Literary Devices Used In The Pedestrian, By Ray Bradbury

Through the use of foreshadowing, Bradbury emphasizes how the world is becoming dependent and controlled by technology. “The street was silent and long and empty, with only his shadow

“As cities grow and technology takes over the world, belief and imagination fade away, and so do we”(Julie Kagawa). While technology spreads and completely takes over one’s life, the electronic wave cannot be tamed. Once society fails to take control of their lives over technology, they lose contact with our loved ones and reality, as well as the ability to think for one’s self. In the dystopian world from Fahrenheit 451 technology is found everywhere, and the people highly depend on it to do hard work for them or for entertainment purposes. Bradbury illustrates a society that has lost the ability to enjoy life without technology through a variety of characters that rely on unnatural and modern objects to fill the void of an emotionless society.

In Ray Bradbury’s exceptional science fiction novel Fahrenheit 451, he creates this artificial society filled with an easily controlled, unemotional people. His world consists of a mesmerizing collection of technological advancements. As Bradbury states, however, technology can be dangerous in situations like the mechanical hound. Technology as present day citizens know it is a tool people use to make their lives easier. It frees up time as well as providing entertainment.

We use technology everyday. Smartphones, tablets, TV and computers are devices that we use to communicate with others and can be used for education. Technology has even saved lives, in hospitals or tracking a dangerous person; but in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, technology was made to look evil and what causes people to be unhappy, but Bradbury's actual warning was not to abuse technology. The government in Bradbury’s society had used technology as a way to control the citizens. Isolation, and the lack of humanity is a result of the control of technology. Bradbury had created the brainwashed society to show us, the reader, how important it is to not abuse technology, because then we can be more human and be much more happier. Ray Bradbury’s message in Fahrenheit 451 is a

In “Fahrenheit 451,” Ray Bradbury analyzes the misuse of technology by using the characterization of Mildred as dependent on technology and the imagery of fire and the Mechanical Hound to convey that when overused, technology can lead people to escape responsibility and replace aspects, of life, which can lead people to not use their brain and depend on technology for everything.

Mostly displaying an anti-technological basis in his work, Bradbury focuses on the belief that technology will outlast humans. By saying this, he uses personification, similes, and metaphors in various instances to give this story a post-apocalyptic type atmosphere. Another common literary device that he uses is juxtaposition, the act of placing two or more ideas, places, characters, and their actions side by side for the purpose of developing comparisons and contrasts.

Nature is something everyone needs to appreciate and experience. Many people take nature for granted, and prefer watching television rather than taking a walk. In “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury, Leonard Mead is the last person in Earth who appreciates nature. In the story, Bradbury states, “he had never met another person walking,” (1) and that when Mr. Mead was caught walking, he was sent to “The Psychiatric Care Center for Research on Regressive Tendencies.” (2).

Through the use of stylistic devices and character, Bradbury conveys his theme of the destructiveness of technology. He shows the reader that if technology reaches a point where it is doing daily chores and simple tasks for society, then we

In the short story “The Pedestrian” Ray Bradbury tells a story of Mr. Leonard Mead who is alone and isolated in newly innovated world of A.D. 2053. In this futuristic society Mr. Mead is no longer needed as a writer, so he then walks over uneven sidewalks for ten years capturing vivid images of the society he currently lives in which is strongly impacted by technology. Throughout the text, Ray Bradbury uses literary devices such as imagery, foreshadowing, and symbolism to reveal how societies may be strongly influenced by the new advances of technology.

Most often, people can be seen walking with their heads down, immersed in the technology in front of them, ignoring the whole world. Societies often contain a lot of technology, allowing people to use it in helpful or hurtful ways. Some technology can be lifesaving, but there is also technology that can destroy life in less than a second. Most often, people seem to not understand what technology is doing and how it is impacting their lives. Instead, they are blinded by the few positives of technology that actually hurt the society more than they can recognize. In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the society is heavily dependent on technology. Technology has a negative impact on the characters in Fahrenheit 451. People in the society become addicted to the parlor walls, cars go so fast that they don’t see anything outside and the mechanical hound instills fear in people.

would happen so he chose to manifest his concern that technology is becoming evil into many of

Bradbury uses similes to convey imagery in The Pedestrian: explaining the bitterness of the air due to the chilly air, comparing a highway to a stream, and using his shadow to the shadow of a hawk. First, he uses a simile to help the reader visualize the chilly weather by comparing the inside of his lungs to the “blaze of a Christmas tree”. This means that his lungs are burning because of the bitter air. This helps us visualize the frigid temperatures of the night which helps us get a sense of the time of year this story takes place: winter. Secondly, he uses a simile to help us visualize how empty the highways are by comparing a highway to an empty stream saying that the highways “ were like streams in a dry season, all stone and bed and moon

Bradbury wrote a novel, Fahrenheit 451, predicting the modern society to this day. While having the protagonist, Guy Montag, go by with his life, Bradbury draws a great picture on how the technology and their society can very much relate the modern day. Guy Montag’s job, a fireman, requires burning books since their government does not allow the people to read, have new thoughts or even their own time to themselves. Doing so, the people of the

An era that was just getting used to color TVs and watches. Bradbury still manages to make several predictions about mankind’s technological advancement, which do come true. In this current generation, using technological devices is inevitable. They have become a part of us, as we need them in our everyday life. Asking someone today to stay a day without their smartphones is like asking the impossible from them. When people have a choice between an actual conversation and virtual conversation, surprisingly a large number of people seem to be more comfortable in having a virtual conversation on their smartphones than an actual one. This is where Bradbury’s greatest fears comes to life. The one thing that Bradbury made very clear through his book is that media separates people from the reality. Bradbury would be astonished to see how people spent almost an entire day on social media. His lead character Montag has everything in his life except human connection, and without human connection you can never truly be happy. Artificial Intelligence is one of the biggest success we have had in this century. From mobile phones to our cars, we use artificial intelligence everywhere. Bradbury would definitely be enlightened to know about how much we have accomplished from artificial intelligence, but he would also have the constant fear of mankind falling prey to their inevitable destiny of making mistakes and turning into ashes before they

In today's culture people use technology to their advantage all the time. They use it to hack, to learn the latest gossip, or to see breaking news around the world. But, sometimes they get obsessed and instead of a handy tool, it becomes a necessity and a lifestyle. In the story, The Veldt, Ray Bradbury uses imagery, symbolism, and internal conflict to express that misuse of technology can lead to unforeseen disadvantages.