(1) In the passage entitled “The Pedestrian”by Ray Bradbury, the author uses diction and sentence structure to engage the reader in the story. (2)First, Bradbury’s diction is a combination of informal, succinct dialogue and more formal descriptions. (3)For example, when the main character speaks to the robotic car, Bradbury uses succinct terms such as “No profession,” “Not married” and monosyllabic responses such as the repeated “Yes” and “No.” However, Bradbury uses more formal language and precise vocabulary in his descriptions: “Sudden gray phantoms seemed to manifest upon inner room walls where a curtain was still undrawn against the night, or there were whisperings and murmurs where a window in a tomblike building was still open.” (4)These examples show how the author’s use of diction engages the reader because the informal succinct speech is realistic and captures the mood of the conversation. The automated police car speaks like a computerized device would speak, and Leonard Mead responds to the questions as a person being interrogated would actually respond. As a result, the reader can actually hear the conversation as they read; moreover, the reader can feel the tension as Mr. Mead is being accosted by the police automaton. In addition, the formal, precise language in the descriptions engages the reader’s imagination; consequently, the reader can visualize the scene as Mr. Mead makes his way down the street. The reader can also feel the gloomy, ominous mood as he/she reads due to words such as “phantoms,” “whisperings,” and “tomblike.” (5)Secondly, Bradbury uses a variety of sentence structures to control the pace of the reading. (6)For instance, he uses direct, simple sentences to describe the action and to capture the reader’s attention: “He got in. The door shut with a soft thud.” In addition, he uses longer, more complex sentence structures in his descriptions: “The car moved down the empty riverbed streets and off away, leaving empty streets with empty sidewalks and no sound and no motion all the rest of the chill November night.” (7)These examples demonstrate how Bradbury’s skillful use of varying sentence structures engages the reader in the story because the short, direct sentences capture the reader’s attention, and they make the reader read faster through the action in the story. However, when Bradbury follows the short, direct sentences with the longer, more detailed sentences, the reader slows down. This allows the reader to pay attention to the details in the descriptions and to actually feel what the main character, Leonard Mead feels: emptiness and lifelessness. Therefore, the reader is engaged in both the action of the story and the descriptions. (8)Clearly, the reader’s imagination and attention are engaged in the story as a result of Bradbury’s expert use of diction and sentence structure.
(1) In the passage entitled “The Pedestrian,” Ray Bradbury’s precise diction and use of varied sentence structures establish an ominous, tense mood in the story. (2)First, Bradbury’s diction evokes images of death and lifelessness which create a dark, foreboding mood. (3)For example, Bradbury uses formal language and precise vocabulary in his descriptions: “Sudden gray phantoms seemed to manifest upon inner room walls where a curtain was still undrawn against the night, or there were whisperings and murmurs where a window in a tomblike building was still open.” (4)The words “phantoms” and tomblike” make the reader picture ghosts and receptacles of death rather than people in houses. These images evoke a dark, unsettling feeling within the reader. Furthermore, by referring to the people as “phantoms” and the sounds emanating from these figures as “whisperings and murmurings,” an aura of mystery is established which puts the reader on edge. (5)Secondly, Bradbury uses a variety of sentence structures to control the pace of the reading. (6)For instance, he uses direct, simple sentences to describe the action and to capture the reader’s attention: “He got in. The door shut with a soft thud.” In addition, he uses longer, more complex sentence structures in his descriptions: “The car moved down the empty riverbed streets and off away, leaving empty streets with empty sidewalks and no sound and no motion all the rest of the chill November night.” (7)These examples demonstrate how Bradbury’s skillful use of varying sentence structures establishes the mood in the story because the short, direct sentences make the reader read faster through the action in the story, thus putting the reader on edge. This captures the tense mood of the story, for the events actually happen rather quickly; Leonard Mead is stopped, questioned, and arrested in a matter of minutes. However, when Bradbury follows the short, direct sentences with the longer, more detailed sentences, the reader slows down. This allows the reader to pay attention to the details in the descriptions and to actually feel the gloom and portentousness of the situation. These descriptions also enable the reader to feel what the main character, Leonard Mead feels: emptiness and lifelessness. Therefore, the reader is engaged in both the action of the story and the descriptions. (8)Clearly, the reader’s the tense, ominous mood in the story is intensified for and conveyed to the reader as a result of Bradbury’s expert use of diction and sentence structure.