Category: Fahrenheit 451

Imagine a world where we all thought, acted and felt the same. What would life be like if you were just a shell of a person? Welcome to the 2019 Dystopian Fiction Conference, my name is Breanna Duckworth and today I am going to highlight a very important message conveyed through Ray Bradbury’s, Fahrenheit 451. As enthusiastic readers, you will no doubt be aware of this iconic dystopian fiction author’s, novel, c, which tells the tale of a society that burns books due to their fear of independent thinking. A realistic novel about how life could be if we continue undermining our intelligence. Therefore, today I need you to heed the message that we as a society crave technology and in turn, this has caused us to become dependent thinking robots, as it’s the social norm in this modern age world.

In Bradbury’s ominous novel, he evokes the message that we as a society have become too involved with technology causing our everyday tasks to be done with the help of machines. This is extremely evident in Fahrenheit 451 as technology surrounds them and soon enough us. For example, “They had this machine. They had two machines, really. One of them slid down into your stomach like a black cobra down an echoing well looking for all the old water and the old time gathered there. It drank up the green matter that flowed to the top in a slow boil. Did it drink of the darkness? Did it suck out all the poisons accumulated with the years?” (Bradbury, 1953, pg. 22-23). This shows that the people of Fahrenheit 451 have become so in need of technological advancements to perform jobs that doctors or nurses would spend years studying to perfect the task. Therefore, stripping away the intelligence causing everyone to become these brain-dead zombies. Bradbury also writes, “The things you’re looking for, Montag, are in the world, but the only way the average chap will ever see ninety-nine percent of them is in a book. Don’t ask for guarantees. And don’t look to be saved in any one thing, person, machine, or library. Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were headed for shore.” (Bradbury, 1953, pg. 112). Bradbury is making it clear that we do not need to rely on machines as us as individuals are capable of doing it ourselves. Subsequently, we must focus on accomplishing everyday tasks without technology or it will be the downfall of our society today.

How many of you used your phone today? It’s no surprise that we have all done this. This is because in today’s world we are becoming more reliant on technology rather than ourselves. Even for this speech I used technology to research and find evidence to help prove my point. It’s everywhere and it is taking over whether you like it or not, so before it can, we must put a stop to it. According to the article ‘Is Technology Affecting Teens’ Education Negatively?’, it states that “One of the major concerns about technology in the classroom is that it prevents students from developing and using basic literacy, math and communication skills, all of which are essential in both day-to-day living and working life.” (Nuttall, 2019). This clearly demonstrates that society is becoming too vulnerable to technology preventing us from developing and using basic skills in everyday life. As stated by The Hornet Newspaper, “We have to stop thinking we need technology for everything. If people were able to accomplish so many things before technology took off, so can we.” (Official Hornet Newspaper, 2018). This is a completely true statement as we as individuals must not fall defenceless to technology or else, we will become a lifeless shell of a person just like in Fahrenheit 451. Moreover, the excessive need for technology has made us reliant on it for basic skills everyone can achieve for themselves.

Dependence of technology is becoming the social norm because of how involved we are to our phones, computers and tablets, we no longer rely on ourselves but rather our phone for daily reminders, messages and even how to get to places from point A to B. In Australia alone we contribute as a country to this pressing issue at hand because no one heeded Bradbury’s warning in Fahrenheit 451. The Sydney Morning Herald expressed, “The Korn Group’s Switching Off survey found Australians readily admit to over-dependence on technology and are concerned about the incursion of screens into their daily lives.” (Taylor, 2018). This evidence alone proves the point that we have an over-confidence on technology and the immoral issue is that we are concerned but we don’t do anything about it. For instance, “Internet addiction is when a person has a compulsive need to spend a great deal of time on the Internet, to the point where other areas of life (such as relationships, work or health) are allowed to suffer. The person becomes dependent on using the Internet and needs to spend more and more time online to achieve the same ‘high’.” (Better Health Channel, 2011). There is no denying that our addiction on technology is affecting our everyday lives by controlling us and making us fall into this black hole that we can never escape. Consequently, us as a country need to stop this unhealthy craving for a certain happiness that only lasts for an hour or so, when in reality we have this amazing world outside this small black screen that we look at everyday to fill our empty pit.

We must as a society put a stop to the societal norms of having defenceless and craving technology ever second of the day. Technological advancements have changed our world today, for worse this is because it’s helped so much but also caused the downfall of the human race as we know it today. Therefore, we must heed Bradbury’s message in Fahrenheit 451 or else in the future we’ll all become shells of the people we once were. To do so, you as an individual must put a stop to the endless mind-numbing control that technology has over us and stop the addiction that we have on technology.

To some, the literary canon is considered a collection of the finest works throughout literature’s history, whilst to others it can be considered an assortment of boring books that provide no meaningful impact. I’m here today to acknowledge the importance of the literary canon and the relevance these classic novels still have in today’s society. The literary canon refers to a collection of works worthy of being passed to the next generation. Books presented in the canon contain quintessential plots and characters, universal themes and innovative literary features. Canon novels possessing these often unique deserve to be shared across generations. Conversely these qualities expose the canon to scrutiny and demand each piece continue to justify it’s place. Literary critics debate the involvement of the canon in school curricula.

Whilst time does not allow to discuss every novel that has inclusion within the literary canon, I have delved deeply into an important classic which exposes the reader to the world of fine thought provoking literature and I will contrast this with a film which displays the same themes.

Although set in drastically different times, both Fahrenheit 451 and The Book Thief display how important books are in society. Set in a dystopian future, Fahrenheit 451 follows Montag, a fireman whose job is not to extinguish fires but to ignite them, by the burning of books. The Book Thief reveals a passionate young ten-year-old girl; Liesel Meminger who craves reading but is trapped in an unforgivable time. Set in Germany, World War Two, intrigued by books, she wants to learn about everything.

Books are illegal in Fahrenheit 451 and any books found are burned on the spot. On one occasion, books were found to belong to an elderly woman. The woman refused to leave her books to burn in the flames so the firemen simply let her burn with them. The Fire Captain, Beatty is known to be a well-educated man who once read books but has since conformed to the pressures of society. Beatty states ‘It was pretty silly, quoting poetry around free and easy like that. It was the act of a silly damn snob. Give a man a few lines of verse and he thinks he’s the Lord of all Creation. You think you can walk on water with your books. Well, the world can get by just fine without them.” pg. 111. Beatty along with the rest of society believes books are dangerous and cause more confusion and distress than wisdom. Fearful of failing to conform, Montag’s wife, Mildred surrounds herself with mindless entertainment. Mildred rejects Montag’s urge to read to her and teach her about the books he has read. She instead states “Books aren’t people. You read and I look around, but there isn’t anybody! Now, my ‘family’ is people. They tell me things; I laugh, they laugh! And the colors!” pg. 69. Mildred has succumbed to the mindless brainwashing and lemming like she follows her television ‘family’ and society, completely excluding Montag.

Montag is a complex character who wishes to be more than just another pawn in his society. From the very first sentence: “It was a pleasure to burn.”, Montag is seen to be content with burning books, but as the novel continues, Montag meets Clarisse, the odd girl, who rattles his peaceful life. Clarisse questions Montag and forces him to look inside himself for what is missing. Finally, Montag begins to think for himself, rather than merely accepting information society has given him. He contradicts the societal norms and teams up with Faber, an English professor, to resist the burning of books.

