Question

Read this passage from “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury:

He would stand upon the corner of an intersection and peer down long moonlit avenues of sidewalk in four directions, deciding which way to go, but really made no difference; he 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.

Which sentence best describes the overall impact of the setting?

A. the absence of people suggests that something is very wrong with society.
B. the many weeds in the pavement imply that the sidewalks are no longer maintained.
C. the man’s breath is compared to cigar smoke, which is a simile.
D. the man’s halt at the intersection suggests that he has a contemplative nature.

Answer 1

A. the absence of people suggests that something is very wrong with society.

Answer 2

A. the absence of people suggests that something is very wrong with society.

All of the options are true statements. To answer this question it is important to look at what the question is asking. The key words in the question are impact and setting. Option B talks about the setting when it describes the weeds in the pavement, but this does not really have any profound impact on the story. Option C tells us about the temperature of the setting but it doesn't have any overall impact. Option D is more about characterization than it is about setting. Option A is the only one that has an overall impact on the setting. It introduces the society as dystopian.