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Leonard Mead
Mead passes the homes of these characters on his nightly walks. These characters are undifferentiated and dehumanized. They are not given individual identities; rather, they are described in general terms and associated with death: they are like ghosts and “gray phantoms,” their neighborhoods are likened to graveyards, and their homes are “tomb-like.” They whisper and murmur in their dimly lit homes as they watch light entertainment shows. During the day, they drive around the city in automobiles that are described as if they were insects. The portrayal of the other citizens shows how technological progress and social conformity can cause people to lose their individuality and even their humanity.
Other Citizens Quotes in The Pedestrian
The The Pedestrian quotes below are all either spoken by Other Citizens or refer to Other Citizens. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
The Pedestrian
Quotes
[O]n his way he would see the cottages and homes with their dark windows, and it was not unequal to walking through a graveyard where only the faintest glimmers of firefly light appeared in flickers behind the windows. Sudden gray phantoms seemed to manifest upon inner room walls… or there were whisperings and murmurs where a window in a tomb-like building was still open.
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“What's up tonight on Channel 4, Channel 7, Channel 9? Where are the cowboys rushing, and do I see the United States Cavalry over the next hill to the rescue?...What is it now?” he asked the houses… “Eight-thirty P.M.? Time for a dozen assorted murders? A quiz? A revue? A comedian falling off the stage?”
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Other Citizens Quotes in The Pedestrian
The The Pedestrian quotes below are all either spoken by Other Citizens or refer to Other Citizens. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
The Pedestrian
Quotes
[O]n his way he would see the cottages and homes with their dark windows, and it was not unequal to walking through a graveyard where only the faintest glimmers of firefly light appeared in flickers behind the windows. Sudden gray phantoms seemed to manifest upon inner room walls… or there were whisperings and murmurs where a window in a tomb-like building was still open.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“What's up tonight on Channel 4, Channel 7, Channel 9? Where are the cowboys rushing, and do I see the United States Cavalry over the next hill to the rescue?...What is it now?” he asked the houses… “Eight-thirty P.M.? Time for a dozen assorted murders? A quiz? A revue? A comedian falling off the stage?”
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