Question

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

“... he [Mead] was alone in this world of A.D. 2053, or as good as alone, and with a final decision made, a path selected, he would stride off sending patterns of frosty air before him like the smoke of a cigar.”

1. What was the thing that Leonard Mead ‘most dearly loved to do’? (Recall)
2. Why did Mead switch to wearing sneakers when he went for a walk? (Understanding)
3. What are Mead’s neighbours and fellow citizens doing when Mead is out walking? What can you conclude about Mead from this? (Recall and Analysis)
4. What reasons does Mead give for being out alone on the street at night? Why is this viewed with suspicion? (Recall and Analysis)
5. Where is Mead taken at the end of the story? Why is he taken to this place? If you had to describe this story in a single word, what word would you use? Give a reason for your choice of word. (Recall, Analysis and Create)

Answer 1

1. Leonard Mead most dearly loved walking. He enjoyed walking alone through the quiet streets at night and observing the surroundings.
2. He wore sneakers because they were soft and quiet. They helped him walk without making noise and attracting attention in the silent streets.
3. They were inside their houses, watching television. This shows that Mead was different from the rest of society because he preferred being outdoors and observing the real world.
4. Mead says he is walking for air and to see. His behaviour is considered suspicious because, in this society, people normally stay indoors and watch television rather than walk outside.
5. Mead is taken to the Psychiatric Center for Research on Regressive Tendencies because his habit of walking is considered abnormal by society. I would describe the story as “dystopian” because it presents a controlled, technology-dominated society where individuality and human interaction have declined.