Category: Fahrenheit 451

In order to repress individualism, the freedom to express emotion is eliminated, removing citizens’ ability to distinguish their own sense of reality.

“It’s an important thing for you to remember, Montag, is we’re the Happiness Boys, the Dixie Duo, 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. We depend on you. I don’t think you realize how important you are, we are, to our happy world as it stands now.” (Fahrenheit 451, Faber p. 62)

In the texts, this is achieved through the restriction of movement, thought, relationships, and communication. As freedom and communication is the primary association to which humans are able to demonstrate empowers the control which technology holds, since individuals can no longer maintain their personal principles. Furthermore, the concept of control through technology entirely distorts, and reappropriates one’s understanding of society, confuses the mind, and the individual has no previous experience to base their claims against. One good example from The Matrix is the introduction of the life-changing pills. The ‘Blue Pill’ which Morpheus explains as ‘wonderland’ will erase his memory and all that he knows about The Matrix, Neo will continue living his normal life as he knows himself to be. The ‘Red Pill,’ promises the truth, freedom, a better place, and a better humanity. By choosing the ‘Red Pill,’ Neo will be able to fulfill the prophecy. The control that technology has is emphasized by Neo himself:

“I know you’re out there, I can feel you now, I know that you’re afraid, you’re afraid of us, you’re afraid of change. I don’t know the future, I didn’t come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you how it is going to begin. I’m going to hang up this phone and then I’m going to show these people what you don’t want them to see. I’m going to show them a world without you. A world without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries. A world where anything is possible. Where we go from here is a choice I leave to you” (The Matrix, Neo).

Technology in Fahrenheit 451 also displays how technology can drastically affect what we define as humanity. Technology in this case has replaced real-life communication causing social isolation and because of this, depression and loneliness take place. The technology represented in The Giver resulted in a controlled and dull place for Jonas to grow and develop, hence why he wanted to escape and live elsewhere; but there are also instances where the technology in the community is seen as a positive aspect which is why it is inferred that Lois Lowry has a neutral look on technology. In Fahrenheit 451 society has made everyone equal, by taking attention away from differences.

“We must all be alike. Not everyone is born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but made equal. Each man the image of every other; then all are happy…” (F.451 Beatty).

In The Giver, people are physically made the same. People no longer have different facial features, skin tones, heights, weights, or anything that sets them apart.

‘Our people made that choice, the choice to go to Sameness. Before my time,… back and back and back. We… did away with the difference. We gained control of many things” (The Giver to Jonas, The Giver).

The influence that time has is evident in the comparison of these quotes.

Fahrenheit 451 and The Matrix can also be compared to 1984, by George Orwell. 1984 is set in a dystopian future, The country is in a state of continuous war and its citizens are under relentless observation by the oppressive, totalitarian government. Winston Smith, a mid-level government employee engages in a forbidden sexual relationship. Winston questions the constant government propaganda and is later arrested for his individual thought — known as thought crime. The power of individualism and the dangers of a totalitarian government while emphasizing the importance of free thought is examined similarly to that of Fahrenheit 451 and The Matrix but in this case, authority is regarded as technology. George Orwell takes a strong stance against censorship and totalitarian regimes.

Technology can also serve as a means of surveillance. This was seen in the phone call between Trinity and Cypher. The robot-like ‘bug’ inserted inside Neo’s body to survey him is another example of extreme, methods of surveillance. Morpheus emphasizes the concept of surveillance through technology as a means of control.

“The Matrix is everywhere; it is all around us; even now in this very room. You can see it when you look out of your window, or when you’re turning your television. You can feel it when you go to work when you go to church when you pay your taxes. It is the world that had been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth” (The Matrix, Morpheus).

The hound in Fahrenheit 451 is also an example of surveillance. The mechanical hound is a robotic dog designed to track down and kill fugitives in Bradbury’s dystopian society. The mechanical hound lives in a kennel inside the fire station and eventually identifies Montag as a fugitive.

“The mechanical hound slept but did not sleep, lived but did not live in its gently humming, gently vibrating, softly illuminated kennel back in a dark corner of the firehouse (24). 5. Quote: It doesn’t think anything we don’t want it to think (27)” (Fahrenheit 451).

The mechanical hound is a metaphor for Montag and other members of his society. The hound has no original thought or motives and has simply been programmed to function. In a similar way, Montag and other members of his society are theoretically alive, but they do not sincerely experience nor do they have any original thoughts.

The subversion of technology has led to the birth of instructive and destructive machinery, redefining human subjectivity. Technology destroys an individual’s ability to distinguish oneself from others. Technology colonizes an individual’s thoughts, behaviors, and relationships. It is timely for readers to pay attention to the warnings offered. Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel ‘Fahrenheit 451’ and Wachowski’s science fiction film ‘The Matrix strongly foregrounds technological oppression through the characterization of the protagonists and portrayal of relationships amongst the characters and towards the setting such as sentinels, the hound, and the portrayal of life itself, lastly, the distortion of truth and reality through manipulation and fabrications.

