“The Pedestrian”

            Ray Bradbury’s fascination with topics that are science fiction and out of the ordinary has inspired him to write some of the greatest stories in American history. Bradbury’s short story, “The Pedestrian”, is a science fiction themed story that takes place in the future. It is written in a manner that relates themes from the book to elements of Bradbury’s life. Bradbury’s passion for writing indirectly relates to Leonard’s passion for walking. Bradbury also is one of the only people who held onto childhood fantasies like Leonard is the only one who goes out at night to walk. Leonard is directly related to Bradbury because both of them are writers.

            Leonard Mead, on evening nights, likes to go on walks, sometimes for hours. He was the only one who did this. This is related to Ray Bradbury himself, by the fact that, as Bradbury stated, “My staying in love with these things (skeletons, circuses, Sci-Fi) all of the good things in my existence came about” (Bradbury 52). Leonard’s passion for walking being the only one in his world symbolizes the passion that Bradbury has for writing. Bradbury says, “I am not embarrassed of circuses, some people are… By 15 they have been divested of their loves”, (Bradbury 52).

            This relationship that Bradbury has with Leonard is undeniably similar. Leonard, being the only one walking at night, when everyone else is inside watching there “viewing screens” (51), is probably representative of Bradbury being the only one who wasn’t embarrassed at the circus, one of the people who held onto their childhood fantasies and loves. The people who watch their TV screens are probably the people who, as Bradbury would say, “reached maturity… no fun, no zest, no gusto, no flavor”, (Bradbury 52).

            Leonard is a writer. He tells the policeman this when the policeman asks for his profession. The policeman dismisses this and says that he has no profession. “I guess you’d call me a writer … No profession”, (Bradbury 50). This could be representative of Bradbury being Leonard, and maybe Bradbury doesn’t consider writing to be a profession, just a hobby. Leonard being a writer who can’t sell the stuff he writes could relate to a time when Bradbury was struggling, or thought about ending his career as a writer.

            Ray Bradbury’s short story, “The Pedestrian”, is written in a manner that relates themes from the book to elements of Bradbury’s life. Ray Bradbury’s passion for writing indirectly relates to Leonard’s passion for walking. Bradbury also is one of the only people who held onto their childhood fantasies like Leonard is the only one who goes out at night to walk. Leonard is directly related to Bradbury because both are writers.