Bradbury uses multiple creative literary devices throughout Fahrenheit 451, that deserve the recognition of generations to come. Animal imagery is a recurring motive in Fahrenheit 451. Montag refers to the machine used to pump Mildred’s stomach as a snake, the earpiece she wears as a praying mantis, the helicopters as insects and the mechanical hound at the fire station. The hound is a robotic dog that the firemen utilise to hunt fugitives (also known as people who read and hide books). The hound is a representation of the government’s totalitarian censorship, used to destroy books and belittle people who contradict the desired societal norms. Hounds are currently used by firefighters to find the injured, not hunt down innocent people. The animal imagery is a link to destructive technology and an autocratic government. By relating technology to nature, Bradbury has created an imitation of nature and the natural order in a world where no such thing exists. Foreshadowing is utilised throughout the novel to create a sense of anticipation. Montag is seen constantly looking up to a ventilator grille in his home, leaving the reader to wonder what is behind it. Later it is revealed that Montag has been stealing books from houses he has been ordered to burn.

A main theme in both Fahrenheit 451 and The Book Thief is censorship. Books are burned because of the knowledge they bestow to the reader. In Fahrenheit 451 this is all books, for society fears what will be learnt if different opinions are introduced. People are controlled by their screens; Mildred spends her days sitting surrounded by three television screens and forgets that she tries to take her own life because the screens control her thoughts. The Book Thief shows the burning of books as a celebration of loyalty to Hitler. By burning books, the willingness to follow Hitler blindly is represented. The only books Germans were allowed to read or the only thing they were allowed to learn about was Hitler. Such censorship, manipulates and brainwashes as illustrated when Liesel starts believing that they are winning the war and that Hitler is good. Only once Max, a Jew Liesel and her family are hiding, engages her to think deeper does she starts to question her society, much like Montag and Clarisse. Liesel begins to steal (or as she refers to it “borrow”) books from the mayor’s wife who she becomes very close to. Liesel updates her dictionary using the words she has learnt from the books she “borrows”.

Throughout the novel and film, it becomes increasingly evident of the downgrade of each society. Without books, interactions become stagnated and sterile, people no longer talk to each other, no longer walk around nor laugh together. Instead, people enclose themselves to the pressures forced upon them, they try to be like everyone else and ignore the burning desire to do more… be more.

Both works have evidently shown that classic literature is necessary in society, in particular the sharing of themes of autocratic manipulation, redaction and control encourages the reader to develop awareness of self and awareness of the need to criticize, analyse and source information from as many sources as possible. Only through sharing history and engaging ideas can we ensure that we do not blindly find our society led down unpalatable roads.

From Shakespeare to Dickins, literature has been of great importance for centuries. Literature is not only an excellent form of expression, but it is also a way for our society to understand humanity from a different perspective. Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury in 1953 is the epitome of great literature; a timeless novel that demonstrates the ramifications of a bookless world. This novel depicts a range of themes, however the themes that will be touched on during this presentation are the themes of life, knowledge and rebellion. This book is relevant to todays society due to its unambiguous morals that can be derived from the themes that I will discuss during the course of this presentation, being the themes of life, knowledge and technology.

The theme of life is often presented in many different novels; however, Bradbury’s presentation of the theme is very unique from your everyday novel. Bradbury describes life and death in a figurative sense rather than a literal life and death sense. For example, in one instance in the novel, Bradbury describes Mildred as ‘both living and dead,’ due to her absent mindedness. Mildred is seen to be constantly watching television and remains in a state of ignorance. Throughout the novel, Mildred refuses to acknowledge that there is a life outside of her room. This mental imprisonment is what Bradbury means by ‘death.’ This simple theme is one of the greatest philosophies of life, being that ‘existing is being but being is not living.’ This philosophy applies to our daily lives, especially to the 21st century millennials in the era where social media is more important than current global issues that we are facing. It is important that these ideologies are relayed to society in all forms- Bradbury relayed this message impeccably.

The theme of knowledge, in a sense, goes hand in hand with the theme of life and death. Bradbury demonstrates the theme of knowledge alongside the theme of ignorance. Throughout the entire novel, it is seen that Montag seems to be the only person amongst his society that embraces knowledge and frowns upon ignorance, whereas the society he lives in embraces the latter. Bradbury uses Montag as a personified form of knowledge and uses the fireman as the embodiment of ignorance. It is evident that Bradbury wanted the reader to extract a message about knowledge and ignorance from the book. The author uses this theme to allow the readers to question their care for being knowledgeable and their fighting of ignorance. This is a vital theme that should be taught in society due to the fact that in this day and age, it is quite difficult to get a person to look up from their device and to be aware and informed about the world they live in, which is why this book is incredibly relevant to our society.

Unlike many other science fiction books, technology makes civilization worse in Fahrenheit 451. Bradbury sets the scenes to the 24th century where technology has completely taken over the globe. Bradbury portrays television to be the enemy where large rooms of television literally brainwash the viewers. Parents begin to stop caring for their children and society begins to wholeheartedly indulge themselves in technology. Bradbury makes it that the only possible way for society to get back on track is for technology to be completely annihilated. Books have been memorized by the drifters Montag encounters in the wilderness, where they plan to share their knowledge with a new civilisation. This theme is possibly the most reiterated theme throughout the novel which is understandable due to its relatability to our modern-day society. Bradbury shows that the future of the people from Fahrenheit 451 could indefinitely be the future of our society if technology completely revolutionises our civilisation as we know it- which is why this novel is of high importance to be read.

This novel’s portrayal of the aforementioned themes is what uniquifies it to the extent that it is at. The themes of life and death, knowledge and technology all present a perspective of life that is not often confidently portrayed in books. Through the introduction of this book in school, students are not only introduced to impeccable writing, however are introduced to a completely different interpretation of the government, authority and overall, life. I believe it is greatly important that this book is read by the greater society and that the themes that are portrayed in this book are relayed to humanity.

Intro

‘Robots won’t replace us because we still need that human touch’ Finkel’s law gives insight into the reason why human beings will never be entirely replaced by robots, our natural instinct still needs human touch. Fahrenheit 451 and Blade runner are both set in a futuristic era’s that attempt to describe the devastating repercussions of dehumanisation and lack human connection. The film and novel both resonate, clash and relate to each other, This is shown through the connection and representation of science fiction concepts.

Bladeruner

· Dehumanisation

Blade runner attempts to answer the important question of ‘what does it mean to be human’. The new invention of androids makes this question clear. A test of empathy, ‘window to the soul’. This test tries to distinguish the androids from humans. ‘The designer reckoned after a few years, they might develop their own emotional responses. You know hate, love, fear, anger, envy. So, they built a failsafe device.’ This is an action to make sure that the android doesn’t appear more human then human by only giving them a four-year life span. Eve when this is the motto of Tyrell corporation that make the android.

The fake is idolised in Bladeruner, as a real animal is seen a status symbol and fake animal’s. This is juxtaposed to where the fake is also idolised on social media and can be seen as a status symbol. The motto used by Tyrell corporation ‘more human than human’ show a prominent example of how the android are idolised.

Happiness is chased as a state of being whereas in Fahrenheit happiness is considered distraction. In both these texts happiness seems to be the goal, but happiness is a distorted ‘have you ever retired a human by mistake’ this is the question that Rachel asks Deckard. This can be seen as how easy it is to mistake a human from a replicant and what differentiates a replicant from an android.

