbury allows the reader to appreciate Mead’s love for walking through his use of peaceful language and evocative images. This is shown through his use of the words “flicker” and “glimmer”. The words link to light and through them Bradbury suggests a feeling of happiness within Mead. Furthermore, Bradbury uses the word “misty”. This has connotations of magic and mystery which create a romantic feeling between Mead and the outside world. The happiness that Mead gains from walking shows him to be free and not limited by technology.
Bradbury adds a further sense of tranquillity when he uses alliteration to describe the night. This is shown in the line “faintest glimmers of firefly light”. The repetitive sound of the f adds a gentle, soothing tone. This shows Mead to be at peace outside where he is free from technology.
Ray Bradbury through his use of the simile “his shadow moving like the shadow of a hawk” presents Mead as not just a man who has a love for walking, but as a noble creature. It tells of how Mead relishes in the freedom the night brings which shows him to be unique from the rest of society who are limited by their over use of technology.
Here, Bradbury draws a contrast between Mead and society. We can tell this when he writes “the tombs ill-lit by television light, where the people sat like the dead, the grey or multi-coloured lights touching their faces but never really touching them”. Bradbury uses a lot of negative imagery to show society to be suffering from technology. He creates a comparison between the houses and a graveyard referring to them as “tomb like”. This shows them to be a dark, horrible place to be. Bradbury once again makes the link between society and the dead. He shows society to be dull and soulless as instead of them being curious and free, their entertainment is provided through television whereas Mead prefers to find his own entertainment. This shows them to be of different worlds. Mead’s the more attractive as he is free from technology in the outside world whereas the rest of society are limited due their excessive use of technology.
In the second half of the story, Bradbury creates a mood change as the police car approaches Mead. He changes the mood from peaceful to aggressive and sinister when he writes “flashed a fierce cone of light upon him”. The car blinding him with its lights relates to an escaped prisoner being put under spotlight which adds a dark tone as it shows Mead’s freedom to be taken away from him as he too is now under the control of technology.
Bradbury, through his use of word choice, effectively adds a sinister tone when the car is shouting orders at Mead. We can tell this when he writes “metallic voice”. This implies the car is speaking with an aggressive tone. A further example of this is shown when Bradbury writes “your hands up! Or we’ll shoot!”. This makes the police car seem sinister as Mead is harmless and the interrogator is threatening to shoot him. The extent of how much technology limits freedom is shown here as a robot which has no human qualities is given the power to send someone to a corrective institute for being individual. Mead is unlike the rest of society, who behave like robots, and therefore is not limited by technology.
Here, Bradbury adds yet another sinister tone to the story through his final plot development. Bradbury does this when he writes “The Psychiatric Centre for Regressive Tendencies”. This title gives the reader the impression that the people that are held at this centre are not mentally stable and it is not safe to have them mixing with the rest of society. The police car sends Mead here because of his individuality. It treats him like a disease and it is worried his individuality may spread. This shows that because Mead differs from the others in society, the police car, which doesn’t recognise true human qualities, classes him as insane. This shows how Mead is no longer free from technology as he too is now being controlled by robots.
Throughout this essay I have shown how the excessive use of technology can limit freedom. Ray Bradbury has told of how the over use of technology will damage society. Bradbury, through his use of techniques has set a warning of what an over reliability of technology will do to society and how it will bring with it a poor quality of life.
Ray Bradbury-The Pedestrian Critical Essay
How does Ray Bradbury explore the theme of technology limiting freedom in the short story ‘The Pedestrian’?
Ray Bradbury, in his short story ‘The Pedestrian’, depicts a negative picture of the future to the reader. Bradbury presents the image of a dystopia, where technology rules over freedom. However, the protagonist in the story, Leonard Mead, differs from the rest of society, as instead of wasting a lifetime in front of the TV, he prefers to go out walking. He loves the freedom of the outside world, but this is taken away from him when he is arrested by the police. He is taken to a corrective institute because his love for walking is seen as unnatural. Bradbury uses techniques such as word choice, mood, sentence structure and imagery effectively to show how technology limits freedom.