Based on the 1951, Ray Bradbury novel Montag is a fireman that lives in a lonely, society where books were banned by the government fearing oneself thinking. In this society firefighters have to burn any books on sight or that people inform them of because they believe it gives people more time to think for themselves. Many people in this society including Montag’s wife are drugged into submissiveness and get their information from television screens that are about a length of a wall. Montag meets Clarisse, a 17-year-old girl that likes to challenge society and wants to know more and essentially reads books. Montag got “attracted”/ “motivated” by her that he began to read seized books. Through this relationship, Montag became curious and began to question the government about why they had to burn the books. Montag soon found out, and he must decide whether to return to his job or run away knowing the consequences that he could face if captured. Ray Bradbury develops the theme that of the conflict between freedom of thought and censorship. The society that Bradbury depicts has voluntarily given up books and reading, and the people do not feel oppressed or censored through flashbacks, conflict, and figurative language.

Flashback develops the theme by showing us the censorship they had to go through. Mildred Symbol Flashback Imagery, this quote refers to Montag and Faber’s plan of planting books in firefighters’ houses. In this society, if books are reported to be at someone’s house, then the house has to be burned down by firefighters. Ray compares an animal killing itself to firefighters burning down their own houses

Conflict develops the theme by showing us how lost they are from themselves not knowing what the “real world” is really like. In these quotes, there are references made to mirrors. Mirrors are shown throughout the book to stress the need for them to examine themself and to become self-aware in this society. Since people don’t think, they know who they really are. In addition, since people cant technically think, they can’t realize that their society isn’t normal/unhappy. Mirrors like Clarisse or the firefighters made Montag realize the truth about his society. Mirrors were consequently mentioned throughout the book to put importance on the need for society to see and change itself. Montag encounters Clarisse but then goes back home. She had questioned Montag’s happiness. So, he keeps the question in mind. He goes to his bedroom and it’s really dark. Therefore, realizing that he is not happy after thinking for so long that he is happy. ‘Darkness. He was not happy. He was not happy. He said the words to himself. He recognized this as the true state of affairs (Bradbury12). Montag rode on the subway, then remembers his childhood memory of himself sitting on a yellow dune and pouring sand through a sieve near the sea. In this memory, the sand represents comprehension and the sieve represents the mind. Ray uses this memory of Montag pouring sand through a sieve representing that when knowledge is directly poured into the mind, the mind can’t hold the knowledge.

Figurative language develops the theme by letting us know through two different perspectives on their society. Ray uses Montag’s wife to represent society and uses Clarisse to show the contrast of society. Mildred represents society by being preoccupied with mindless entertainment that is shown to her through the television walls. Though, Claisse represents the opposite of society by enjoying real-life experiences such as exploring nature. Ray places Montag’s interconnection with Mildred right before Montag’s interaction with Clarisse to stress the difference between being obsessed with entertainment and gaining real-life experience. What was stated above is a major theme in Fahrenheit 451 because it shows an obsession with materialism and entertainment versus real-life connections and experience. Ray compares the books to a burning flying pigeon. This shows us how bad it is because he is comparing it to a living creature. Montag realizes how bad his job as a “firefighter is”.

In short, Ray Bradbury develops the theme that of the conflict between freedom of thought and censorship. The society that Bradbury depicts has voluntarily given up books and reading, and by and large, the people do not feel oppressed or censored through flashbacks, conflict, and figurative language.

In today’s society, human beings can be expected to change their personal beliefs in order to fit in. By conforming to social norms and beliefs, people tend to forget that they have the right to freedom of speech. Although many individuals do fall victim to these ideal expectations, very few do not become threats and are considered different. This is demonstrated in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 when Guy Montag and Professor Faber are considered outcasts for being against their community’s norm that books are outlawed. This is contrary to Captain Beatty, who is idolized for his susceptibility to conform.

Importantly, the novel takes place in a dystopian society, in which the protagonist Guy Montag’s job as a fireman is not to put out fires, but instead to start them and burn books. His role is to destroy the outlawed ideas and knowledge found in books. Montag does what he has been told without thought, until one day an unusual seventeen-year-old girl by the name of Clarisse McClellan, questions the values of his profession. This is the beginning of Montag’s departure on a journey towards individualism, that outrages the society around him. One day, Montag returns home after work to talk to his wife, Mildred, about a woman who refused to exit a burning home, all while trying to save the books she owns. The woman was not able to stand by and watch what was happening. She not only sets her house on fire but herself as well. A confused Montag starts to question his profession and his duties as a fireman. When Mildred justifies his actions, he reacts by saying, “You weren’t there, you didn’t see. There must be something in books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing” (Bradbury 48). This incident is seen to be a turning point in Montag’s life, as he understands that there must have been some value the books contained for the woman to do such a thing. Montag starts to wonder why he needs to adhere to society’s beliefs in burning books and what his future would look like if his own set of morals did not exist.