George Orwell ‘Big brother is watching’, is a symbol and government power and widespread surveillance. In Bladeruner surveillance is everywhere in the city of los Angeles the city is filled with chaos and Tyrrell corporation use their power to use surveillance to watch the replicants. The can also relate to the matrix where surveillance is used to monitor individuals this is also a system where freedom or privacy is accepted.

· Human Connection

Technology is used to satisfy human needs, the main similarity is the excessive use of escapism/self – medication, lack of empathy and the use of technology to satisfy human needs.

Eye motif is one used excessively throughout Bladeruner. The Voight – Kampff f test is a test of empathy used to identify android through a series of questions to test empathy. The eyes are regarded as ’windows to the soul’ and the eyes unconsciously demonstrate genuine emotion which is used during Bladeruner. This is juxtaposed as today we are told that no matter what face you put in in any situation, the best to know if someone is being genuine is to investigate their eyes to see their real emotional state. Eyes are also the main connection between two individuals and the empathize for effective social interaction.

Painful to live in fear isn’t it. – Leon Kowalski, the fried of Roy Batty a Nexus 6 replicant. ‘Painful to live in fear isn’t it’ This shows how human the replicant s can actually be, worrying about their ‘life’ and living in constant fear of their death. Leon and Roy refer to their lifespans as their life’s also proving how human they actually be.

Fahrenheit 451

· Human connection

The novel then explores the topic of dehumanisation. Technology is used to satisfy human needs Mildred Montag is constantly using a ‘seashell’ this is what majority of people use to listen to music, news and receive entertainment. ‘She had both ears plugged with electronic bees that were humming the hour away’. (pg. 28) Everyone uses the seashell, talking is now not a normal occurrence. The seashell is a way for individuals to escape their everyday life and the world around them, watching television or being with technology is prefeed over human interaction. Making everyone antisocial and isolated. This also gives the government an opportunity to control the lives and minds of all those with the seashell radio.

Throughout the novel the idea that distraction is happiness, however this juxtaposed in Bladeruner as happiness is driven by status. This gives individuals a chance to escape their own minds and supress the feelings of loneliness and sadness. Mildred Montag distracts herself from her own life this leads to her losing vital connection with Guy and having multiple suicide attempts. Mildred is an example of the state of solitude and isolation felt because of the profound and devastating impact technology.

In the modern-day era, earphones can be seen as the new seashell radio. People listen to music, podcasts and news through their earphones. Using them to block out the world and those around them. So, in reality earphones stop connection and conversation from happening, it creates a social barrier like the seashell radio.

Conformity v individuality is also a topic that is heavily discussed in Fahrenheit, in a society where everyone is controlled and forced to think and act the same guy is intrigued when he meets Clarisse McClellan. Clarisse represents freedom and individually, In Guy’s life he has not met anyone like her before. ‘You’re not like the others. I’ve seen a few; I know. When I talk, you look at me. When I said something about the moon, you looked at the moon, last night. The others would never do that.’ This is Clarisse talking to guy and showing how different he is from the other people she talks to.

· Dehumanisation

Alter reality’. This can be seen when Guy first meets Clarisse as she explains to Guy that firemen use to put on fires instead of starting them. This shows the altered reality is found in the book, everything is almost upside down and the other way around as to say that in the future we will no longer have a sense of what is right and wrong.

In many ways Fahrenheit can be seen as an ode to the McCarthy era, the loss of books can symbolise censorship, control and the suppression of ideas and destruction of creativity which is what makes one an individual and different from those around them. But without books this is slowly taken away and everyone becomes controlled, every aspect of their life is dictated which can be blamed for the lack of conversation topics, which then lead to society needing another way to distract themselves which is why conversation is no longer seen as normal.

In modern day society, books are not destroyed but instead we are distracted from them. Modern day technology such as television, phones and laptops have taken our attention, we prefer to spend more time with technology as oppose to reading a book. Therefore, this gave corporations a chance to control those that used the seashell radio or constantly watched TV. Mood organ, this is a machine to improve the mood of all individuals in that society.

Conclusion

Through Ridley Scott’s Blade runner and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 we are constantly questioning what it means to be human, the causes of dehumanisation and understanding the importance of human connection. Through the novel and film, they both shared similar concepts and themes that help humanity to answer the question of ‘what it means to be human’.

Introduction

Ray Bradbury is one of the greatest writers of science and fantasy fiction in the world today. Since he was 20 years old, he has published 500 short stories, novels, plays and poems. Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel first published in 1953 and is regarded as one of Bradbury’s best works. The novel presents a futuristic American society where books are outlawed, and “firemen” burn any that are found. I believe the most central themes to this novel are censorship and ignorance versus knowledge.

“Our civilization is flinging itself to pieces. Stand back from the centrifuge.” – Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

Plot Overview

The lead character, Guy Montag, is a fireman who becomes disillusioned with his role of censoring literature and destroying knowledge, eventually quitting his job and committing himself to the preservation of literary and cultural writings.

Characters

Each character in the novel struggles with the concept of knowledge in a different way. While some of the characters embrace knowledge and take on the responsibility of protecting it, others reject knowledge to protect themselves and their comfort. Guy Montag is the protagonist and a fireman who presents the dystopian world in which he lives first through the eyes of a worker loyal to it, then as a man in conflict about it, and eventually as someone resolved to be free of it. Mildred is Guy’s wife; she represents society as a whole: seemingly superficially happy, deeply unhappy inside, and unable to articulate or cope with that unhappiness. Captain Beatty has devoted his life to destroying, thus maintaining society’s ignorance of books. This makes him a dangerous antagonist as, unlike other truly passive and ignorant characters, Beatty is intelligent, and he uses his intelligence to keep society ignorant. Clarisse disappears from the story very early on, but her impact is large. Professor Faber is an elderly man who was once a teacher of literature. He despises the society in which he lives in and believes strongly in the power of reading and independent thought.

Setting

The story is made to be intentionally unknown; Bradbury references major U.S. cities, like Chicago and St. Louis, so it’s safe to assume that the story takes place in the United States. The exact location of the novel is vague; however, this allows readers to picture the events of the book happening anywhere. The setting allows the themes to build in emotions and lets readers get a feel for what is actually happening.

Themes

In the book Bradbury gives the reader a brief description of how society slowly lost interest in books, first condensing them, then relying simply on titles, and finally forgetting about them all together. The government censors all books by outlawing and destroying any found. This is why Guy Montag has the job as a fireman to destroy any and all books, along with the residence if necessary. Another theme within this book would be ignorance vs knowledge; in Fahrenheit 451, firemen maintain ignorance by destroying books and with them their knowledge. I believe that the themes of censorship, ignorance versus knowledge is the main themes of this book because it is also applicable in today’s time. Censorship is when media such as books are examined, and unacceptable parts are suppressed. These themes a harrowing link between the fiction, and reality of today’s society: the true purpose of Bradbury’s work.

Conclusion

The book is a compelling parallel of our society today, and the society Bradbury fought to warn us of, so if you want something to captivate and ignite curiosity within, I could not recommend Fahrenheit 451 enough.

