Discussion Topic
Dystopian elements in "The Pedestrian."
Summary:
Ray Bradbury's "The Pedestrian" features several dystopian elements, including a society where individuals are isolated and disconnected, technology dominates daily life, and conformity is enforced. The protagonist, Leonard Mead, faces arrest simply for walking outside, highlighting the oppressive control and lack of personal freedom in this future world.
What dystopian elements are present in "The Pedestrian"?
The Merriam-Websterdictionary gives the following definition for "dystopia."
An imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives.
That definition is fairly narrow in my opinion and does not nearly encompass many of the dystopian novels that exist today. Take The Giver as an example. Most literary scholars would certainly classify that society as dystopian; however, the characters in the novel do not lead fearful lives. They cannot. That emotion has been eliminated.
"The Pedestrian " is similar. The people that are in their homes watching TV are not being forced their by government, nor are they acting out of fear for their lives, and I do not think the story strongly supports the idea of a dehumanized population; therefore, I think we should expand our working definition of "dystopia" to include a few more characteristics. Let us use the following characteristics of a dystopian society...
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in order to analyze "The Pedestrian."
- Propaganda is used to control the citizens of society.
- Information, independent thought, and freedom are restricted.
- A figurehead or concept is worshiped by the citizens of the society.
- Citizens are perceived to be under constant surveillance.
- Citizens have a fear of the outside world.
- Citizens live in a dehumanized state.
- The natural world is banished and distrusted.
- Citizens conform to uniform expectations. Individuality and dissent are bad.
- The society is an illusion of a perfect Utopian world.
From that list of characteristics, readers can see that "The Pedestrian" fits several quite well. I definitely see elements of the third criterion in the story. While there is not a particular person that is being worshiped, it is clear that the general population worships and reveres their "viewing screens." Nobody comes outside anymore. Socialization in person just does not happen. I believe that Leonard's society worships entertainment and that worship functions as a form of control.
"What is it now?" he asked the houses, noticing his wrist watch. "Eight-thirty P.M.? Time for a dozen assorted murders? A quiz? A revue? A comedian falling off the stage?"
Elements of the fifth criterion are also seen in the story. Leonard seems to be the only person that goes outside anymore. We are told that he is practically alone in the world. It appears that people never leave their homes.
He was alone in this world of A.D. 2053, or as good as alone.
Perhaps the people are simply that addicted to entertainment, or they are fearful of leaving their homes. We are not told this explicitly, but to the people of 2053, the outside world does not offer anything good. The seventh characteristic would apply here as well. Leonard is the only person left that seems to consider time outside beneficial. He is such an anomaly in this regard that he is picked up by a police car and taken to a mental hospital. This is also characteristic eight. Leonard is punished for being an individual. He is not breaking any law; however, he is acting so far outside of the norm that he is not allowed to continue walking around his neighborhood. He is taken to a psychiatric center presumably to be studied and fixed.
References
Which story elements suggest Mead lives in a dystopian society in "The Pedestrian"?
When answering this question, it's useful to first define dystopia. What does dystopic literature tend to entail? (With that in mind, it also would be useful to consider the subject of utopia as well, and note the way that dystopias and utopias are often connected with one another.) If utopias reflect our hopes about the future, what we wish to become as a culture and society, dystopias represent our fears and anxieties concerning the same. At the same time, they often serve as a form of social criticism, charting potentially harmful trends in contemporary society forward in time, warning about the potential paths to which these trends might lead. So, with that in mind, how is this theme reflected in Bradbury's work?
One question you might want to consider when thinking about this topic is this: would you like to live in this kind of society? Furthermore, is there a warning embedded within this story, and if so, what precisely is Bradbury warning us about? Consider what actually happens to Mead at the end of story, and think about what his fate says about the society in which he lives. Answering these kinds of questions should hopefully provide insight as to the story's dystopian nature.