Montag visits Faber, an English professor, to seek advice and understand certain texts he has been reading. When Faber questions why he is here, Montag says, “Nobody listens any more. I can’t talk to the walls because they are yelling at me. I can’t talk to my wife; she listens to the walls. I just want someone to hear what I have to say” (Bradbury 78). This signifies that Montag is frustrated because he understands this as something that no one will ever see his perspective on. There seems to be a form of psychological isolation when he says that no one shares the same opinion. Montag feels that when he talks, the rest of society is against him. When he tries to talk to the one person he is hopeful for, his wife, she also shuts him out like the rest and he feels as though sharing his opinions is a lost cause.

While reading books that he had stolen when on duty, Montag hears bombers in the sky and recalls that there have been two atomic wars that have taken place. Montag becomes angry when he realizes the horrible things that have happened: “Maybe the books can get us half out of the cave. They just might stop us from making the same damn insane mistakes” (Bradbury 70). He describes the destructive state of the society he lives in and goes on to share that reading about incidences, will prevent society from making certain decisions that will further ruin them. He firmly believes that books will give people the knowledge to be happy and free. This quote is an allusion to “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato, a Greek philosopher. In the book, an enlightened man removes his shackles and walks out of the cave and into the real world. This idea is similar to Montag’s desire for people to come out of each other’s shadows and experience society for what it is. Therefore, due to all of his realizations, Guy Montag proves to readers he has developed throughout the novel. He becomes his own person in a society that lives for others and not themselves. His desire to learn more about books; a restricted delicacy, frustrated many people around him such as his wife, Mildred, and his boss, Captain Beatty, but that did not stop him as he is determined to revive humanity with the help of a friend, Professor Faber.

Similarly, Professor Faber is a character known to strongly idolize books. He is independent and has views that differ from the rest of the society. Throughout the book, Professor Faber tries to enlighten the dystopian society and encourages them to have their individual ideals. He believes that books are not just pieces of paper bound together and should not be taken for granted. One day, Montag reaches out to Professor Faber to have a better understanding of what is going on around them. Faber stresses the importance of information, the ability to absorb the details, and the result of what is learned from the relationship between the two, which is absent in the city. Faber reiterates the importance of books through the content it holds: “Do you know why books such as this are so important? Because they have quality. And what does the word quality mean? To me it means texture. This book has pores. It has features” (Bradbury 79). Here, Faber explains to Montag that it is not the books themselves that Montag is interested in, but the meaning and underlying lessons they contain. The professor believes that the more people embrace a book’s content, the better the society has a chance to develop.

In an attempt to get the people close to him to realize the nature of the corrupt society they live in, Montag begins to read aloud a poem named “Dover Beach”, to Mildred and her friends. Montag feels that it was a mistake to have read the poem after seeing their grim reactions. He feels foolish and guilty, and in response, Faber reassures him by stating, “You’re afraid of making mistakes. Don’t be. Mistakes can be profited by. Man, when I was younger I shoved my ignorance in people’s faces. They beat me with sticks. By the time I was forty my blunt instrument had been honed to a fine cutting point for me. If you hide your ignorance, no one will hit you and you’ll never learn” (Bradbury 100). In Faber’s experience, he feels that it is far better to be open and honest rather than to suppress emotions and always do as people expect. He says that it is okay to react because when the rest of society attacks, one will better understand their own opinions, thoughts, and feelings.

In the firehouse, Captain Beatty attempts to sway Montag’s mind and opinion on books. Listening to Beatty through the seashell radio earpiece in Montag’s ear, Faber says, “But remember that the Captain belongs to the most dangerous enemy to truth and freedom, the solid unmoving cattle of the majority. Oh God, the terrible tyranny of the majority. We all have our harps to play. And it’s up to you now to know with which ear you’ll listen” (Bradbury 104). This quote goes to prove that Captain Beatty is another character who follows what he is told to believe in society. It stands as proof that one of the main conflicts in the novel is considered to be Man vs. Society; in this case, Faber vs. Captain Beatty and everyone else like him. Faber sets this to be a reminder, that Montag should not give in to Beatty’s manipulation, to return to the obedient way of life that he had previously been leading. As expressed, Professor Faber has a very different view on life compared to everyone else. Although many people, such as Captain Beatty disregarded his thoughts and unique perspective, Faber is passionate about literature and is ready to help Montag, on his journey of discovering the beauty behind the very thing that everyone claimed to despise. This ultimately infuriates Captain Beatty.

Unfortunately, Captain Beatty is seen to be the ideal citizen in this dystopian society. He does as he is told to and does not speak or think for himself. His opinions are solely based on information that was shared with him, but not something that he gains himself. Captain Beatty does not take accountability for how their society works and does not choose to change anything around him, contrarily, to Guy Montag and Professor Faber. Captain Beatty pays a visit to Montag when he claims to be ‘sick’, in hopes that he could change Montag’s opinions while sitting down with him. During his lecture, he tells Montag about the importance of censoring literature: “We must all be alike. Not everyone is born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone is made equal. Each man the image of every other, then all are happy for there are no mountains to make them cower, to judge themselves against” (Bradbury 55). Captain Beatty proclaims that books are a reason for inequality in society and that the knowledge gained can make one person more educated than the other, creating an imbalance. His theory is that keeping literature out of society will prevent rebellion.