“Live in the present, make the most of it, it’s all you’ve got” – Offred. It is from chilling thoughts like this, that dystopian literature is created. Authors, such as ‘Margrett Atwood’ and ‘Ray Bradbury’ who write for young audiences are reluctant to leave individuals without hope. Hopeful literature is achieved through dystopian works, where the audience is presented with a dysfunctional future society portraying the degradation of civil society and the bitter inheritance left for younger generations. It is from these speculative literatures where ominous educations are distributed among modern societies, foreshadowing the dehumanised, authoritarian humanity controlling individuals in future generations. Both speculative texts including ‘The Handmaids Tale’ and ‘Fahrenheit 451’ are dystopian classics which detail the manner of power and control via the influence of totalitarian regime while the concepts of the individuality and conformity are manipulated. The power of both literatures emerges from the sinking feeling that such dystopian worlds may exist in the realm of possibilities.

Both the ‘The Handmaids Tale’ and ‘Fahrenheit 451’ explore distinct methods of totalitarian regime which oppress its citizens. In Attwood’s Tv series, this is recognised through the exposure of strong misogynistic elements in which only granting power to men, furthermore, leaving females completely silenced and marginalised. Atwood presents a strongly feminist vision of dystopia. Throughout her series, she allows the audience to explore the consequences delivered by an assemblage of conservative religious extremists whom take control, turning Gilead into a sexual revolution. Attwood presents a government where the use of power is illustrated and maintained through the control of sexual rights and behaviours; forbidding handmaids to partake in many behaviours including voting, reading and writing. From this absence of freedom, handmaids argue for independence from traditional gender roles; however, Gilead solely remains their focus on returning to traditional values and sex roles, furthermore, on the suppression of females by males. Nonetheless, Attwood’s series remains one of the most powerful portrayals of modern societal attitudes, values and beliefs towards female rights and one of the few dystopian films to examine sexuality in detail. These concepts of power and control are also significantly recognised in Ray Bradbury’s ‘Fahrenheit 541’, a novel published on 19 October 1953, and written through the inspiration of World War 2, more specifically the Nazi’s burning of books. The oppression in his novel is explored via forceful behaviour to achieve one’s submission towards anti-intellectualism. Bradbury portrays the suppression of anti-intellectualism, representing the development of an increasingly oppressive political organisation, that wishes to deny all literature. ‘Fahrenheit 451’ includes an authoritarian regime that establishes and maintains power and control in society via force and punishment. The establishment of power and control in Fahrenheit enables the government to enforce intellectual pursuits and strict laws, thus, prohibiting literatures. Intellectualism is the primary vector to which humans are able to communicate their sense of reality to others, furthermore, the destruction of reading allows the regime to oppress all citizens. As literature and independent thinking are abhorrent in ‘Fahrenheit 451’, the burning of books is a significant behaviour.

Through the authority’s behaviour to eliminate one’s humanity, such concepts including individuality and conformity are strongly depicted. The most prominent dystopian features which are presented in both Bradbury’s and Atwood texts include one’s loss of individuality and submission into conforming behaviours.

In both ‘The Handmaids Tale’ and ‘Fahrenheit 451’ one’s individuality is lost to enforce strong means of oppression and prevent any social conflict that could otherwise foster rebellion. Attwood explores this inexistent nature of individuality in Gilead, which is achieved through a political oligarchy which enforces uniformity among citizens to distinguish roles within the state organisation and gain sexual repression. The complete restriction of individuality in ‘The Handmaids Tale’ is evident from the government’s attitude towards handmaids. This behaviour to eliminate one’s individuality results in the handmaids wearing government-issued clothing; long red cloaks and white bonnets. The uniform is quite limiting; long and shapeless, depriving the Handmaids of their femininity. Hence, the red colour which echoes menstrual blood implying their function in society; fertile women who are constantly enforced to endure children for political leaders whom are which incapable of producing offspring of their own (Vanity Far, 2019). This striking red cloak is established as a global phenomenon, as Attwood ‘sears this image into our souls with its depiction of a near-future dystopia’ (Attwood, 2019). Further elimination of individuality is achieved through the removal of handmaid’s original names and their ability to express thoughts. Offred explains this in episode one, where she narrates “thinking hurts our chances” (season 1, episode 1 (5:30). Shortly after, she follows by sharing; “my name isn’t Offred, I have another name, which nobody uses now because it’s forbidden” (season 1, episode 1, 5:35-5:43. Offred’s thoughts and uniform clearly exhibits the way in which handmaids behave, speak and dress in a government-prescribed manner while their individuality is significantly abolished. Similar concepts are also recognised in ‘Fahrenheit 541’, where Bradbury examines loss of individuality in detail through the manipulation of daily schedule control. A significant example of this is identified within the novel “An hour of TV class, an hour of basketball or baseball or running…but do you know, we never ask questions” (p.17) This suggests Fahrenheits totalitarian state mandates individuals to follow highly regimented daily schedules, hence, the concept of a personal life is destroyed. Fahrenheits government also interferes with one’s education as regime policies limits their critical thinking and judgement skills that hinders individuals from following their true desire while preventing access from the truths of society. Therefore, in order to repress individualism, both governments destroy freedom to express emotion and literature is abolished, further removing citizens’ ability to distinguish their own sense of reality from authorities.

Through the governing behaviours of eliminating one’s humanity, submission into conformity is established. Conformity expects people to ignore who they truly are and shape to a single standard, similar to the absence of individuality. This nature is explored by both authors as they focus on the tension between the individual and the state where the manner of conformity is significantly detailed. Both dystopian worlds examine the implementation of strict social regulations upon its populace, coercing the society to behave and think the same as one another to a set of social norms or policies. Thus, citizens belong to a population seemingly brainwashed through the oppressive government whom significantly establish and maintain control over their daily behaviours. Attwood does not fail to detail this concept as her protagonist demonstrates the manner of conformity, through the imposition and maintenance of uniformity upon handmaids. By wearing these cloaks, handmaids are conforming to Gilead’s way of protecting and expressing fertile women. Conformity is further recognised through the behaviours of handmaids as Offred shares; “We go everywhere in two’s” season 1, episode 1 (12:12). This passage displays that handmaid’s source of individuality and freedom is significantly lost and Gilead’s enforcement of oppression is effective. In comparison, Bradbury exacerbates conformity through detailing one’s behaviours which embodies tension between one and the state. This is shown when Montag questions Beatty “was it my wife who turned me in?” (p.128), after, Beatty replies with a nod. In relation to conformity, majority of the public in ‘Fahrenheit 451’ share the preference of obeying governing authorities than standing by loved ones in certain situations. This is comprehended through Mildred’s behaviours of reporting Montag, as her choice to notify the government of her husband’s actions which successfully portray society’s choice to conform to authorities’ orders.

