Opening Task
The Pedestrian is set in the future, in 2053.
In your groups, think about what the world might be like in 2053. You should think about:
Technology
Society
Human Interactions
Problems that humans may encounter
How life might be different to what it is today
Global Crisis
“Whoever wants their future to be better than the present must work for it now, so that it is so.”
For us the future is now, we are experiencing what thousands of generations feared before, the control of technology over the human mind and behavior, the damage to the preservation of nature, the change from the traditional to the technological.
In a few years everything will be the same, only much more advanced, and we are referring to the bad sense of evolution, where human beings will completely forget their essence and value and robots will begin to control any aspect; such as:
Unemployment will increase, since there will be jobs that will no longer need the human hand. The percentage of technology addiction will increase in the early stages, food will be increasingly processed, and natural quality will stop importing and will move to temporary quality, more canned and easy-to-prepare foods, rather than pure and traditional gastronomy.
In the natural environment, drought and forest fires will begin to increase. Increase in flooding and extreme weather events. Melting polar caps and rising sea levels. Collapse of agriculture and fishing.
Finally, in aspects of society, we believe that we will create online avatars that can interact and thus decide if we want to meet someone for real or not. Also, that spirituality and a deeper connection with people will gain relevance and that only those who are committed to caring for everyone will survive, not being consumed by the year 2050.
Watch the following video and take notes on what you think are the KEY POINTS made in it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5seyXLR2fQ
Now, think about the future of technology. In your jotters, answer the following questions.
How far do you think technology will advance by the year 2053. Give some examples.
artificial intelligence
Virtual and augmented reality
Biotechnology
Space exploration
Sustainable energy
How dependent on technology do you think we, as humans, will be.
As technology continues to advance, humans are likely to be increasingly dependent on it for various aspects of theirs lives, including communication, transportation, healthcare, and entertainment. However, the extent of this dependence will vary, depend ending on individual preferences, societal norms, and regulatory frameworks.
Do you think that technology will completely replace anything that is done by humans in 2014?
Technology has certainly advanced significantly since 2014, and in many cases, it has replaced or transformed tasks and processes previously done by humans. However, some tasks still require human involvement due to the complexity of decision-making, creativity, empathy, and other uniquely human abilities.
Write down 3 negative and 3 positive points for the development of technology.
Job Displacement: Technological advancements can lead to automation, potentially displacing workers and causing unemployment in certain industries.
Privacy Concerns: Increasing reliance on technology raises concerns about privacy breaches, data collection, and surveillance.
Environmental Impact: The production and disposal of technology can contribute to pollution, resource depletion, and environmental degradation.
Positive:
Increased Efficiency: Technology can streamline processes, boost productivity, and improve efficiency in various sectors, leading to economic growth.
Enhanced Communication: Advancements in technology have revolutionized communication, making it easier and faster to connect with others globally.
Medical Breakthroughs: Technology has led to significant advancements in healthcare, including improved diagnosis, treatment options, and medical research, ultimately saving lives and improving quality of life.
Do you think our social skills and interactions will have changed by 2053 because of technology? If so, why?
Digital Communication: With the increasing prevalence of digital communication platforms, people may rely more on texting, social media, and video calls for interpersonal interactions
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality: Advancements in virtual and augmented reality technologies could lead to new forms of social interaction
Social Media Influence: The continued influence of social media on society may reshape social norms, values, and behaviors, impacting how people interact, communicate, and form relationships.
3. Now that you’ve read the story, answer the following questions.
YOU SHOULD USE EVIDENCE FROM THE TEXT TO SUPPORT YOUR ANSWERS.
https://dukeofdefinition.com/SS_Pedestrian.pdf
What happens in the story?
It touches on topics including The Horrors of Government Control, The Pressure to Conform to Social Norms, and The Dangers of Technological Advancement.
Who is the main character? What do we know about him?
The main character is Leonard Mead, is a single man, a writer, extremely individualistic, he loves to walk the city for hours and miles and return only at midnight to his house. He is a round character who drives the narrative by standing in stark contrast to nearly everything that his society expects.
Why does he go on a walk? What does it suggest about him?
He loves to walk around the city for hours at night, when the others are at home, he strolls outdoors to view the outside world and becomes aware of the monotonous repetition of the same things that fascinates his neighbors. Further defying accepted societal rules.
Why is he arrested and sent to the Psychiatric Centre for Research on Regressive Tendencies? What is meant by ‘regressive tendencies’?
He is arrested and sent to the Psychiatric Centre for Research on Regressive Tendencies because of his hobby of taking late night walks instead of staying in, it is condemned by the police force as a “Regressive Tendency”, and sends him to a psychiatric center to be studied for such behavior, it was also considered a disrespect or a rebellion against the government. Moreover, the punishment for such escapism is enforced not only by police but “corrected” through scientific methods. This strategy of intimidation has worked so well for Leonard Mead’s government that “Crime was ebbing; there was no need now for police”.
What is the atmosphere like at the start of the story? Use evidence from the text to back up your answers.
It was a cloudy, foggy and blurry evening in November, really mysterious and silent.
Describe the setting that is introduced to us in the first paragraph.
A foggy November evening in a big, unidentified metropolis. The time is 8:00 p.m. in the year 2053 A.D. Since nobody leaves their houses to watch television at night in this metropolis, Leonard Mead, the main character, is the only one who ventures out on the deserted streets.
What do you think the purpose of the text is?
The purpose of the text is to explain from another perspective what is the world’s control.
Describe the society in which Leonard Mead lives. Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
The society in which Leonard Mead lives is a place where at night the only light that you can see is the one coming from the brightness of the tv, people stay home watching televisions with big screens and stay inside all the time in badly lit houses.
Explain the possible reasons that Leonard Mead does not fit into this society.
We actually consider him to be the only normal human being in the story. He does not accept things that the society wants to impose on him or what he does. Mead shows his desire for freedom by regularly walking. Society shows its conformity by staying inside.
Why does he keep all of his lights on?
As a symbol of rebellion, to show that it is against society.
Bradbury uses repetition of words and images to establish the tone or mood of the story. What is the tone? What specific words or images does Bradbury repeat to help establish the tone of the story? Identify at least three words or images.
The tone is death, ghost, and graveyard . Bradbury characterizes the scene as foggy and gray. He speaks of shadows and gray phantoms. The world appears ominous and frightening when he uses these phrases to describe things. Leonard Mead appears to be lonely.
Write down the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution of the story. Use one quotation for each point to back up your answers.
Rising action: Things are different the night he walks out. Rather than being by himself as he usually is, there was a car, or more precisely, one police officer in a three-million-person city. He was instructed to remain motionless and respond to a series of inquiries.
Climax: Leonard obeys the police officer's request to get in the car after being questioned because he doesn't want to run afoul of the law.
Falling Action: Cop car drove past his house and is on his way to most likely take him to get help or his “actions and tendencies”
Resolution: It occurs when Leonard understands, for the first time in his life, that he will not be going home after his nighttime walk and notices that his house is all lit up.The turning point occurs when Leonard understands, for the first time in his life, that he will not be going home after his nighttime walk and notices that his house is all lit up.
By Juan Camilo Bermúdez V. and
Sofía Camila González Díaz, Step 11