Also during this conversation, Captain Beatty goes on to state that disfavor for a certain topic should be avoided. He says, “Colored people don’t like Little Black Sambo. Burn it. White people don’t feel good about Uncle Tom’s Cabin? Burn it. Someone’s written a book on tobacco and cancer of the lungs? The cigarette people are weeping? Burn the book” (Bradbury 57). Here, Captain Beatty shares that books tell people the horrors of reality. He finds that the solution to all society’s problems is to burn books. This quote goes to show that Beatty has fallen victim to the laws of the government, that have taken away his freedom of thought.

Towards the end of the conversation, as Beatty gets up to leave, he clarifies to Montag by saying, “The important thing for you to remember, Montag, is we’re the Happiness Boys, the Dixie Duo, 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” (Bradbury 59). This quote signifies that Montag needs to remember this is his duty. Captain Beatty emphasizes that he and the other firemen are the protectors of happiness and that books and their conflicting theories/ideas cause unhappiness. Overall, Captain Beatty is a physical representation of the society he lives in. Unlike Guy Montag and Professor Faber, Beatty does not portray individualism. He is admired for his ability to conform to the corrupted laws the government has put in place to control its citizens.

Ultimately, Guy Montag and Professor Faber are brave individuals, who stand against the people in their society who believe that books instigate unhappy concepts, although they are mistreated for having their proper opinion. In contrast, Captain Beatty conforms to the negative belief that books are outlawed and is admired for going along with the rest of society. In a society where one is expected to conform, maintaining individuality can be a difficult task, although it is a very important aspect of one’s identity. In the world today, there are those who follow the crowd and those who strive to be their own people. Albert Einstein once said “It is important to foster individuality: for only the individual can produce the new ideas which the community needs for its continuous improvement…”

Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 shows a resemblance to our world today. Bradbury uses various rhetorical devices helps to depict the effects of a society without books. The novel warns readers of moronic influence and a lack of originality. Characters in Bradbury’s novel such as Mildred, Mrs.Phelps, and more cannot think for themselves. The characters practically all think and behave the same. Citizens in this society lack empathy for others and care little about the value of human life. Without books, people in this society sit in front of the television all day which they believe is happiness.

The inhabitants are “content” living in a society with fabricated happiness, which is essentially not happiness at all. Bradbury illustrates one example of a flaw in this society through Mildred. Mildred says, “But I think she’s dead… I forgot all about it” (47). After four days Mildred eventually recalls the fact that Clarrise passed away, and lets Montag know. How can a human being “forget” something so important? This reveals a lack of empathy for others. Bradbury depicts society’s imperfections in the novel to argue, that society will ultimately decline in a world with no books. Bradbury’s use of numerous literary techniques helps to further strengthen his argument.

The characters live in a world with no books; resulting in innumerable flaws in their society. People did not know how to think for themselves, had no imagination, and a lack of morals. All of the above and more resulted in the downfall of their society. The author uses another character within the book, Captain Beatty, to exemplify another flaw in their society. Beatty talks about school and the corruption in how young children turn out. He says, “With school turning out more runners, jumpers, racers, tinkerers, grabbers, snatchers, fliers, and swimmers, instead of examiners, critics, knowers, and imaginative creators” (57).

The author uses rhyme to further depict how the school system is corrupt. Young citizens are not thinking, creating, or experimenting, they’re all doing the same thing, which is in essence, nothing. The author uses -er at the of the sentence to grab the readers’ attention, which helps to get across his message. By giving multiple examples throughout the novel, Bradbury strengthens his argument. Overall Bradybury’s language and literary tools emphasize to readers his exigence and main argument. Society cannot and will not survive without books. In the novel, a lack of books caused an inability to think, an absence of morals, and insufficient imaginative thinking.

Readers can recognize this argument through Montag, who in the end realizes the need for books in his society. Granger says, “You can’t make people listen; they have to come around on their own” (153). Bradbury may believe that you cannot make people listen, but that they have to come around on their own. Ray Bradbury’s message is not entirely just censorship or technology will destroy society, which many people believe. Although, this is not his message it is, in fact, a piece of his message. If we have no books, we are thinking the same, right and wrong are blurred, and we will not care about imagination.

Fire can be used as a weapon of great destruction as well as an opportunity for new beginnings and life. Throughout the novel, it serves as a symbol of ruin as well as rebirth. The firemen use fire as a weapon to both destroy books and the homes of those who possess them. We can see within our own history the destructive properties of fire that strangely coincide with the novel. Montag witnesses both sides of fire in his lifetime. He has seen it cause pain and destruction but also bring hope and new beginnings. Just as a Phoenix rises from its own ashes, so too does Montag who rises from his faults and transforms into a flaming spirit of life lit by the words of wisdom derived from works of literature.

Throughout the novel, Fahrenheit 451, fire can be seen as a symbol of destruction and chaos. The firemen use fire to burn away all works of literature and continue their hunt for books until all are destroyed. The main purpose of burning books is to destroy people’s society’s ability to think for themselves. As Captain Beatty puts it,” If you don’t want a man unhappy politically, don’t give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none” (58). In other words, captain Beatty is totally fine with the idea of an ignorant populace and a heavily controlling government. Books get the human mind thinking and that is exactly what the dystopian society does not want people doing. Their ideas can lead to rebellion thus causing a disturbance in their way of living, which is only for pleasure.