It is quite rare when literature is able to cohesively capture themes in relation to societies yet entertain its audience and that must not be ignored. Both recognised as cautionary tales, ‘Fahrenheit 451’ and ‘The Handmaids Tale’ create opportunities for lessons to be learnt through the manipulation of societal attitudes, values and beliefs. For Fahrenheit, Bradbury quotes, “I was not predicting the future, I was trying to prevent it” (Shenoy, 2019). Seen in this light, ‘Fahrenheit 451’ becomes a cautionary tale where the audience extracts ominous lessons. The novel was written in the early 1950s, as Bradbury’s inspiration spurred from the Nazis burning of books, and the invasion of seven-inch black-and-white televisions into people’s homes. In saying that, ‘Fahrenheit 451’ replicates such situations as society is incessantly entertained by staring at mega TV screens in their homes. The dystopian novel warns the audience about a society that has unfortunately been significantly influenced by technology and so distracted by television that the civilisation has lost track of reality and independent thoughts. From this, Bradbury allows the reader to explore the message of watching mindless, endless television is not a substitute for reading literature. This is strongly continued into modern times as technology remains the most influential limitation to societies literature access. However, Attwood modelled ‘The Handmaids Tale’ to be a representative of female dystopia where the position of women in Gilead is discussed in detail, therefore, juxtaposing to Bradbury’s novel. The series is a prominent symbol for modern feminism and the global fight for gender equality. Unlike men, females have unfortunately been facing sexual discrimination and repression for centuries. Although Attwood’s totalitarian regime may not resemble American societies in current form, its structures and customs do mirror aspects of the 17th century. It is in this century that Attwood’s inspiration was encouraged, from such events related to Mary Webster, an example of a female who was faulsy accused.

Therefore, the dystopian nature of both ‘The Handmaids Tale’ and ‘Fahrenheit 451’ explore the chilling concept of futuristic societies through their strong use of power and control to oppress one’s conformity and remove individuality. As Attwood and Bradbury both illustrate through the dystopian regimes, their sole purpose is to maintain absolute control over all citizens and to allow the governing authorities to maintain immutable power. The emergence of these speculative texts delivers ominous lessons which societies can comprehend the dehumanised, authoritarian humanity controlling individuals in future generations. The supremacy of such literatures is recognised from the sinking feeling that dystopian scenarios may exist in the realm of possibilities. Therefore, we must live in the present and make the most of it because it may be all we’ve got.

References

1. Attwood, M. (2019). The Handmaid’s Tale. [online] Goodreads.com. Available at: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38447.The_Handmaid_s_Tale [Accessed 14 Nov. 2019].
2. Shenoy, G. (2019). Why Fahrenheit 451 is supremely relevant to the times we live in | Factor Daily. [online] Factor Daily. Available at: https://factordaily.com/fahrenheit-451-ray-bradbury-relevant-present/ [Accessed 14 Nov. 2019].
3. “The Handmaids Tale” Margret Attwood (Hulu TV series)
4. “Fahrenheit 451” Ray Bradbury

In Fahrenheit 451, the concept of justice is used as an oxymoron. Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 concept justice is more than an oxymoron it defines a form of a sensible idea, transforming Montag from an “Fireman” to a man who’s able to reveal illegally literacy context to civilization and finding himself. The figure of speech, Justice becomes an oxymoron in Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 of Montag in defining his own identity by influencing people’s lives between passive entertainment, and critical thoughts is a central concern.

As Bradbury says In Fahrenheit 451 Montag is an amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning character as a fireman. With the brass nozzle in his fist, with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world’ (1953, p. 11). It is from the treatment concept that justice is an oxymoron. In Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, often a typical elite aim to destroy its colony of a passive entertainment in relation by the critical thoughts, so that citizens who are enemies apart of the government separate useful information into robotics fit to kill an illegal book. While the context has changed as Montag is worn by the fiction in revealing relevant information. In a world of ‘fake news’ and ‘relevant knowledge’ it helps define an identity, transforming Montag from an “Fireman” to a man who’s able to reveal illegally books by influencing people’s lives between passive entertainment, and critical thoughts is a central concern.

Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 (1953) and Brooks the Cruelty of Call- Out culture in which the concept of Justice is a treatment of behaviour, if not the control of social. The destruction of governmental influence resulting from the extension of robotic tyrannous. In both texts, the aims to enforce anonymous photographs to destroy the ability of others. In particular, the excision of justice to express emotion, treatment and the regulations of behaviour that is enforced among citizens and members of the government. With the reduce of information and the alarming by technological surveillance of citizens tracked by government mechanical hounds, as its warning occur if individuals are caught by party members and their exclusive thoughts.

Furthermore, to ensure that inhumane rulers and the enemy of individualism isn’t destroying citizens. In referring to citizens roaming at night tracking a scent to kill bad. Slept but did not sleep, lived but did not live in its gently humming, gently vibrating, softly illuminated kennel back in the dark corner of the firehouse’ (p. 32). A body sworn in allegiance to is ruled by one state. The expressive intense of a dead beast or living turning loose to ensure the portray of a self- damaged and disgraceful enemy of totalitarian rule to be obeyed. Set the ticking combination of the olfactory system, as green- blue neon light flicker ready to pounce on their next enemy, smelling a scent that reeks.

In order to repress an enemy thought, a chance of justice can trigger an emotion to gain the ability to disguise its own sense from real problems. Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is controlled the literature is the safety valve of civilization of a social justice drama. Based in Seoul, a broadcast on cities and culture being manipulated by technology every year. As language is vacated in which humans are unable to communicate their sense of personal beliefs against the government. Furthermore, concepts such as censorship, which entirely separate a part of book, films, new that are considered a threat to the government. When these literature texts are also burnt, it then becomes impossible for citizen to temper about the evidence that are hidden by the government. Similarly, Brooks has suggested evidence that social justice have manipulated news feeds on social media, revealing non- truthful fiction which is difficult to unseen. I listened to a podcast that has haunted me since’ (pg.1). Effects of this has reported that books aren’t people. You read and I look around, but there isn’t anybody’ (p. 80). The emotion of frustration has shown that evidence by existence of grangers exiles the new on the internet lack the knowledge of how to check for accuracy.

In we, expression of emotion and creativity through book has the potential to allow society to gain true insight of how the government interpret everyone exposer towards creativity in condition to believe they are what the government rules apply. I disown everything he has done. I do not think it’s OK. … I believe women’ (pg. 3). “Invisibilia” has program and podcast the produce of national announcement. The restriction of social justice to convey emotion is fundamental as censorship government control everyone magnitudes. There must be something in books, something we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing’ (p. 25). In fact, contain a secret hidden beyond the one question, when he can distinguish himself from others and notice what is general hidden among limited member of the government, threaten to keep this away. The type of thinking directly threaten citizens, which at the closure of a literature text imagining removing rebellion.

The censorship of the government also followed highly daily schedules, so that the concept of personification caging its own life in destroying another. Flapping pigeon- winged books died’ (p.11). books don’t flap like birds’ wings and trap as the pigeon is in a cage and being unaware that Montag sacrificed a literature text continuing to serve again. Brooks suggest the “Invisibilia” is the enforce by breaking humanity broken by social justice and the cruelty to do more to advance civilization of a cycle foe empathy’ pg. 15-16). The energy and courage have otherwise directed to successfully trigger the potential need of the government. In Invisibilia, citizen also ensure that the expansion of book is strictly outlined to not be burnt if caught by service that mass with the government. Therefore, in both texts, the Invisibilia has place pressure on Montage to decide between helping himself or something needs in resistance.

As Bradbury and Brook illustrate through the fiction purpose of a social justice is to maintain absolute control over all citizens in being Invisibilia by the censorship government. In both texts, the individual sacrifice of Montag and Emily has established that member of the government have thereby forced citizens to accept who is ruled. However, as revealed through in remaining for humanity can remain true to themselves and sense of self- interest to control the mind in finding themselves or whether to be self- served by government power or commercial surveillance. It is indeed that both text 1953 and the cruelty of call- out culture.

