Plot
Who is the main chacter?
Mr. Leonard Mead
From what point of view is the story told?
The story is told from a third person point of view.
What is the mood in the story?
The mood is eerie and quiet, leading to feeling unsettled and unsure.
What is the setting of the story?
The story is set in a city in the year 2053.
What genre of literature is "The Pedestrian"?
It is science fiction.
What does Mr. Mead like to do?
Is Mr. Mead the protagonist or the antagonist in the short story?
He is the protagonist. (The automated police car is the antagonist.)
What literary device is this? "The street was silent and long and empty, with only his shadow moving like the shadow of a hawk in midcountry."
This is a simile.
How many police cars were left in the city?
Only one police car remained.
What is the climax of "The Pedestrian"?
The climax occurs when Mr. Mead is told he has to get in the police car.
What literary device is this? "He put his hand to the door and peered into the back seat, which was a little cell, a little black jail with bars."
This is a metaphor.
Where does the police car take Mr. Mead?
The police car takes him to the Psychiatric Center for Research on Regressive Tendencies.
What is the theme of "The Pedestrian"?
What literary device is this? "The car moved down the empty river-bed streets and off away, leaving the empty streets with the empty sidewalks, and no sound and no motion all the rest of the chill November night."
This is repetition.