The burning of all great works of literature contributes to the corruption of the dystopian society. In 1823, the poet Heinrich Heine wrote the words, “Dort wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man auch am Ende Menschen,” or “Where books are burned, in the end, people will also be burned.” Heinrich’s words strangely coincide with the novel as seen in the passage where the woman burns her books. “The woman knelt among the books, touching the drenched leather and cardboard, reading the gilt titles with her fingers while her eyes accused Montag”(35). This woman saw the firemen take away the one thing that inspired her, she held her books for the last time as they were drenched in kerosene waiting to be caught among the flames. She could not bear to leave them and lit her own match to burn with her one refuge of knowledge. Just as in Fahrenheit 451, the dystopian society used fire to destroy all works of literature as well as use it as a weapon against those who stood up for books.

Within the novel, books are burned for the main purpose of keeping society from coming up with ideas. Fire is used to burn away the hidden wisdom within the literature, to never be heard or seen, only turning to ashes of forgotten knowledge. We can find in our own history books that we too once did this. Dating as back as the middle ages the burning of books has been an issue in our own history. In the book Christianity, Book-Burning and Censorship in Late Antiquity: Studies in Text Transmission, Dirk Rohamm states, “some late antique emperor and early medieval kings used book-burning and censorship as a means of social control”(18). In other words, fire has been used as a weapon to burn books in the hopes to control nations socially and intellectually. If they are only given certain content they will not question the way society is living and this is exactly what it is like within the dystopian society of Fahrenheit 451. It is taken to the extreme, in the sense that people often fear books, finding them a threat to their way of living.

Although fire can be used as a source of destruction, it can also be seen as a symbol of life. As Montag escapes the city he wanders onto a railroad track where he can see a far off into the distance a familiar glow. All his life he has known fire as a weapon to only bring destruction, but now he has found a new and more hopeful meaning. He follows the flames and it leads him to a group of men, all lovers of literature. Montag thinks to himself, “It was not only the fire that was different. It was the silence” (139). In other words, Montag learns that fire is neither good nor evil. It is how you choose to use the fire, whether it be the intent to do good or evil. He has never seen or felt fire as a substance of comfort but now it seems to be calling him home and he soon feels like he has found a place where he belongs.

Fire can also be a symbol reminding us of the beauty of rebirth. Just as after a forest fire when everything is burned, trees are destroyed. From the ashes, there begins new life already sprouting. Just as this cycle occurs so will history repeat itself within the dystopian society. But to Montag and Faber and all those who stand up for literature, a new opportunity emerges. This is their chance to start anew, opening up the door leading to a brighter and better future. Where education and the content that is within the books can once again be appreciated and seen for how important they are.

The legend of the Phoenix is a story of renewal within Mediterranean culture. It is said that the bird is swallowed by flames but then rises up from its own ashes as it begins a new life. After the city has been reduced to ashes by the bombers Granger makes a direct comparison to this mythical bird, “But every time he burnt himself up he sprang out of the ashes, he got himself born all over again”(156). He continues to say that the society they are living in seems to be doing the same exact thing, repeating the cycle of complete destruction. Both destroy themselves and are reborn among the ashes. Just as a Phoenix rises from its own ashes so will the city. Those that still fight for the preservation of books may bring the hope that with that rebirth a new and brighter city will emerge. If people keep books history may not repeat itself and humanity will be able to learn its lesson from prior tragedies.

Fire is not only a symbol of utter destruction but a symbol of renewal and rebirth. From the burning of books to the ruin of entire cities, just as a phoenix rises from its own ashes so too will the city rebuild itself. Brick upon brick and book upon a book there is hope with this rebirth that humanity will learn from its mistakes.

The famous playwrighter William Shakespeare once said, “There is no darkness, but ignorance.” Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a book based on a dystopian society in the future; it is robot-like and controlled. Although Bradbury wrote it in 1953, it has some alarming similarities to the world today. Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 illustrates a society where technology is dangerous, censorship covers up the truth, and ignorance is pervasive. These themes are conveyed through the thoughts and actions of characters. In The Hearth and the Salamander, the dangers and dominance of technology is proven by the characters actions, or lack of towards others. The Sieve and the Sand reveals the theme of censorship in hiding the truth and information from people. In the third and final part, Burning Bright, knowledge versus ignorance is shown through the character’s efforts to maintain or obtain power.