“Are you happy?” – Clarisse McClellan When was the last time you asked yourself this question – Are you happy?

Although we are told that its ok to have individualism, conformity is still enforced one way or another. We are told that we must go to school. We are told that we must go to university. We are told we must get a boring nine to five job, have a family and kids, buy a house and only then will we achieve happiness. But is this true happiness?

Well, what will happen if we go against the grain? If we do not adhere to the social standards of society, we will be marginalised. We will be pushed out of our own culture, just for having a voice; just for having an opinion. I’m sorry if this comes as bad news for you, but it’s the truth. We live in a society where if you have an opinion and do not obey social standards, you will get punished. When was the last time you were forced to conform?

Conformity comes in many different shapes and sizes, from as simple as peer pressure, to the extremes, such as Nazi Germany. Both the novel, Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury and the play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller are two pieces of literature that explore various characters that show the repercussions of conformity and non-conformity.

Although the two texts are set in two completely different time periods, they both heavily exemplify the drawbacks of conformity, and the indefinite damaging repercussions that come along with it. Thus, I ask you the following question – is a modernised Nazi Germany worth a couple cents of fake happiness?

The Crucible explores the Salem witch trials that took place in the early six-teen nineties, where society was theocratic. Conformity was indoctrinated through the form of religious beliefs, and anyone who questioned it was crucified.Fahrenheit 451 on the other hand, is an extremely different novel where firemen start fires instead of putting them out. Fahrenheit 451 has the same concepts around conformity as the crucible: it should not be implemented in our society.

Ray Bradbury (the writer of Fahrenheit 451) and Arthur Miller (The writer of The Crucible) lead us to believe that conformity leads to all types of problems. Montag, the protagonist from Fahrenheit 451, is a prime example of the drawbacks of both conforming and not conforming to society. He is a fireman but is in conflict with who he is. His occupation is described as “strange” (Clarisse, 21), as he doesn’t follow the zombie-like aura that other firemen give off.

As Montag realises how bad a society is without individuality, he transitions to an employee to his society into a free agent. But as a non-conformist, life gets even harder for him. Even his wife, Mildred, betrays him for disobeying the government. Mildred doesn’t even acknowledge his presence when their house is about to turn into flames. It is only until he finally escapes the totalitarian city when he finally finds himself and finds his goal in life.

Although Montag survives after converting into a non-conformist, John Proctor from The Crucible doesn’t get as lucky (spoilers). John Proctor has never really been a conformist to begin with, as he does not blindly follow the church by donating his hard-earned cash to privileged Paris. However, when he tries to persuade Judge Danforth and the court that Abigail is a liar, their passionate devotion and stubbornness to their ideology results in john Proctor’s actions backfiring as he is sent to jail and eventually, dead.

While Montag and John Proctor generally epitomize the side effects of not conforming, there are characters that conform so harshly to their dogma that Hitler would be jealous. Judge Danforth is just one of the characters in The Crucible that willingly conforms to their belief.

During the Salem Witch trials, Judge Danforth is handed with the task of deciding if Abigail or John Proctor is telling the truth. Although there is clear evidence that Abigail is lying, his harsh belief in witchcraft is shown through his biased and bogus choice that Abigail is telling the truth. As a result, non-conformist such as John Proctor are punished, while conformists such as Abigail are left guilty knowing they did the wrong thing. Either way, conformists or not, you will be left stuck in a sticky situation.

Ray Bradbury uses symbolism effectively in Fahrenheit 451 to convey the idea that a conforming society is morally unjust. The Hound is a mechanical machine that is used by the government to put disobedient peasant in their place. Dogs are used to help firemen in real life, however Ray Bradbury takes a twist on the idea and uses it as a type of hunter used on non-conformist. The hound is symbolic of a watchdog of this conforming society. But this isn’t the only symbolism that Ray Bradbury uses. Bradbury uses a phoenix as a symbol for society and the constant cycle that keeps on occurring, where society “burned itself up” (extreme conformity) and then “[sprung] out of the ashes” (conformity is lost and a new has begun) (156). Ray Bradbury has excelled in using symbolism within Fahrenheit 451 to describe conformity.

However, Arthur Miller deserves just as much credit. Although not much symbolism is present within The Crucible, the whole play as a whole can be seen as symbolic of the Red Scare that occurred during the 1950s. Conveniently, in 1952 Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible, a play about priests ruling over people forced into conformity, extremely similar to the communism present in Russia at the time. Coincidence? I think not. It’s clear that Arthur Miller’s ideas about conformity was heavily influenced by the paranoia about communism that pervaded the United States at the time, as his play The Crucible basically has it written all over its forehead.

Ray Bradbury and Arthur Miller have used their literature to show others that a conforming society isn’t exactly ideal, even if you are a conformist. Their use of characters and symbolism to embody the negative side effects of conforming and not has left the reader wondering if they are truly happy. Well, are you happy? This question was asked in the beginning of this column and now that you’ve had a read, think about the last time you’ve conformed just so you can be the same as everyone else. Think about the last time you were an employee to society.

Censorship – touted by governments around the world as the protection of citizens against inappropriate materials and information. To some censorship is a dirty word, a concept to be discussed and derided because ultimately it is the powerful few who determine what information trickles through and what is filtered out. To others censorship is a fact of life, a rigid control to struggle against in an oppressive civil environment. Which side of the censorship fence you sit on once had a lot to do with where you grew up – someone born in Australia might not think censorship a very big deal. Someone from China might vehemently argue the opposite. Ultimately, censorship is present to some degree in every global society and today, censorship is in place in more ways than you could ever imagine.

According to Lexico.com censorship can be defined as the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable or a threat to security. Censorship is a tool used by governments to hide information from the general public through tactical control measures such as the censorship of media coverage, what information is made public. More subtle means are also used such the approval of which films will be released to cinemas our government discretely controls and influences what we know. Or rather what we are allowed to know. Background levels of information and media censorship may not seem harmful in the present, but one must consider the cumulative effect of generations worth of controlled information release and censorship. Collectively we need to think of the possible impact that past, present and future censorship could have on tomorrow’s society. Think rigid censorship is an impossibility? Nothing to worry about? Unforeseeable? You need only look back to 1930’s Germany in the lead up to the second world war. A time where all forms of mass communication such as music, film, newspaper, radio, and literature were heavily censored and the Nazi regime instead disseminated their information streams dedicated to pushing forward their flawed cause. However, you don’t just have to look to the past for prime examples of the dark side of censorship. Perhaps the most pertinent illustration of possible future censored societies comes from dystopian novels such as Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 or Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (which has recently been adapted into a 10-part television series streamed on Hulu in 2017). Ironically both Fahrenheit 451 and The Handmaid’s Tale have been banned in some schools in the United States because they were deemed anti-Christian or too vulgar for children to be reading.

The dystopian societies in these fictitious worlds have been silenced by those in positions of power through weaponised censorship. Their governments use rigid censorship to control citizens by outlawing reading and writing. Literature is banned. Information is altered and manipulated to keep common people in ignorance and cowering in submission. Fear, misinformation, and a corrupt education are the main tools in the arsenal of authoritarians doggedly seeking to maintain their absolute power.

