Wednesday, September 21, 2011

"The Pedestrian" by Ray Bradbury - Sept. 21 (3B)

Today's Objective:

Students will read and analyze Ray Bradbury's "The Pedestrian" in order to explore how word choice can reveal author's purpose.


Today's In-Class Reading Assignment:

"The Pedestrian," by Ray Bradbury
Click here to read this text online


Today's Lesson Notes:




Tonight's Homework:
Today, we discussed how word choice can provide powerful hints into revealing a work's theme(s) and an author's purpose.

What might Ray Bradbury have been saying about technology in this story? Post your comments in a BCR at the foot of this blog entry by the start of next class.

(BCRs must contain five complete sentences. No partial credit is awarded)

35 comments:

  1. Ernisha Beverley 3B
    In this story, Ray Bradbury is saying that technology has corrupt most americans.it has also taken over most of our lives and the world. He is also saying that technology is sometimes uses in different ways. It is used to send messages from one place to another or to create weapons that will and can be used. No matter how technology helps to speed up daily processes but is can also help to cause problems.

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  2. Makeda Harkins
    3B

    The author is showing a negative aspect of how technology has changed society. Technology gives people a sense of power, and many people take advantage of and abuse it. This policeman let his authority go to head, and he tried to arrest a man, just because he could. He didn't have any real lead, or reason to; he accused him based off of his own suspicion, without any leads or valid reasons. The policeman only found the man suspicious because he was walking at night, and "didn't have a real profession". Apparently being a writer isn't considered a profession because people don't read anymore (or walk for that matter), they're too busy watching their televisions. People have become so attenuated by technology, they let the little power they're given go to their head, thereby leading this policeman to abuse his authority on an innocent man.

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    Replies
    1. There is no policeMAN - that's the point

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  3. Dexter Heath
    3B
    9/21/11

    Ray Bradbury was saying that technology has made the citizens of America very lackadaisical. Technology is being used by everyone. People are being consumed by the technological advances. In the text "Pedestrian", the main character was asked what he does for a living, he responded by saying "I guess you'd call me a writer." The police car rebuttal-ed by saying "No profession,". The police car probably didn't think the man had a real job because no one is concerned with reading in 2053. Technology has truly advanced if their are talking police cars.

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  4. Ayana Holt
    3B

    In the short story, Ray Bradbury was articulating that technology in our society was making us lazy. I infer this while reading the story, because it shows a man that is walking at night, and has been doing so for ten years now. He also says that during his walk he has never seen another person walking. By him saying this I conclude that he was showing us society's laziness. He says that as he walks by houses they are all watching television, on different channels. This is another way Ray Bradbury is revealing to us society's laziness.

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  5. Joshua Simmons

    I believe what Ray Bradbury was trying to say in this article is that as technology enhance people start to get more lazy. As the pedestrian walked around there was not anybody on the streets get any type of physical exercise, evryone was in their house all day watching television. When the pedestrian was pulled to the side by the robot police car the police car that the man was crazy because he wanted to walk and get some fresh air. So the author is saying that as the years go on more technology will come and people will be lazier and less active. I think that his story may be true one day because we already have online college and online school for people in K-12.

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  6. Ray Bradbury Is saying that technology has taken over and corrupted peoples minds/lifestyles.He talks about how technology has changed a lot of things in society and made it negative.Everyone today uses technology in one form or another.Technology has advanced so much that people no longer have to think for themselves they can just go on the internet and find out the answer in the matter of seconds.As the people in the pedestrians neighborhood watch tv and drive cars the pedestrian walks and does other things.As a writer he doesn't use/doesn't use much technology in his job.I think that if this continues, there would be a future ful of young fat people because no one would live long enough to make changes in the way they are.

