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Other Citizens
The only other character besides Mead who speaks, it is revealed that the car is robotic and operated remotely. Its “iron voice” speaks to Mead in a harsh, accusatory tone as it interrogates him. The car asks why Mead is walking alone, and then it inquires about his profession, home life, marital status. Its questions reveal by implication the expectations of social conformity that Mead fails to embody. Representing swift and unforgiving state power to enforce social conformity, the car possesses the absolute authority to incarcerate Mead, as happens at the story’s conclusion. The car’s harsh tone and its inhumanity reinforce the theme of dehumanization in the story.
Robotic Police Car Quotes in The Pedestrian
The The Pedestrian quotes below are all either spoken by Robotic Police Car or refer to Robotic Police Car. 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
“What are you doing out?”
“Walking,” said Leonard Mead. “Walking!”
“Just walking,” he said simply, but his face felt cold.
“Walking, just walking, walking?” “Yes, sir.”
“Walking where? For what?”
“Walking for air. Walking to see.”
“Your address!”
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“Where are you taking me?”
The car hesitated, or rather gave a faint whirring click, as if information, somewhere, was dropping card by punch-slotted card under electric eyes. “To the Psychiatric Center for Research on Regressive Tendencies.”
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Robotic Police Car Quotes in The Pedestrian
The The Pedestrian quotes below are all either spoken by Robotic Police Car or refer to Robotic Police Car. 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
“What are you doing out?”
“Walking,” said Leonard Mead. “Walking!”
“Just walking,” he said simply, but his face felt cold.
“Walking, just walking, walking?” “Yes, sir.”
“Walking where? For what?”
“Walking for air. Walking to see.”
“Your address!”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“Where are you taking me?”
The car hesitated, or rather gave a faint whirring click, as if information, somewhere, was dropping card by punch-slotted card under electric eyes. “To the Psychiatric Center for Research on Regressive Tendencies.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
