My Pedestrian Essay

     Imagine what it would be like to be arrested for being different. Performing actions in which can set off others and cause them to be suspicious and possibly even more observant over you and what you do. In the short story, The Pedestrian, a man is arrested for walking. This may spark curiosity in some people and cause them to think, “What did he do?” or “How did he provoke them?” However, all he did was walk. Who knew that being amble was a criminal act. Technology took over the world so it was expected people drove where they needed to go or just stay home and watch their television. 

     

     Bradbury knew the importance of living life through your own eyes without a screen. As good as it can be to stay updated in the world so you can keep yourself safe and informed, some stuff on the internet can ruin your life with hackers and others that can very easily manipulate the hypnotized people. Some people dedicate their whole lives into their phones or computers. People are becoming more insensitive to one another. With all these movies focused on robbing/ killing, young vulnerable minds adapt to that side of humanity that they become numb to the horrid thoughts. It seems like a normal thing and that can be scary. Without emotions or empathy towards subjects in that way, the toddler and adolescent generation can become thieves or murderers. In a way it seems like why wouldn’t they. It is such a casual topic that it can even be the center of a joke.

    In The Pedestrian, Ray Bradbury shows how tasks such as writing are becoming dull to the modern society. Hardly anyone wants to read a book unless it's a biography or drama on a celebrity’s life. Most teens do not read much except texts from their friends or showtimes to a movie. Leonard Mead conveys this through his contribution of conversation with the car in the story. Mead says “I’m a writer.” and the car replies with “So no profession.” Jobs such as journalism or reporters are not seen as necessary to the new generation. Now it is all about people showing you them play a game, or guiding you through tutorials on “how to do''this `` or''how to do “that”. 

     In a way, Bradbury showed the future for what it is. Our society now would not have been a logical reality back then. They’re future seemed more innovative yet not overrun by screens. In older times, you would succeed by working hard; however, by uploading a video to YouTube you can make your living. Technological devices consumed the world by so much that some people have more than two devices. I would say most people have more than 3. Computers, tablets, phones, bluetooth headsets, televisions, etc. To some these can be an absolute necessity and to others it is only a luxury. You need a smartphone for everything nowadays. Even cars have more modern devices built in. Bluetooth is in every new car model you see. Some even have tablets built into the screen. The odometer, fuel gauge, and everything else is now digital too. Even gas become electrical. 

     The world dedicates so much of their lives into their phones that they become oblivious to everything surrounding them. A kidnapping can occur just feet away from them but they wouldn’t know that because the car next to them is bumping their music as loud as they can and they are texting their friends. Many more cons in society have been developed since Bradbury wrote this story. Texting and driving, crossing the street and not paying attention to the car coming towards you, and other phone related accidents. Mindlessly, people will stare into their phones in their own world and absorb their lives into their phone. Most items on the keyboard are not used anymore. It seems like punctuation was replaced by emojis and grammar was replaced with chain mail. Abbreviations are heavily a part of society. A text saying, “Okay, I will see you later at 9!” can become “K c u l8r @ 9”. It doesn’t even look like english. It appears to be some sort of enigma. It seems like enthusiastic as well which sends an entirely different mood.