Every individual is shaped and molded into who they are through their experiences and surroundings. In a dystopian society, citizens are unable to be themselves and are forced to integrate into society. When people are not given the right to think, speak or act freely, their fundamental right to freedom is violated by others. This can be seen in Ray Bradbury's “Pedestrian” and George Orwell's 1984 where the authors' aim is to inform readers about the loss of freedom associated with a dystopian society. Authors use diction, simile, and symbolism to describe their purpose. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay To begin with, Bradbury and Orwell apply diction to inform readers about the lack of freedom in dystopian societies. Diction is a tool used by authors to create mood in a story by using specific words or phrases. It influences how the reader perceives a story and helps the author portray his or her message. The diction of “Pedestrian” and 1984 uses colloquial words to create an unwelcoming and dark atmosphere. The atmosphere presented helps readers understand people's feelings in a dystopian environment. Both Bradbury and Orwell use words and phrases that help highlight the lack of freedom that can be reflected in the atmosphere. This can be seen in the short story "Pedestrian", when the protagonist, Leonard Mead, reflects on the boring nights of the other residents, he thinks to himself: "Everything happened in the tomb-like houses... the tombs, sick." -illuminated by the television screen [people's faces and] the gray [the lights hit their faces]” (Bradbury 1). Bradbury uses words like “grave,” “sick,” and “grey” (Bradbury 1) to portray the dark atmosphere, these words evoke the image of a cemetery in the reader's mind. His diction helps connect the quote's feeling of darkness to a cemetery, giving the reader an image of an eerie, dark, gray city with no civilization present. Mead is the only one on the street taking a walk, while the rest of the population follows the same mundane task of sitting indoors and constantly watching television. Readers can see the extent of the effect of the dystopian society that causes everyone's individuality to be suppressed. The fact that Mead lives in a sad town where everyone follows the same action of looking at the screen shows readers that no one can do anything different outside of the norms of society. If one decides to act differently as Mead does, he is considered an “outsider” because he does not follow the same actions as others. The citizens' individuality is contained in an inhospitable and dark atmosphere, no one is willing to step outside of society's norms other than Mead. This can be seen through the diction of Mead's thoughts. He knows he is going against society's norms when he decides to take a walk every night, but he is not willing to sacrifice his individuality to be like everyone else. Regardless, he is not allowed to be himself and thus is arrested by the officer. This violates his freedom because everyone should be given the freedom to be themselves and not be deprived of the ability to do the things they want. However, through the diction of “Pedestrian” the author reiterates the lack of freedom that people have to think, speak and act. Likewise, in 1984, Oceania is a dystopian country that limits the citizen's individuality, therefore leading to a lack of freedom. O'Brien, the antagonist, tells Winston Smith, the protagonist, the truth behind the Party's power and its use for Oceania. After the capture ofWinston, O'Brien informs: "[The world we live in] is the exact opposite of stupid hedonistic utopias... a world of fear and betrayal is torment, a world of trampling and being oppressed. trampling, a world which will become not less but more ruthless…” (Orwell 336). Orwell uses harsh words such as “fear,” “betrayal,” “torment,” “trample,” and “merciless” (Orwell 336) to show the dark and merciless atmosphere of Oceania. These words bring out a feeling of desperation and fear in readers, which are exactly the emotions that the dystopian country affects its citizens. The wording of this quote shows that the people of Oceania have no individuality, no rights and above all no freedom. They must think, speak and behave as the totalitarian government wants. Free will is not allowed and Smith is tortured because he dares to go against the government. Smith along with other citizens are limited by their freedom and the Party, as described by O'Brien, will tighten its already tight grip on the public, preventing any form of individuality. Through the diction and use of words such as “torment” and “merciless” we perceive the illusion of a cruel and oppressive governing body, which does not tolerate any free will. No one is allowed to feel joy, as the country is filled with “fear and betrayal” (Orwell 336) in O'Brien's words. Society will not allow anyone to act as they feel according to their decisions, everyone must be “ruthless” (Orwell 336). By devaluing the importance of joy and without mercy, the dystopian society of Oceania limits the public's choice in making their own decisions and experiencing individual emotions. Civilians in Oceania should have the right to be merciful and feel joy, however, preventing them from doing so is not respecting their individuality. Individuals in a society should have the ability to be their own person as this is the foundation of their freedom. To