In The Hearth and the Salamander Bradbury focuses on the theme of technology by showing character’s reliance on technological innovations to help readers understand that technology has taken over society and dominates lives. The novel opens and the reader is introduced to Guy Montag, a fireman loyal to his job who has a miserable personal life. Walking home from work one day, Montag meets a young girl named Clarisse as his wife Mildred tries to commit suicide, leading Montag to have questions about their society and why he burns books. Clarisse challenges Montag to think about things he never has before and turns his world upside down. Through Clarisse’s influence, Montag finds himself doing the one thing that he has always known to be wrong. Technology controls Mildred’s life and isolates her from the rest of the world: “And in her ears the little Seashells, the thimble radios tamped tight, and an electronic ocean of sound, music and talk and music and talk coming in, coming in on the shore of her unsleeping mind…There had been no night in the last two years that Mildred had not swum that sea, had not gladly gone down in it for the third time (10)”. Mildred is emotionless and unable to relate with others, leading to her use of the seashells to seclude herself from the rest of the world and make herself ‘happy’. She has been brainwashed and is absorbed in her own world rather than the society as a whole, similar to everyone else in the society. In Fahrenheit 451, technology is a way the government controls people’s lives to make them less free, for example the snake machine: “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”(12). The world Montag lives in is so controlled and miserable that people attempt suicide often, but the government also controls that. The snake machine is a machine used to replace the blood inside the person with “new blood”. The workers using the machine act as if this is normal to them, they also explain that they have nine to ten cases a night, this is eye-opening to Montag because he was unaware that people were so unhappy. The controlment with technology makes Montag question his marriage and job further.

Part two of Fahrenheit 451 is dominated by the theme of censorship, revealed in the characters actions towards one another and what information is open to the public. The Sieve and the Sand begins with Montag and Mildred reading through their stolen books, but they can not understand them. Montag seeks for help from an old friend named Faber and together they devise a plan to restore their society. As the suspicions towards Montag grow, Beatty and the firemen show up at Montag’s house after receiving a call from Mildred. Montag can not believe it, do they know about the books? As Montag’s curiosity of books turns into desperation, he reaches out to Faber for help, ‘‘Professor Faber, I have a rather odd question to ask. How many copies of the Bible are left in this country?’‘I don’t know what you’re talking about!’‘ I want to know if there are any copies left at all.’ ‘This is some sort of a trap! I can’t talk to just anyone on the phone!’ ‘How many copies of Shakespeare and Plato?’ ‘None ! You know as well as I do. None!’”(71,72) The government and firemen have everyone in society believing that there are zero copies of the Bible or any other famous works, such as Shakespeare and Plato left in the world. Although, this is not true because Montag has a copy of the Bible with him at this moment. It proves that the government is censoring information and lying to the public to sustain their power. When Montag pulls out a book to read to their guests, Mildred attempts to cover up this illegal activity: “Mildred had already anticipated this in a quavery voice. ‘Ladies, once a year, every fireman’s allowed to bring one book home, from the old days, to show his family how silly it all was, how nervous that sort of thing can make you, how crazy. Guy’s surprise tonight is to read you one sample to show how mixed-up things were, so none of us will ever have to bother our little old heads about that junk again, isn’t that right, darling?’”(95) Montag has revealed to Mildred and her two friends; Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles that he has a book in his possession and offers to read it out loud. Mildred attempts to censor or cover up the fact that Montag is doing something illegal by lying to her friends that this behavior is permitted for firemen once a year, though this is not true. Mildred does this to protect herself and Montag. The government has been censoring and regulating information for the public to keep control over them and to prevent people from learning the truth.

In Burning Bright, knowledge versus ignorance is emphasized to show that people in power use knowledge to keep others ignorant. Beatty and the rest of the firemen arrive at Montag’s home and Montag is forced to burn it down, when he is handed the flamethrower he kills Beatty and the other firemen. Montag is on the run, accused of murder and instinctively goes to Faber’s house to say goodbye. Faber sends Montag down the river to a homeless camp of scholars where he meets Granger, shorty after, a bomb hits the city and Montag has a vision of Mildred’s death. The book closes with Montag and the men returning to the city to rebuild with the survivors from ashes up. As Montag is forced to burn down his home and all his possessions, Beatty attacks him by telling him, “‘What is fire? It’s a mystery. Scientists give us gobbledegook about friction and molecules. But they don’t really know. Its real beauty is that it destroys responsibility and consequences. A problem gets too burdensome, then into the furnace with it. Now, Montag, you’re a burden. And fire will lift you off my shoulders, clean, quick, sure; nothing to rot later. Antibiotic, aesthetic, practical’” (109). Fire is power and when something proves to be a problem, fire is used to make it all go away and to keep peace and order. Montag is now a burden and Beatty knows he must stop him because if he gets the chance, Montag will expose his new knowledge to the rest of society. If more people become like Montag, the firemen and government will lose power. Sitting around the fire, Granger compares society to a phoenix and elaborates by saying: ‘‘We know the damn silly thing we just did. We know all the damn silly things we’ve done for a thousand years and as long as we know that and always have it around where we can see it, someday we’ll stop making the goddamn funeral pyres and jumping in the middle of them’… ‘But even when we had the books on hand, a long time ago, we didn’t use what we got out of them. We went right on insulting the dead’”(156). Granger explains to Montag that society is like a phoenix, it keeps burning it self over and over and does not learn. By censoring information the people are staying ignorant but Granger is hoping this time there will be a different outcome. With the help of Montag, maybe the cycle of censorship will end and knowledge will be available once again. In the third and final section, Bradbury focuses on knowledge versus ignorance to show how the people have very limited information.

