The Pedestrian Essay, Research Paper

The odd one is often confused as the strange one and never considered the right one. For this matter, I enjoyed reading the works of Ray Bradbury in “The Pedestrian.” Leonard Mead, whom was the main character and protagonist in this story, was considered by many as being antisocial. Yet the ironic view of the story showed that he was the only social being in the world of Bradbury’s literature. For many in the story, social was translated as being normal and indifferent.

Depending on how you define the word “pedestrian” would decide on whether if the story was given an ironic title or not. If you would translate “pedestrian” as ‘one who travels by foot’, then no, this story was not given an ironic title. Yet, if you translate “pedestrian” as meaning ‘like everyone else; not being different from the rest’, then yes, for if he was like the rest, then he would simply stay inside at night without any lights on and just watch television.

Mead was found by the police as a right peculiar person. Being that as it may, being different from the rest did not mean that he was wrong in his actions. Taking a stroll in the night should not be taken as a risk of insecurity to the public, so the police seem to believe, but simply as a way of getting out of the house and enjoying the moonlight and a star-filled sky. For all those who found it best to stay in their homes, the one who stood out from the crowd and went his own way showed them all as being wrong.

“Being one of the rest, simply states you as being one of the rest. But being different from the crowd and going your own way identifies you as yourself and separates you from the others.” There is a flaw in this statement. In a society by which being different could symbolize insanity and not being well in the mind, such as what the police must have reckoned of Mr. Mead, then I suggest reticence.

With all necessities in his house, Mr. Mead found it boring to just stay in during a beautiful night. To the police, though, this was a problem. They simply didn’t understand his thoughts “To walk for air and to see.” Insanity in the mind they thought, so off to the institution they took him. Being different doesn’t make you wrong.