Comparing Texts

Video link at thinkcentral.com

Some of us spend a lot of our time watching television. According to research, the average American family is glued to the screen for more than seven hours a day. Is this television habit helping us or hurting us?

What’s the Connection? The essay that follows, “Primal Screen,” focuses on problems associated with watching too much television. After reading the essay, you will read a literary text and view an advertisement that explore the topic of television watching in other ways.

Could we live withoutTELEVISION?

Primal ScreenEssay by Ellen Goodman

The PedestrianShort Story by Ray Bradbury

TV MasterAdvertisement

698

9.3b Use context, structure, and connotations to determine meanings of words and phrases. 9.4a Identify author’s main idea and purpose. 9.4f Compare and contrast the use of rhyme, rhythm, sound, imagery, and other literary devices to convey a message and elicit the reader’s emotion. 9.4k Analyze how an author’s specific word choices and syntax achieve special effects and support the author’s purpose. 9.5g Analyze and synthesize information in order to solve problems, answer questions, or complete a task. 9.5i Differentiate between fact and opinion.

Virginia Standards of Learning

VA_L09PE-u06s4-brPrim.indd 698 3/26/11 12:19:30 PM

Meet the Authors

Go to thinkcentral.com. KEYWORD: HML9-699

Authors OnlineComplete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

text analysis: writer’s messageThe essay and short story you are about to read are works of social criticism, or literature that addresses real-life issues—political, religious, economic, or social. However, while both texts comment on the same topic, the impact of television viewing, each has a different message, or central idea, and conveys it through different methods. As you read, try to determine each writer’s message by paying attention to the following:

In the Essay

• direct statements

• facts, statistics, and other evidence, such as descriptions of people’s behavior and interactions

• explanations of causes and effects

• word choice

• tone

• the writer’s call to action at the end

In the Short Story

• setting and imagery

• mood, sensory details, and word choice

• characters

• dialogue

• plot—especially the nature of the conflict and its resolution

• the lesson you take from the story

reading strategy: set a purpose for readingWhen you set a purpose for reading, you identify specific goals to accomplish as you read. For example, after reading these next two selections, you’ll be asked to compare and contrast them. You’ll also be asked to repond to short constructed response questions, including one that requires cross-textual synthesis. Thus, you’ll want to read with the following goals in mind:

• to determine each writer’s message or central idea• to identify the similarities and differences in the

two messages, including how each message emerges and is shaped by details

• to identify evidence for your conclusions

Take a moment now to consider how you will accomplish these goals. Will you try to keep track of similarities and differences in the writers’ messages as you read? Or do you need to determine each writer’s message first and then review the selections to discover ways in which the messages differ and to find evidence?

Ellen Goodmanborn 1941

Newswoman After beginning her career as a research trainee at Newsweek in the early 1960s, Ellen Goodman broke into reporting and eventually became a columnist for the Boston Globe. Today her columns cover a wide range of topics—from politics to parenting—and appear in more than 450 newspapers across the country. Goodman rewards her readers with both good laughs and something to think about.

Ray Bradburyborn 1920

Social Prognosticator Ray Bradbury is one of the best-known and most highly regarded writers of science fiction. His stories have been termed “warning fictions” because they often explore the dire consequences of society’s dependence on technology. Though his stories are serious, Bradbury relishes writing them. “I write for fun,” he has said. “I have fun with ideas.”

often explore the dire consequences of society’s dependence on technology. Though his stories are serious, Bradbury relishes writing them. “I write for fun,” he has said. “I have fun

parenting—and appear in more than 450 newspapers across

Goodman rewards

699

VA_L09PE-u06s4-brPrim.indd 699 3/26/11 12:18:53 PM

Reading for Information

Someday, I would like to see a television series about a family that sits around the set watching a series about a family that sits around the set.

It might not make the Nielsen top ten,1 but it isn’t such a strange idea. Especially when you think about what’s going on right now.