Insidious Censorship is used in the societies of Fahrenheit 451 and Gilead in The Handmaid’s Tale as a subtle “smoke and mirrors” tool for controlling people. This is achieved through the use of cheap entertainment like the Parlour Walls in Fahrenheit 451, or false information treated as fact in The Handmaid’s Tale. In The Handmaid’s Tale Atwood shows how bible verses are used to manipulate the Handmaids so that they are reduced to nothing more than child-bearing vessels – just like the maid Bilhah is in the King James Bible, Genesis 30:1 -3: “And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her”. Here, the verse has been used to justify that biblical figures forced maids to bear their children and represented it as “the norm” and the same should be accepted in Gilead without question. Censorship is one of the most important means used to bend these societies to the will of their regulators. These texts show that those in power don’t want people to become critical thinkers. They don’t want the public to debate or have their own opinions, as observed by Captain Beatty from Fahrenheit 451: ‘The important thing for you to remember, Montag, is we’re the Happiness Boys… you and I and the others. We stand against the small tide of those who want to make everyone unhappy with conflicting theory and thought. We have our fingers in the dike. Hold steady. Don’t let the torrent of melancholy and drear philosophy drown our world.’.

The governments of these societies don’t want their authority ripped away like an ugly mask, revealing the bare face of their true intent– to maintain absolute power at all costs. If people start to realise how dire their situation actually is – whether a constant state of war as in Fahrenheit 451 or an unknown disaster affecting fertility like in Gilead (The Handmaids Tale) then Governments would be overthrown and lose everything. The few would no longer control the many. One way that the governments of these societies keep the people uninformed and therefore maintain control is through the use of censorship. In the dystopian societies depicted by Bradbury and Atwood, it is clear that the vast majority of people under the control of their corrupt leaders are ignorant that they are being manipulated. This means that censorship of information is clearly working and is only further reinforcing the government’s view that to run a society without issues like conflict or rebellion they must never allow the truth to surface.

In the society of Fahrenheit 451, censorship was slowly introduced. From what Captain Beatty said to Guy Montag “There you have it, Montag. It didn’t come from the Government down. There was no dictum, no declaration, no censorship, to start with, no! Technology, mass exploitation, and minority pressure carried the trick, thank God…” It can be interpreted that what Captain Beatty meant was this: People became shallow-minded and strayed away from reading, writing, and other hobbies.

They turned to the silver screens of the Parlour Walls in their houses spending hours a day watching mindless fast-paced entertainment. Society was slowly turned into a horde of mindless zombies and censorship was used to manipulate their carelessness and short attention spans as a control measure. Eventually, there weren’t many people who thought for themselves or took the time to look at their surroundings. It’s understandable then why Clarisse – a strange young girl that goes against the norms of Fahrenheit 451 society – was surprised when fireman Guy Montag (the main protagonist of the novel) tells her: ‘You’re not like the others. I’ve seen a few; I know. When I talk, you look at me. When I said something about the moon, you looked at the moon, last night. The others would never do that.’ This quote is a dire reflection of the extreme measures inflicted on Fahrenheit 451’s society to keep them under control, to stop them thinking and questioning. it is to Clarisse’s credit that she was to some degree able to think and resist.

It’s also clear that censorship was forced upon the Handmaids of Gilead since the day the republic started. This is reflected in the Handmaids being assigned houses and commanders. Being forced to wear uniforms. Given the same name. Only able to speak in verses of the bible that they had been forced to learn. The Handmaids were slaves from the very start. The inflexibility of these rigid rules was another way the Handmaids were forced into being submissive to their commanders. Aunt Lydia states this to convince the enslaved women at the Red Centre that: ”Gilead is not wrong, only different, and something the Handmaids will have to get used to.”

In both the Republic of Gilead and Fahrenheit 451 access to literature has been banned. Handmaids are not allowed to write. The people of Fahrenheit 451 are too afraid or have no interest in writing anymore. Fear is a major factor that comes with the censorship of reading in both societies as the punishments are severe. Reading is punished by chopping off a finger (if you’re a Handmaid) or having your house burned down by Firemen if in possession of books in Fahrenheit 451. The reason that books are banned in these dystopian societies is that the Governments don’t want people to get ideas from books such as rebelling against what they have been told or trying to bring about leadership change. The government also banned books so that they are more easily able to manipulate the thoughts, ideas, and ability to communicate of those under their control. Either through the mindless messages being broadcast through televisions and radios in Fahrenheit 451 or the misinformation and education of handmaids in The Handmaid’s Tale. As Faber said in Fahrenheit 451: ‘It’s not books you need, it’s some of the things that once were in books…The same infinite detail and awareness could be projected through radios and televisions but are not.’ Governments use censorship in both societies to manipulate large groups of people into submission through malicious punishments if somebody disobeys the law, such as being stoned to death in The Handmaid’s Tale or being chased down and killed by an emotionless mechanical hound in Fahrenheit 451.

Misinformation and altered history are other ways that the leaders in Fahrenheit 451 convince people this is how the world has always been. For example, the Firemen in Fahrenheit 451 are told that Benjamin Franklin was the first fireman to exist in their society and because it has been told to them for so long and the actual history of that event had been censored nobody questions the false statement. In The Handmaid’s Tale, the education of the Handmaids is falsified and brainwashes the Handmaids into believing that the way they are treated is normal and is the will of God. Handmaids are read passages from the bible that have been taken out of context and altered to benefit the leaders of the Republic of Gilead. Because the passages the handmaids are read come from the bible, the handmaids don’t question what is being told to them and believe this is the way they should act in the eyes of God when in fact they are being manipulated into being used for the benefit of the government.

Echoes of these same censorship situations can be found throughout actual modern history – such as the rise of the Nazi Regime mentioned earlier. Modern totalitarian censorship is not a work of fiction or even a stretch of the imagination -it is alive and well in the banning of Facebook and Google by the current Chinese government, who have also rewritten the history books to omit any reference to Tiananmen Square. Both The Handmaid’s Tale and Fahrenheit 451 are important fictional works with powerful messages about the dangers of censorship as a tool of oppression. As long as these works remain in circulation, they help to remind readers that a possible future dystopian society is just a heavy-handed government with a penchant for censorship away.

These works encourage free-thinking and awareness by highlighting exactly what could be taken away from us all. In perhaps an ultimate irony a very strong case presents itself to make these novels required reading on all school curriculums – not to tell the people what to think, but to show them an alternative that they do not want.

Introduction: Exploring the Rich Themes in ‘Fahrenheit 451’

The dystopian society that Guy Montag is forced into forces us as the reader to ask ourselves the question, how much is my right to expression worth to me. Author Ray Bury is the man who poses this question to our society as a whole in his writing of the novel Fahrenheit 451. The story focus on a man who rejects the idea of listening to a government whose goal is to control the population under the guise of stopping offensive content. The novel explores the themes of censorship and societal identity in the novel in order to reveal the true issues about how restricting people’s ideas will lead society into a more regressive state.