In the first half of the story, Ray Bradbury builds a tranquil atmosphere through his use of word choice. This is shown when Bradbury writes “silence” and moon-lit”. Here, Bradbury emphasises the vast emptiness of the city. He adds a natural feel to Mead’s walk, one of which would be found whilst walking in a great forest, not a city. This shows Mead to be free from technology, as he is outside in a natural environment whereas the rest of society are limited through their over-reliability on technology.
Additionally, Bradbury allows the reader to appreciate Mead’s love for walking through his use of peaceful language and evocative images. This is shown through his use of the words “flicker” and “glimmer”. The words link to light and through them Bradbury suggests a feeling of happiness within Mead. Furthermore, Bradbury uses the word “misty”. This has connotations of magic and mystery which create a romantic feeling between Mead and the outside world. The happiness that Mead gains from walking shows him to be free and not limited by technology.
Bradbury adds a further sense of tranquillity when he uses alliteration to describe the night. This is shown in the line “faintest glimmers of firefly light”. The repetitive sound of the f adds a gentle, soothing tone. This shows Mead to be at peace outside where he is free from technology.
Ray Bradbury through his use of the simile “his shadow moving like the shadow of a hawk” presents Mead as not just a man who has a love for walking, but as a noble creature. It tells of how Mead relishes in the freedom the night brings which shows him to be unique from the rest of society who are limited by their over use of technology.
Here, Bradbury draws a contrast between Mead and society. We can tell this when he writes “the tombs ill-lit by television light, where the people sat like the dead, the grey or multi-coloured lights touching their faces but never really touching them”. Bradbury uses a lot of negative imagery to show society to be suffering from technology. He creates a comparison between the houses and a graveyard referring to them as “tomb like”. This shows them to be a dark, horrible place to be. Bradbury once again makes the link between society and the dead. He shows society to be dull and soulless as instead of them being curious and free, their entertainment is provided through television whereas Mead prefers to find his own entertainment. This shows them to be of different worlds. Mead’s the more attractive as he is free from technology in the outside world whereas the rest of society are limited due their excessive use of technology.
In the second half of the story, Bradbury creates a mood change as the police car approaches Mead. He changes the mood from peaceful to aggressive and sinister when he writes “flashed a fierce cone of light upon him”. The car blinding him with its lights relates to an escaped prisoner being put under spotlight which adds a dark tone as it shows Mead’s freedom to be taken away from him as he too is now under the control of technology.
Bradbury, through his use of word choice, effectively adds a sinister tone when the car is shouting orders at Mead. We can tell this when he writes “metallic voice”. This implies the car is speaking with an aggressive tone. A further example of this is shown when Bradbury writes “your hands up! Or we’ll shoot!”. This makes the police car seem sinister as Mead is harmless and the interrogator is threatening to shoot him. The extent of how much technology limits freedom is shown here as a robot which has no human qualities is given the power to send someone to a corrective institute for being individual. Mead is unlike the rest of society, who behave like robots, and therefore is not limited by technology.
Here, Bradbury adds yet another sinister tone to the story through his final plot development. Bradbury does this when he writes “The Psychiatric Centre for Regressive Tendencies”. This title gives the reader the impression that the people that are held at this centre are not mentally stable and it is not safe to have them mixing with the rest of society. The police car sends Mead here because of his individuality. It treats him like a disease and it is worried his individuality may spread. This shows that because Mead differs from the others in society, the police car, which doesn’t recognise true human qualities, classes him as insane. This shows how Mead is no longer free from technology as he too is now being controlled by robots.
Throughout this essay I have shown how the excessive use of technology can limit freedom. Ray Bradbury has told of how the over use of technology will damage society. Bradbury, through his use of techniques has set a warning of what an over reliability of technology will do to society and how it will bring with it a poor quality of life.