Night after night, inside the tube, warm and wiggly families spend their prime time “communicating” like crazy and “solving problems” together like mad. Meanwhile, outside the tube, real families sit and wait for a commercial break just to talk to each other. a

About the only subject that never comes up before our glazed eyes is what the medium does to our family life. But, I suppose we already know that.

According to a recent Gallup Poll, television comes out as a major heavy in our family lives. On the scale of problems, TV didn’t rate as bad as inflation, but it ran neck-and-neck with unemployment.

According to a recent Roper Poll, it even causes fights. When people were asked what husbands and wives argued about, money was the champion. But television was a strong contender. Considering how much more time we spend in front of the tube, that may not be such a shock.

To a certain extent, we blame the programs. In the Gallup Poll, for example, people worried most about the overemphasis on sex and violence. But surely half of those fights between husbands and wives must be about the more fundamental issue of turning it off.

Deep down below our poll-taking consciousness, we know that the worst aspect of our addiction isn’t what’s on TV, but how long the TV is on. We can’t help but be aware of what happens when we spend more time facing the screen than facing each other.

In that same Gallup Poll, a large number of us said that the way to improve family life is by sharing—sharing family needs, recreational activities and chores. But when you are watching, you aren’t doing. The only experience you are sharing is a vicarious one.

I am absolutely convinced that the average wife feels tuned out by the twelfth consecutive weekend sports event because she is being tuned out.

1. Nielsen top ten: the ten most-watched television shows, as determined by the Nielsen rating service.

10

20

30

E l l e n G o o d m a n

PrimalScreen

a

WRITER’S MESSAGEReread lines 5–8. What issue does the author introduce by contrasting sitcom families and real-life ones?

Language CoachSlang Informal, sometimes made-up words that substitute for formal words are called slang. Reread lines 5–7 and 17–18. What does the word tube refer to in these sentences? Look up tube in a dictionary and try to determine where its slang meaning comes from. Then, decide whether tube has a positive or negative connotation (the feeling associated with a word) in the context of this essay.

700 unit 6: argument and persuasion

9.3b

VA_L09PE-u06s4-Primal.indd 700 3/26/11 11:56:45 AM

primal screen 701

The average kid develops that distant, slack-jawed, hypnotic, hooked stare because he or she is hooked.

In the same way, the people who spend night after night in front of the tube should worry about it. They’ve become an audience and not a family. Television simply presents us with one model of family life. Watching it makes us fit another model.

But the striking thing in all of this research about how we feel and behave is the role of choice. On the one hand, we have real anxiety about what TV’s doing to us. On the other hand, we allow it to happen. b

We choose to turn it on and each other off. We choose peace and quiet when we let the kids watch TV instead of running around the living room. We choose to “relax” in the semi-comatose slump.

The average viewing time of the American child between six and sixteen years of age is twenty to twenty-four hours a week. A large percentage of parents place no restrictions on either the number of hours watched or the type of program viewed.

At the very least, we behave as if we were powerless to wrench each other away.

I grant you that there are a lot of things that touch on our families that are totally out of our individual control. We can’t regulate foreign affairs. We can’t set the price for oil.

But a television set has a dial and a plug. And we have hands. It is absurd to let our feelings of impotence in the world start creeping into our private lives. c

Just once, we ought to create a private show about a real-life family that kicked the habit.

40

50

Comparing Texts

What are your impressions of the family in this photograph?

b

WRITER’S MESSAGE What is Goodman’s message about excessive TV viewing?

c

WRITER’S MESSAGEThis writer reveals her message through strong statements of opinion—how she personally feels about people’s TV habits. Opinions are either substantiated (backed up by facts) or unsubstantiated (inadequately supported). Are the opinions expressed in this essay generally substantiated or unsubstantiated? Support your answer with specific details from the text.

9.5i

VA_L09PE-u06s4-Primal.indd 701 3/26/11 11:55:34 AM

To enter out into that silence that was the city at eight o’clock of a misty evening in November, to put your feet upon that buckling concrete walk, to step over grassy seams and make your way, hands in pockets, through the silences, that was what Mr. Leonard Mead most dearly loved to do. 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 it 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.