Censorship and the Suppression of Ideas

Author Ray Bradbury had a knack for writing all throughout his life, however, during this time there were many threats to the freedom of expression given in America. Booker refers to this as a “brainwash [of the] audience into conformist behavior” (ibid). This attitude of the figures in Fahrenheit might be traced back to Bradbury’s biographical background because, during the Cold-War era, the dominance of mass media and entertainment increased immensely. On that score, American officials were convinced that “if people could be persuaded that what they were getting was what they wanted – increasingly simple and sensational entertainment, information reduced to headlines […] – then they could be controlled” (). During the time of the righting of Fahrenheit 451 that world had witnessed the rise if the soviet union and their strong desire to silence those who disagreed with their methods. As a result, Americans began to panic thinking Russian spies would try to start a revolution in our county and began jailing anyone who they believed to be a Communist spy. Ray Bradbury lived in a time where any controversial content might have you ousted as a communist. Bradbury wanted to somewhat echo both the sentiments of overly hysterical Americans and the iron fist of the Soviet Regime in his novel through dystopian America. Perhaps as Hartman suggests in our society of mass consumption and easy assimilation of literature, that which was meant to convert passive knowledge to active, to bring neglected states of minds to light, becomes subliminal once more (). Bradbury also wanted to address the rise of consumerism and the advancement of technological media. Bradbury was an advent opponent to computers and referred to them as “glorified typewriters”. His disdain for these machines can be seen throughout the novel and come from a place of not wanting the latest gossip to overtake “real writing” Even though times have changed, one thing that hasn’t changed to this is how people are easily influenced by what they see.

Even today censorship persists in mass media, from people being removed from places because others don’t agree with what you’re saying to books being banned because they speak on controversial topics. The Internet has unarguably changed our paradigm of social interaction, perceptions, and norms, and will continue to affect future generations as it evolves. Through content regulation, nations are able to manipulate the way that paradigm shifts and thus, both directly and incidentally, control our future (). Today the Internet allows information to be spread faster than ever before. Even still the way we view media hasn’t changed much. The whole idea is whoever can influence most people had the most power. Strict censorship also has a negative impact on people’s social relationships. In F451 society, everyone strived to be the same to achieve happiness, and minorities, therefore, become their target to destroy. “The word ‘intellectual,’ of course, became the swear word it deserved to be. You always dread the unfamiliar (). Censorship is not necessarily a bad thing, like preventing kids from seeing grotesque imagery is a good thing. However, strong censorship shown throughout not only the book but also in real regimes is a gross violation of human rights and causes there to be a lack of creative design and thought within society. In Fahrenheit, the government seeks to make a perfectly happy world by forcing people to think the same, because if no one disagrees there can’t be any fights, right? Censorship today is harder to execute today because of the rapid spread of information but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done similarly to the methods performed in Fahrenheit.

The Role and Impact of Technology on Society

The story of Fahrenheit is about a dystopian society where printed material is banned and burned. This society aims to mirror the totalitarian regime but also show how easily people can be manipulated and controlled. But she said, “You shouldn’t burn books” and began to cry. It’s because of this kind of reaction and because we don’t think of book-burning in a vacuum but of the historical horrors of taking away people’s’ treasured possessions, of burning part of them, and of burning them, too… (). Book burning is a common way that people would try and take freedom away from people. Just like the government in Fahrenheit the Nazi’s burned any books that they saw. They do this to limit the freedom of expression of the people so they lack an identity to define themselves by. This allows them to be easily manipulated as they search for who they are. For instance, the people acting in the novel are not informed about the true situation concerning the atomic war because government deludes them through its censorship. This delusion has far-reaching consequences, namely the destruction of the city by an atomic bomb at the end of the story since propaganda has hindered individuals to foresee their imminent destruction (). The manipulation of information is another tactic used to suppress the freedom of the people. To compare to Nazi Germany again is the fact that many Jews and even German were aware of the horrors that were going on. The citizens of America in Fahrenheit are unaware they are being controlled because there only source of information is fed to them by the television. Throughout the novel, most of the citizens are unaware of what is going on due to the people being censored, which is a major theme throughout the story.

Throughout the novel, the theme of censorship and its effects are the most displayed not only through the society as whole but also through characters like Mildred Montag, Guy Montag’s wife, and her attachment to the television. Strict censorship also has a negative impact on people’s social relationships. In F451 society, everyone strived to be the same to achieve happiness, and minorities, therefore, become their target to destroy. “The word ‘intellectual,’ of course, became the swear word it deserved to be. You always dread the unfamiliar. Surely you remember the boy in your own school class, who was exceptionally ‘bright,’ did most of the reciting and answering while the others sat like so many leaden idols, hating him. And wasn’t it this bright boy you selected for beatings and tortures after hours” (58). The need to censor something comes from a desire to keep everything under control and maintain order. But, when emotions get involved, which they will, censoring becomes a way of getting even with someone you personally dislike. Humans are ruled by our emotions and everyone makes bad decisions. This leads us to our conundrum with censorship. Through the perpetual influence of the media, emotions and own thoughts are debarred from the public and also intellectualism and curiosity are repressed. Hence, the propaganda spread in the media maliciously deceives the citizens so that they are under the “illusion […of] hav[ing] a part in determining that ideology”, although it is obvious that the “opportunity for creativity is dulled” (ibid) severely by the government. Even though the citizens are not compelled to adapt themselves to the state dogma, they do not revolt because they are manipulated by the anti-intellectualism spread in the media (). The media is constantly influencing how people think and feel by controlling what they do or don’t show. And in the novel, this idea is taken to the extreme through the government use of filtering what content the public is shown. This allows them to keep the people ignorant and prevents an uprising to occur because no one will question their situation. Preventing people from expressing their thoughts and feeling causes social problems, like how easily repressed when they are being fed from one source of information.

Knowledge vs. Ignorance: The Central Struggle

The other major theme discussed in Fahrenheit is how one’s identity in society should not rely on what’s popular in the media. All in all, Fahrenheit 451 society becomes indifferent and shallow due to the popularity of mass media, government’s pressure and oppressive “happiness”. Mindless entertainments deprive people of their leisure time to think deeply. Ignorance then exacerbates the problem that people in F451 are kept dark by government and have little real contact or deep communication with each other (). The citizens in Fahrenheit become slaves to the media that they consume on a daily basis. They lack the knowledge to critically think because they mindless follow and believe everything that is told to them by the media. This causes there to back a lack of innovation due to everyone following the same guideline and no one thinks outside the box. Booker refers to this as a “brainwash [of the] audience into conformist behavior” (ibid). This attitude of the figures in Fahrenheit might be traced back to Bradbury’s biographical background because, during the Cold-War era, the dominance of mass media and entertainment increased immensely. On that score, American officials were convinced that “if people could be persuaded that what they were getting was what they wanted – increasingly simple and sensational entertainment, information reduced to headlines […] – then they could be controlled” (Charles, p. 13) (). Following trends has always been a part of human nature. Sensationalism draws the attention of most people and can even get people to take at face value. Those who are gullible will most likely fall victim to this trap. The trap is akin to brainwashing where the person’s originally personality is muddled with the personality they see in the media they consume.

Conclusion: The Enduring Relevance of Bradbury’s Themes

The issues presented in Fahrenheit 451, both Censorship and Societal Identity, lead civilization as a whole into a more regressive and expressive state. Author Ray Bradbury seeks to tell a cautionary tale about censorship and identity in society. Without the various laws protecting these rights, government suppression is able to run rampant without check and the truth becomes what the most powerful person says it is. Ray Brady wanted to show his audience how important it really is to be able to express yourself through what you love to do. Although what happened in the book is fiction, that doesn’t mean what once was a pipedream might be closer than we expect.