    Kayla Williams =)

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  7. In this story Ray Bradbury might have been saying that technology has or maybe in the future will take over what humans do in everyday life now. The story shows a negative and a positive side of advanced technology. One pro was that there Wasn't a real human in the car so there was no fear that anyone life would be in danger. One con was that the robot car took an innocent man into custody for doing nothing but walking down the street. I think the story came off a a funny tale but if you think and read closer had a deeper meaning what was just told.
    Tarsha Palmer
    3B

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  8. Kendra Lawson3B
    Author Ray Bradbury was implying that technology has a harmful effect on society. I believe he is trying to say that technology has brain washed the people in a way.He is also trying to say that technology has also become to advance for the average person. The Story "The Pedestrian" is displaying this when it talks about how Mr.Leonard Mead is the only one walking the streets and everyone else is inside watching TV, And he knows the channels which they are watching and what time specific shows come on. Another example of how the story "The Pedestrian" displays a form of technology is when the police car stops him, when the police car stopped Leonard Mead I expected a cop to come out of the car. But instead the police car was the police man too, this proves the authors point of technology being to advanced for the average human because there's a programmed car to do both the job of an officer and a car, therefore there is no need for a person. This is the message i believe the author Ray Bradbury is trying to convey about technology through the story "The Pedestrian".

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  9. -Bryce Davis

    I believe that bradbury is trying to portray technology is becoming increasingly consuming. People are relying too much on technology. When the police car said Leonard had no profession, that leads me to believe that technology has become so consuming that reading books have become irrelevant. People have become so reliant on technology and watching T.V. that taking a leisurely walk makes you seem crazy.

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  10. bryce davis ^ also, technology has become so advanced that police are no longer needed because the cars drive themselves.

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  11. LunDen Charlton

    Ray Bradbury was showing the effect of technology on the lifestyle of people in a dramatized way. He took a step into the future and portrayed how robotic electronics make us. The erie words and dark descriptions make it seen as if Leonard Mead is the only sane one left. Only the word does not look at him in that way. They think something is wrong with him because he still liked to do other things besides watch tv.

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  12. Lauren McMillan 3B

    Ray Bradbury is showing the negative effect technology has on society. The people in"The Pedestrian" did not read,they only watched television. The police were not people, just a robotic car. This shows how impersonal and cold technology can make us. Mr. Mead's long walks were a message that enjoying nature, fresh air, and simplicity are some of the most enjoyable things you can do in a world of technology. Bradbury also showed how be hypnotized by electronics can become so normal, it makes physical activity seem extremely odd.

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  13. I think that Ray Bradbury was saying that nowadays technology is making humans lazier and occupying too much of our time and we are not appreciating and enjoying the more simpler things. This story shows how technology has a negative aspect on society and how people are being consumed by it. In the story the police car which is electronic asks the man what he does for a living and he responds that he is a writer but there is no real reason why the car tried to arrest him other than the car saying that this isnt a profesion. The police car was suspicious of the man and said what the man does isnt a profession because no one really reads or writes things and they dont walk that much anymore because they watch so much tv and use a lot of technology. By this time there is such an advancement in technology that everyone relies on it and people can let all of this get to their head.

    Kelli Johnson 3B

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  14. Ray Bradbury is talking about the negative effect technology has on our society. The people in the story mostly watched T.V. The police were replaced by robotic cars. This shows how harsh and abrasive technology can make us. Mr. Mead's long walks showed he wasn's swayed by technology's attempts to take over his life and how something normal seemed so odd to others.
    De'Shaun Walker
    3B
    -_____-

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  15. Alexis McCoy 3B
    I think Ray Bradbury was saying that technology has captured the attention and focus of many people in today's society. Mr. Mead was outside at night just admiring everything, like he has been doing for years. Everybody else in town was watching t.v. I think his message is that people should take at least a little bit of time without technology and just admire everything in front of them. Mr. Mead is a prime example of what he is trying to say.

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  16. In the story, Ray Bradbury is focusing on the negative affects technology has on people. The story takes place in 2053, so in the setting,technology has evolved from what we are accustomed to now. While Mr. Mean was walking down the street, there was no activity, everyone was in their homes watching T.V. The police cars also required no passengers, because it had a mind of it's own. Mr. Mead was falsely arrested because he had not commited a crime. The senselessness of a robotic police car, with no human intelligence, let power get to "him" and Mr.Mead was arrested for simply taking a walk down his neighborhood block.