Sometimes he would walk for hours and miles and return only at midnight to his house. And on his way he would see the cottages and homes with their dark windows, and it was not unlike walking through a graveyard where only the faintest glimmers of firefly light appeared in flickers behind the windows. 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. d

Mr. Leonard Mead would pause, cock his head, listen, look, and march on, his feet making no noise on the lumpy walk. For long ago he had wisely changed to sneakers when strolling at night, because the dogs in intermittent squads would parallel his journey with barkings if he wore hard heels, and lights might click on and faces appear and an entire street be startled by the passing of a lone figure, himself, in the early November evening.

10

20

R a y B r a d b u r y

ThePedestriani

Detail of Tourists Beware: New Buffalo Speed Trap (1985), Roger Brown. Oil on canvas, 48˝ × 48˝. © The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Brown family.

What details in the painting help create a somber mood?

d

WRITER’S MESSAGE Reread lines 10–16. What do the imagery and the figurative language in this passage suggest about Bradbury’s position on TV viewing?

702 unit 6: argument and persuasion

VA_L09PE-u06s5-Pedes.indd 702 3/26/11 12:38:48 PM

image of man wakling around in a somber setting on his own - “creepy” feeling (roger brown)

Comparing Texts

VA_L09PE-u06s5-Pedes.indd 703 3/26/11 12:38:18 PM

On this particular evening he began his journey in a westerly direction, toward the hidden sea. There was a good crystal frost in the air; it cut the nose and made the lungs blaze like a Christmas tree inside; you could feel the cold light going on and off, all the branches filled with invisible snow. He listened to the faint push of his soft shoes through autumn leaves with satisfaction, and whistled a cold quiet whistle between his teeth, occasionally picking up a leaf as he passed, examining its skeletal pattern in the infrequent lamplights as he went on, smelling its rusty smell.

“Hello, in there,” he whispered to every house on every side as he moved. “What’s up tonight on Channel 4, Channel 7, Channel 9? Where are the cowboys rushing, and do I see the United States Cavalry over the next hill to the rescue?”

The street was silent and long and empty, with only his shadow moving like the shadow of a hawk in midcountry. If he closed his eyes and stood very still, frozen, he could imagine himself upon the center of a plain, a wintry, windless Arizona desert with no house in a thousand miles, and only dry river beds, the streets, for company.

“What is it now?” he asked the houses, noticing his wrist watch. “Eight-thirty p.m.? Time for a dozen assorted murders? A quiz? A revue? A comedian falling off the stage?”

Was that a murmur of laughter from within a moon-white house? He hesitated, but went on when nothing more happened. He stumbled over a particularly uneven section of sidewalk. The cement was vanishing under flowers and grass. In ten years of walking by night or day, for thousands of miles, he had never met another person walking, not one in all that time. e

30

40

Clouds Over Alabama or Midnight in Alabama (1994), Roger Brown. Oil on canvas, 48˝ × 72˝. © The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Brown family.

e

WRITER’S MESSAGEConsider the reason why Mead never encounters anyone on his nightly walks. How does this detail help you determine Bradbury’s message?

Language CoachMultiple Meanings Words that have more than one definition are considered multiple-meaning words. To determine a word’s appropriate meaning, you need to examine its context. For example, the word plain can mean “simple,” “clear,” or “large flat land.” Which definition of plainmakes the most sense in line 37?

704 unit 6: argument and persuasion

9.3b

VA_L09PE-u06s5-Pedes.indd 704 3/26/11 12:37:27 PM

Comparing Texts

He came to a cloverleaf intersection which stood silent where two main highways crossed the town. During the day it was a thunderous surge of cars, the gas stations open, a great insect rustling and a ceaseless jockeying for position as the scarab-beetles,1 a faint incense puttering from their exhausts, skimmed homeward to the far directions. But now these highways, too, were like streams in a dry season, all stone and bed and moon radiance.