In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, technology has proven to be overwhelming and harmful, censorship keeps people naive, and ignorance is the ultimate form of evil. Society portrayed in this book is miserable and bleak. It shows how desolate life would be without literature and relationships with other people. Today’s world is all about the new technology and this book acts as a warning to what could be the future if real life experiences and relationships are not prioritized. As seen in this dystopian society it is clear how a government can negatively impact its citizens though dangerous technology, drastic censorship and the concept of knowledge versus ignorance.

There is an epidemic spreading across human society. It is the consumption of easy to perceive ideas. Award winning American author Ray Bradbury warns us of it’s grim effects in his Fahrenheit 451. Average, upstanding middle-aged Guy Montag finds himself dissatisfied with his life, realizing that there is more to experience than society allows. He is a fireman in dystopian civilization, and it is his job to burn any books that are found to exist. Having not thought anything unusual of his job or the 200 foot long billboards, he is suddenly prompted to change his whole outlook on his life, his profession, and his happiness by 17-year-old Clarisse McLellan. He wants to stay true to the law but is still drawn toward the beauty and passion he had never before found in not only books, but also the world around him. Guy’s realization exemplifies how controlling modern civilization is on differing opinions, and how dangerous this can be. It also shows how easily individuals can be convinced by society that they are happy. Most importantly, Fahrenheit 451 teaches us to be scared of a society without individuality.

As we learn, Montag’s society has abandoned books in favor of hollow, frenetic entertainment and instant gratification. At the beginning of the novel, Montag, like everyone else, disdains what he does not understand, and by burning books he creates a spectacle that pleases the frightened masses. He has a position of respect in his society, and Clarisse’s lack of respect or fear of his authority is one of the ways in which she first distinguishes herself from the general population.

Clarisse is extremely inquisitive and thoughtful, and she irritates Montag at first because she challenges his most deeply ingrained beliefs with her innocent questioning. In a society where reading, driving slowly, and walking outside for any length of time are outlawed and a candid conversation is a rare and suspicious event, Clarisse’s gentle love of nature and people is truly peculiar. She is forced to go to a psychiatrist for strange behaviors such as hiking, catching butterflies, and thinking independently. Her family is responsible for teaching her to be so quietly rebellious, especially her uncle. At night, the McClellan house is lit up brightly, contrasting sharply with the darkness and silence of the other houses. Montag is ignorant of the past of which Clarisse speaks and accuses her of thinking too much. Nevertheless, Clarisse opens Montag’s eyes to the beauties of the natural world, and she recognizes that he is not like everyone else and has the potential to be a thinking individual like her. Before their meeting, Montag’s familiarity with nature was limited to his fascination with fire.

Montag, Faber, and Beatty’s struggle revolves around the tension between knowledge and ignorance. The fireman’s duty is to destroy knowledge and promote ignorance in order to equalize the population and promote sameness. Montag’s encounters with Clarisse, the old woman, and Faber ignite in him the spark of doubt about this approach. His resultant search for knowledge destroys the unquestioning ignorance he used to share with nearly everyone else, and he battles the basic beliefs of his society.

While explaining the revisionist history of firemen to Montag in his home, Captain Beatty says, “We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the constitution says, but everyone made equal . . . A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon. Breach man’s mind.” It is important to note that Beatty’s whole speech has an ironic sound. He defends the disintegration of authenticity in a passionate, almost regretful tone. He is willing to defend the “equalization” of society while still remaining educated himself, and denounces the use of books as weapons while freely using them that way himself. Because of these ambiguities, Beatty is the most complex character in the book, and he uses his book-educated mind, his “loaded gun,” to manipulate Montag mercilessly. One wonders, as Faber does, if he chose his job after a fall from faith in books, as he claims, or to enable himself to gain legal access to books through his position of authority.

The same meaning could be included in existing media like television and radio, but people no longer demand it. According to Faber, Montag is really in search of “quality,” which the professor defines as “texture”—the details of life, that is, authentic experience. People need quality information, the leisure to digest it, and the freedom to act on what has been learned. Faber’s comment that a book has “pores” also evokes the sieve in the title “The Sieve and the Sand.” Trying to fill your mind by reading books is like trying to fill a leaking bucket, because the words slip from your memory before you can even finish reading anything. The arc of formerly prude and not individual Montag to becoming independent and critically analyzing his world exemplifies how vital this belief in the maintenance of ideals is.

Happiness is determined by who we are as a person and our perspective on life. In this essay, I am going to argue my point of view with reference to the famous novel ‘Fahrenheit 451’ by Ray Bradbury and the author’s main ideas expressed in it.