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  17. I believe Ray Bradbury is trying to send a message to everyone that technology is just making us less smarter. The people are now relying on technology for everything instead of using other resources and materials. Also, Ray is saying technology has an negative effect on us today. In th story, the author mentioned that they had 3 police before but now they only have one, which was replaced with a robotic car. As Mr.Mead was walking down the street he noticed everyone was watching TV. When he got stopped by the electronic police car, Mr.Mead was almost arrested because the car asked him what was his profession, Mr.Mead said he was a writer. The car thinks he is crazy because he says no one barely reads. This story shows how people in our society depends on the use of technology and not anything else.

    Zakwoiyah Marshall
    3B

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  18. Imanie Hancock
    I think Ray Bradbury was saying that technology is overpowering and dehumanizing. In the text, it seemed as though everyone besides Mr.Mead was fascinated with television. As Mr.Mead walked through his neighborhood he could see the homes filled with bright lights from t.v's. Mr.Mead was the only one who walked through his neighborhood, didn't own a television, and wasnt married. I say this because when the police car asked him why he was out and he replied with "to get some air", the police car was in shock and didn't believe him. Walking to get air is a normal action, but since technology occupies much of people time it is considered abnormal.This shows how technology can dehumanize. Also, Ray Bradbury personified the car in the text. I thought maybe the idea of a talking car was to show that technology can be overpowering or take on a mind of its own.

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  19. Ray Bradley was saying that technology has took over many people lives. He also might have been saying more people rely on technology rather than relying on themselves. Instead of getting fresh air or just taking a walk people prefer to watch television all day. As you can see in "The Pedestrian" when the police asked what does Lenard Meed do for a living and he responded "You can say I write for a living" and the police didn't believe him because no ones writes any more in that time. Last but not least I also think Ray Bradbury is trying to say as the years progress more and more people will get lazy and stop thinking and doing stuff for themselves.

    Taylor Peterson3B

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  20. Joshua Simmons

    I believe what Ray Bradury was trying to say in this article is that as years go on technology will start to enhance and people will become lazier. My inference was based on the Mr. Mead's walk around the city. Every home was preoccupied with television watching yet get getting fresh air and walking was treated as a crime. I understand where he is coming from because a lot of computers have taken over jobs where humans once occupied. Cable companies now offer more channels, so people tend to spend their free time flipping from one channel to a other. I feel that people should be more cautious about the use of technology or else Ray Bradury short story will be our future.

    (revised version of previous comment)

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  21. Ray Bradbury was saying that technology was taking over humans. I think he said this because in the story he portrayed the police officer as a car. No humans in the car and it spoke and was driving. But I think the main reason was that all of the people were in there houses at night and all had the TV turned to the same channels 7,8,or 9. Not one other person was walking or even not in front of there TV. Humans need to be outside no matter what time. The police car thought that Mr.Mead was mental because he wanted "to get some fresh air". It seemed like everything was done for the humans in that time.

    -Christian Twyman 3B

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  22. I think that Ray Bradbury is saying that, now a days people use more gadgets or fun of technology. That people are already into it, and they can't stand without technology with them. At that time Mr. Mead was outside walking through his neighborhood and he could see that in people's houses is filled with bright lights from the televisions. Mr. Mead was the only person who walked through his neighborhood. to get some air. because people now a days, are more focus on what they wanted to have not what they need. when the police car came to talk with Mr. Mead and ask what is he doing. Mr.Mead replied getting some air. the police car don't want to believe in Mr. Mead.

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  23. Chrizelle Cate Dimamay. sorry i forgot to put my name up top. >:)) peace!

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  24. I believe what Ray Bradbury was trying to say is that technology can effect people in many ways. Cause things change people think they can just miss-use the power of the new technology. All Mr.Mead wanted was to walk and enjoy what nature had given to us unlike other people in the story. In the story the police car just pulled Mr.Mead over just because he wasn't in the house watching tv like most people in the year 2053. I think one possible reason for this story is to show that over time as technology becomes more advanced people become more lazy for example policemen are replaced with robotic cars.