He turned back on a side street, circling around toward his home. He was within a block of his destination when the lone car turned a corner quite suddenly and flashed a fierce white cone of light upon him. He stood entranced, not unlike a night moth, stunned by the illumination, and then drawn toward it.

A metallic voice called to him:“Stand still. Stay where you are! Don’t move!”He halted.“Put up your hands!”“But—” he said.“Your hands up! Or we’ll shoot!”The police, of course, but what a rare, incredible thing; in a city of three

million, there was only one police car left, wasn’t that correct? Ever since a year ago, 2052, the election year, the force had been cut down from three cars to one. Crime was ebbing; there was no need now for the police, save for this one lone car wandering and wandering the empty streets.

“Your name?” said the police car in a metallic whisper. He couldn’t see the men in it for the bright light in his eyes.

“Leonard Mead,” he said.“Speak up!”“Leonard Mead!”“Business or profession?”“I guess you’d call me a writer.”“No profession,” said the police car, as if talking to itself. The light held him f

fixed, like a museum specimen, needle thrust through chest. “You might say that,” said Mr. Mead. He hadn’t written in years. Magazines

and books didn’t sell any more. Everything went on in the tomblike houses at night now, he thought, continuing his fancy. The tombs, ill-lit by television light, where the people sat like the dead, the grey or multicolored lights touching their faces, but never really touching them.

“No profession,” said the phonograph voice, hissing. “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.”

1. scarab-beetles: large beetles considered to be sacred in ancient Egypt.

50

60

70

80

90

f

WRITER’S MESSAGE Why does the voice reply “No profession” when Mead says he is a writer?

Language CoachMultiple Meanings Words that have more than one definition are considered multiple-meaning words. To determine a word’s appropriate meaning, you need to examine its context. For example, the word plain can mean “simple,” “clear,” or “large flat land.” Which definition of plainmakes the most sense in line 37?

the pedestrian 705

VA_L09PE-u06s5-Pedes.indd 705 3/26/11 12:37:01 PM

“Walking where? For what?” “Walking for air. Walking to see.” “Your address!” “Eleven South Saint James Street.” “And there is air in your house, you have an air conditioner, Mr. Mead?” “Yes.” “And you have a viewing screen in your house to see with?” “No.” “No?” There was a crackling quiet that in itself was an accusation. g“Are you married, Mr. Mead?” “No.” “Not married,” said the police voice behind the fiery beam. The moon was

high and clear among the stars and the houses were gray and silent.“Nobody wanted me,” said Leonard Mead with a smile.“Don’t speak unless you’re spoken to!”Leonard Mead waited in the cold night.

100

Detail of Tourists Beware: New Buffalo Speed Trap (1985), Roger Brown. Oil on canvas, 48˝ × 48˝. © The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Brown family.

g

WRITER’S MESSAGE Notice the voice’s reaction when Mead admits to not having a viewing screen. How important is TV viewing to the people of the future?

706 unit 6: argument and persuasion

VA_L09PE-u06s5-Pedes.indd 706 3/26/11 12:36:37 PM

Comparing Texts

2. punch-slotted card: At the time this story was written, cards punched with coded holes were used to feed data into computers.

3. Regressive Tendencies: habits of acting in ways that belong to an earlier stage of human development, such as childhood.

“Just walking, Mr. Mead?”“Yes.” “But you haven’t explained for what purpose.”“I explained; for air, and to see, and just to walk.”“Have you done this often?”“Every night for years.” The police car sat in the center of the street with its radio throat faintly

humming. “Well, Mr. Mead,” it said. “Is that all?” he asked politely. “Yes,” said the voice. “Here.” There was a sigh, a pop. The back door of the

police car sprang wide. “Get in.” “Wait a minute, I haven’t done anything!” “Get in.” “I protest!” “Mr. Mead.” h

He walked like a man suddenly drunk. As he passed the front window of the car he looked in. As he had expected, there was no one in the front seat, no one in the car at all.

