Plot

In 2053 a man goes for a walk around the block. This city looks different from cities we are used to — it’s total quiet. Everyone is inside watching TV except the main character, Leonard Meade who for a decade went for walks around the block. On one occasion a police car without a police officer questions him then takes him to Psychiatric Center for Research on Regressive Tendencies. Apparently he violated a law, one which the reader will never know.

Symbolism

Leonard walked on uneven ground or “buckling concrete.” There were a few times the narrator spoke about the ill conditions of the ground. Couple that what the silence of the night with so many people around one could feel trouble was one step away. Sure enough a police car drove up, questioned Leonard, then took him in. The shaky ground represents the type of footing humanity would have below its feet if we took freedoms away from humans. Freedom to live as one pleases makes us human but still today living as one chooses might put you on shaky ground just like it did Leonard.

Lesson

There may come a time when your the faucet of freedom to move about freely gets turned off. Everyone around you might mistaken their bondage for freedom but you don’t. If that does occur, what will you do? Will you take a walk upon freedom’s shaky concrete or stay inside and dull your senses in front of a screen?

Choose to walk on shaky concrete,

@growthucator