    Deondre Johnson 3B

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  25. I think that the author is trying to say that technology is not as perfect as everyone thinks. I say this because in the story the police car does not listen to anything Mr. Mead says. The police car does not have a driver and is driving itself, I see this as a misuse in technology. The author also shows that people are getting lazy and letting technology do everything for them. So basically technology is taking over people's lives and there's no resistance from them.

    Damon Harris 3B

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  26. In the story Ray Bradbury is saying that technology has messed up alot of people in the world. The author is also trying to say that you can use technology but dont keep using it fro things you really don't need or less important. Technology has a hold on everyone's lives right now. If they have a talking car then you know technology is going overboard. I think technology is good but sometimes it goes to far because little kids will end up growing and becoming fat, lazy, unhealty because of too much technology going on in the world.

    Sharron Spence
    3B

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  27. Breanna Service
    3B
    I think that Ray Burn is talking about the negative effect that technology has on our society. He shows how thanks to tv we stay in the house all day and watch it instead of going out to get fresh air. He talks about how the streets are so desolate because every is inside instead of outside. Mr.Mead didn't let the andavances in technology take over his life by still getting out of the house and going for long walks. Other advances in technology in the story are that the police are replaced by robotic police cars .

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  28. Ray Bradbury was proving a point in the story on how technologhy has corrupt society. In the story it shows how lazy people have gotten, notice there is a television in each house. It also shows how technologhy has consumed us as well. For example, the reaction from the police officer when Mr.Mead said his profession is a writer. Another example is, his reaction when Mr.Mead said he was just walking. This shows how little things we do like walking and reading is so different and odd because of technologhy. By: Candace Wyman 3B

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  29. I think Ray Bradbury was saying people rely on technology to much which in turn weakens us. For example instead of staying indoor on the couch he goes out for a healthywalk. Relying on technology is also danerous because if it makes a mistakes it can have disaterist affects on other people. when the police car came around it supected that the pedestrain was doing something wrong, which in fact he didnt to a thing. this whole story shows if you dont rely on tech as much as other s most likely you will be treated as an outcast.

    Austin McKelphin 3B =)

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  30. I believe that Ray Bradbury is trying to show how we as people will eventually fall to our own technology as we give it the ability to exceed ourselves. We already know that machines can out-power us, now the idea that Bradbury is trying to express is that if we allow them to out-think us as well, they will eventually rid of us. In the story the pedestrian hears people laughing at him, but there are no people. Obviously the technology we tried so hard to create had run us out. I believe that over time, in the story, our technology slowly picked us away. Which is what left the pedestrian on his own. Finally, the technology got the last word when the robot police took him away.

    Jamil Ahmed

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  31. Layanni Cobbs 3B said...

    I think that Mr.Mead believes that technology is overrated and useless. He believes that technology is a device that consumes our time, in some way technology has us trapped in another world not paying attention to the things around us. For example Mr.Mead is walking around and could have been a killer for all we know. But our minds are so caught up in technology in todays present time that we forget to pay attention to our surroundings. I dont think Mr.Mead even uses alot of technology because in the beginning of the story he was described as a man who likes to go outside and walk, enjoy nature and observe others. Also when the olice car asked him what his occuation was he said you could call me a writer.

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  32. correction on 2nd line from last, **Police car**

    Layanni Cobbs 3B

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  33. I think Ray Bradbury was trying to say that technology is affecting society in a negative fashion. I say this because during the key event in the story(when Mr.Mead was pulled over by the robot cop car) the piece of technology shown in this instance was portrayed negatively. The robot police car arrested an innocent man simply for walking around at night(which it deemed as being weird or unusual). This causes the reader to think negatively about the car and technology. I think this was intended by the author.
    Malik powell 3B

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  34. In this artivle Ray Bradbury is saying that technonoly is taking over our society. He saying that people are more into technology then getitng up and actually working and going outdoors. Ray bradbury has been walking his neighborhood for the Pass ten years and he always sees people sitting intside. From Mr.bradbury says this in a way I feel as though our society is not doing enough.his article was made to get the word out how we should be more active.
    Morgane Talbertt

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