“Get in.”He put his hand to the door and peered into the back seat, which was a little

cell, a little black jail with bars. It smelled of riveted steel. It smelled of harsh antiseptic; it smelled too clean and hard and metallic. There was nothing soft there.

“Now if you had a wife to give you an alibi,” said the iron voice. “But—”“Where are you taking me?”The car hesitated, or rather gave a faint whirring click, as if information,

somewhere, was dripping card by punch-slotted card2 under electric eyes. “To the Psychiatric Center for Research on Regressive Tendencies.”3 i

He got in. The door shut with a soft thud. The police car rolled through the night avenues, flashing its dim lights ahead.

They passed one house on one street a moment later, one house in an entire city of houses that were dark, but this one particular house had all of its electric lights brightly lit, every window a loud yellow illumination, square and warm in the cool darkness.

“That’s my house,” said Leonard Mead.No one answered him.The car moved down the empty river-bed streets and off away, leaving the

empty streets with the empty sidewalks, and no sound and no motion all the rest of the chill November night.

110

120

130

140

i

WRITER’S MESSAGE What “crime” has Leonard Mead committed?

h

GRAMMAR AND STYLE Reread lines 117–122. Notice how Bradbury capitalizes the first word of every line of dialogue, even if it is a sentence fragment. The first word of any quotation should always be capitalized.

Language CoachRepetition Writers often use repetition, the act of repeating a word, phrase, or sentence, to emphasize an idea. Notice how the word empty is repeated in lines 144–145. What idea is the writer trying to highlight by repeating this word?

the pedestrian 707

9.4k

VA_L09PE-u06s5-Pedes.indd 707 3/26/11 12:36:06 PM

After Reading

Comprehension 1. Recall Describe the city where Leonard Mead walks in “The Pedestrian.”

2. Clarify Why does Mead seem especially suspicious to the police car?

3. Clarify In “Primal Screen,” what does Goodman urge Americans to do?

Text Analysis 4. Analyze Support In “Primal Screen,” Goodman claims that the habit of

television watching is a more serious problem than the content of the programs. What evidence does she use to support this claim?

5. Make Inferences The title of Goodman’s essay, “Primal Screen,” is a pun, or a play on words. It refers to primal scream therapy, a type of treatment in which patients scream to vent frustrations. Why did Goodman choose this title?

6. Make Judgments Of Leonard Mead’s several responses to the police car, which do you think gets him into the most trouble? Why?

7. Draw Conclusions About Writer’s Message Reread lines 79–83 in “The Pedestrian.” Bradbury uses imagery and figurative language to describe the people of the future. In describing the future, what does he imply about the people of today?

8. Reflect on Your Purpose Now that you have read each text, it is time to compare and contrast the writers’ messages, or central ideas. Write your observations on a chart like the one shown.

Points of Comparison

What is the writer’s focus?

What problems are identified or portrayed?

What solutions are recommended or suggested?

What methods are used to convey the message?

In the Essay

what television watching is doing to family life

In the Short Story

what television is doing to American society in general

Could we live without TELEVISION?Does watching television have a positive or negative effect on your life?

708 unit 6: argument and persuasion

9.4a Identify author’s main idea and purpose. 9.4f Compare and contrast the use of rhyme, rhythm, sound, imagery, and other literary devices to convey a message and elicit the reader’s emotion. 9.5g Analyze and synthesize information in order to solve problems, answer questions, or complete a task.

Virginia Standards of Learning

VA_L09PE-u06s4-arPrim.indd 708 3/26/11 12:39:47 PM

Comparing Texts

Go to thinkcentral.com.KEYWORD: HML9-709.

InteractiveRevision

Language grammar and style: Capitalize Dialogue CorrectlyReview the Grammar and Style note on page 707. Bradbury effectively communicates dialogue by following the first rule below. Pay attention to the second rule as well, which you’ll need to use in your own writing.