summarize, Bradbury and Orwell effectively describe the lack of freedom in dystopian societies through their use of diction. Additionally, Bradbury and Orwell inform readers about the lack of freedom in dystopian societies using similes. Similes are incorporated into writing to represent a comparison between two different things. This leads readers to create an evocative and clear image in their minds. The similarities add to the author's purpose by showing the extent of control that society's norms possess in a dystopian setting. As can be demonstrated in the story “Pedestrian”, there is a careful use of simile, which accentuates the author's purpose. The main character, Leonard Mead, describes the norms of society as a strict hold and control over the inhabitants of the town, Mead states, “the people sat as if dead” (Bradbury 3). This quote illustrates that the people of the town resemble the “dead” (Bradbury 3), therefore prompting readers to visualize the gravity of the scene. This scene shows that the norm is to make sure everyone is obedient. The ghostly society in which Mead lives forces citizens to stay and watch television at night, instead of being able to act freely. The city's civilians are not free to express themselves by engaging in activities that interest them because they go against the norms, thus taking away their freedom. The author's purpose behind the use of a simile, in this case, directly shows that the norms of civilization force one to act in a certain way. Everyone is expected to perform the same mundane task making people appear as if they are “dead” (Bradbury 3) because they are unable to act as they choose. Individuals are deprived of the freedom to choose what they want to do, as they are trapped in the mindset that it is not possible to deviate from the norm. At theLikewise, in the novel, 1984, the protagonist, Winston Smith, reflects to himself on his feelings towards being conformed to a Party supporter, Smith explains: "It was like swimming against a current that dragged you back no matter how hard struggle, and then suddenly decide to turn and go with the flow instead of opposing it” (Orwell 350). Smith's thoughts reveal to readers that social norms must be followed in a dystopian society. Smith expresses his struggle for freedom as “swim against the current” (Orwell 350), this highlights the fact that no one can challenge the norms of society, everyone must “turn and go with the flow” (Orwell 350). the Party works for the benefit of civilians. The author's purpose is demonstrated by using a simile because The Party consolidates the norms of society by converting people from rebels to obedient supporters, as can be seen with Smith; he is robbed of his freedom, he cannot follow his own beliefs and oppose the norms of society. The government tortures Smith into conforming to society's expectations, thus reinforcing the author's intentions behind writing the book. To encapsulate, Bradbury and Orwell use the help of similes to inform readers about the lack of freedom in dystopian societies. Furthermore, the symbolism helps the authors, Bradbury and Orwell, inform readers about the lack of freedom in dystopian societies. Symbols are used to represent a unique idea in stories, these ideas are displayed in many different ways, such as a person, object, or thing. The reader can understand the author's thought process behind writing the story because the symbolism influences how one perceives the story. A symbol can change an individual's outlook on society issues. As is evident in the story “Pedestrian,” Leonard Mead's house symbolizes hope. The hope that one day things will change and that everyone will have the freedom to be themselves. Mead's house is described as vibrant and bright unlike the other houses, the narrator notes, "[all the houses in town were dark, except] this particular house had all the electric lights brightly lit, every window a strong yellow illumination , square and warm in the cool darkness” (Bradbury 4). The narrator highlights the fact that no other house is filled with lights in the entire town, the only house that has lights and provides a sense of comfort and positive light is Mead's house. A spark of hope is portrayed through Mead's house, this house is different from all the others. It is not affected by the society in which all the lights are turned off and the houses are dark and squalid, it has its own image. It conveys the remnants of hope to the readers by checking out the lack of freedom in the town, everyone's house is kept in pitch black darkness, while Mead's house stands out by providing warmth and hope to others. Mead's house being the only “warm” house (Bradbury 4), supports the author's point that dystopian societies reduce freedom by preventing civilians from having light in their homes at night. In essence, erase any sign of hope for change among citizens. One's freedom implies that one can make one's own decision, this is not allowed in the dystopian society in which Mead lives. Similarly, in the novel, 1984, Winston Smith describes the hope ignited through the singing of a proletarian woman and the defiance of this act against The Party, he states, “[the woman's] voice floated upward with the sweet summer air, very melodious, full of a sort of happy melancholy... [Winston reflects on] the fact that he has never heard a member of The Party Singing at parties... [the singing is] slightly.