1. The first word of a quoted sentence or quoted sentence fragment begins with a capital letter.

“I guess you’d call me a writer.” (Line 76)

“Your hands up! Or we’ll shoot” (Line 64)

2. If an interrupting expression divides a quoted sentence or fragment into two parts, the second part begins with a lowercase letter. If the second part of a quotation is a complete sentence, however, it begins with a capital letter.

“What part of the story,” she asked, “was your favorite part?”

“The ending,” he responded. “Can you believe the police car took him away?”

Now study the model. Notice how the revisions in blue correct this writer’s dialogue. You can revise your response to the prompt below similarly to ensure correct capitalization.

reading-writing connectionExplore Bradbury’s message in the “The Pedestrian” by responding to the prompt below. Then use the revising tip to improve your writing.

student model

I asked him, “do you feel television is a waste of people’s time?”

“I do,” he replied, “Especially if they are watching TV instead of interacting

with others.” He then asked me how many hours of TV I watch each day,

and I said, “four.”

YOUR

TURN

Extended Constructed Response: Write DialogueImagine that you are having a conversation with Ray Bradbury about his views on television. Write one to two pages that reveal what he might think about how television affects people’s lives.

Reread your response. Did you use correct capitalization to help you communicate your ideas clearly? If not, revise your response.

writing prompt revising tip

primal screen / the pedestrian 709

9.6 The student will develop narrative, expository, and persuasive writings for a variety of audiences and purposes. 9.7 The student will self- and peer-edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and paragraphing.

Virginia Standards of Learning

VA_L09PE-u06s4-arPrim.indd 709 3/26/11 12:39:26 PM

Reading for Information

AdvertisementThe essay and short story you just read explore the topic of television in different ways, but both texts communicate messages about excessive viewing. As you examine the advertisement below, consider what messages it conveys, as well as how factual each of its claims may be.

1. INFER Why might someone find a remote control that can only turn televisions on and off appealing?

2. ASSESS Why do you think this ad’s designer chose faces with such exaggerated expressions?

3. EVALUATEAre the reactions pictured and described in the ad the result you would expect from using the TV Master? Explain.

710 unit 6: argument and persuasion

9.2d Evaluate sources including advertisements, editorial, and feature stories for relationships between intent and factual content.

Virginia Standards of Learning

VA_L09PE-u06s4-visPrim.indd 710 3/26/11 11:57:35 AM

Comparing Texts: Assessment Practice

strategies in action1. Reread the texts and think about the

authors’ views on watching TV.

2. Look for words and phrases in both texts that appeal to the senses and create images that support the authors’ views. Use the specific examples as evidence in your answer.

In “Primal Screen” and “The Pedestrian,” how do the authors use imagery to help convey their messages about TV viewing? Support your answer with evidence from both texts.

Assessments will require you to identify and analyze the literary techniques that authors use. Practice analyzing imagery by applying the following short constructed response question to “Primal Screen” and “The Pedestrian.”

comparing literary and nonfiction texts

strategies in action1. Think about the story and consider why only

one house might be lit. Then consider why this detail is significant.

2. The evidence from the text can be in the form of a direct quotation, a paraphrase, or a specific synopsis.

3. Include the evidence you find in your answer.

Analyzing important details in literary texts will make you a better critical reader. Practice this skill by answering the short constructed response question below.

At the end of “The Pedestrian,” why is it significant that Leonard Mead’s house is the only house that is not completely dark? Support your answer with evidence from the story.

literary text: “the pedestrian”

strategies in action1. Skim the essay looking at the author’s choice

of words and important details.

2. Decide if the words and details are meant to inform, persuade, entertain, or express feelings.

3. Include specific evidence to support your assertion about the author’s purpose.

What is the author’s primary purpose in writing “Primal Screen”? Support your answer with evidence from the essay.

On assessments, you'll be expected to recognize an author’s purpose for writing. Practice this skill by answering the short constructed response question below.

nonfiction text: “primal screen”

primal screen / the pedestrian / tv master 711

Assessment Practice: Short Constructed Response

VA_L09PE-u06s4-tapPrim.indd 711 4/15/11 9:20:33 AM