“I don’t know what it is. I’m so damned unhappy. I’m so mad and I don’t know why” (Bradbury, 61). When Bradbury says ‘I don’t know what it is’, he seems to be saying no one truly knows the meaning of happiness because there is no set-in-stone definition of true happiness it is supposed to mean because not everyone is the same when it comes to happiness. Montag starts to think happiness is the key to life: “He’s right. Happiness is important. Fun is everything” (Bradbury, 62). Through this quote, Bradbury is trying to say that having fun takes the place of happiness and that just going and not stopping is good, but happiness is the key to living a somewhat stress-free life, and don’t always stress about the little things in life. To have true happiness, we need to be the best person, we could ever be.

In the next quote, captain Beatty is trying to explain to Montag why we should not worry about other stressful views and thoughts. What does happiness mean to them? “The important thing for you to remember, Montag, is we are the Happiness Boys, the Dixie Duo, 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 dreary philosophy drown our world. We depend on you. I don’t think you realize how important you are, we are, to our happy world as it stands now”. (Bradbury, 59) Bradbury is talking about how Montag is the only person keeping them out of the ‘dreary philosophy’ that is their world at that time and keeping the ‘small tide’ of people who want to make everything and everyone unhappy, and Montag is trying to stop it. How even if other people are having a hard time and are upset that it does not need to affect them.

In all, there is no real meaning of happiness, no logical definition that anyone knows. Everyone has their own definition of happiness in their life. Happiness is a problematic and elusive concept, is just used as a mask, and not thought of as a feeling, but as a material item and a form of security, and how it is just an illusion they have created for themselves.

Everyday of our lives, we spend countless hours under the grip of technology. In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, technology and media are evidently integrated into the lives of the characters in the novel. In this fictional, futuristic world, firemen start fires to burn books rather than stop fires. In this society, books are considered bad because they inspire free-thought. Many of the aspects of the society in Fahrenheit 451 are quite extreme. The TV parlour walls, laws against walking, and the stretched out billboards for high speed cars are all examples of this. Its exaggerated themes, however, create an effective satire of how today’s society functions. Fahrenheit 451 reveals how the dynamics of today’s society are altered by the influence of technology and media.

Fahrenheit 451 presents a society where technology and media creates a virtual world far from reality. Mildred, the wife of our protagonist Montag, is an exaggerated example of the typical technology addicted human being in today’s society. She spends her day staring at the three TV’s on the parlour walls of her home. She is submerged into a false reality where she thinks the people on TV are her family. As a result, she cares about this “family” more than she does about her actual family: “She shoved the valise in the waiting beetle, climbed in, and sat mumbling, “Poor family, poor family, oh everything gone, everything, everything gone now ….”” (p. 52). Rather than keeping quiet about Montag’s possession of books, she decides to report him in fear that she would lose her TV “family”. This is a clear example of how media has immersed Mildred into an unhealthy state of mind so far from reality that she considers the nonexistent characters on TV to be her “family”. She would do anything to save that “family” rather than save her real family, which is Montag. Montag later realizes that he would not be sad if his wife, Mildred, died because their marriage is solely a title without any meaning. Our society hasn’t come so far to be on the level of Mildred’s addiction to media, but there is some truth in how we value our precious technology over the human connection with our friends and family. Often we find ourselves placing the importance of technology over the importance of meaningful relationships. We would rather spend our meals communicating with someone else through text, than having a conversation with the person in front of us. David Brooks describes the technologically addicted Wireless Man and Wireless Woman in his article ‘Time to do Everything Except Think’. These characters are a satirical exaggeration of how technology is unhealthily integrated into almost every aspect in our lives. As Brooks says in his article: “if you are consumed by the same information loop as everyone else, you don’t have anything to stimulate you into thinking differently.” He explains how today’s society is caught up in the virtual world rather than the real world. In Fahrenheit 451, the people are addicted to technology and media, but they are oblivious to it because it is considered the norm. Today, we are in similar situation where we don’t realize our addiction to technology and do not consider it an issue due to its widespread nature.

Fahrenheit 451 presents a technologically addicted society distracted from their real problems. All of the technology and media in Montag’s world creates a setting where people don’t have time to think and are too distracted to think. They don’t realize the issues of their society: “The bombers crossed the sky and crossed the sky over the house, gasping, murmuring, whistling like an immense, invisible fan, circling in emptiness.” (p. 33). There is constant war going on in Montag’s world but no one seems to care. People, like Mildred, are too absorbed by their TVs and their superficial obsessions that they don’t realize how they are being “controlled” by the government. Technology seems to be distracting and desensitizing them from violence and its effects. The people don’t realize the consequences of war, and children try to run over Montag in a car without feeling any sort of remorse or guilt. Donald Glover’s music video for his song, ‘This is America’, gives effective insight into today’s obsession with media and technology. Watching the video, we are so distracted by his dancing that we don’t realize all the horrible things occuring in the background, such as the man being thrown off the balcony. Similarly, society is too distracted by media and superficial happiness, that we don’t notice the real issues going on in our world. Glover also sings about how people film incidents with our cell phones rather than involving ourselves in aiding the situation. People are too concerned about capturing events that they don’t realize the substantiality of what is occurring in front of their eyes. Fahrenheit 451 reveals societies obsession with technology distracting us from reality.

Fahrenheit 451 illustrates how society’s obsession with technology can have severe negative effects. All of the bright flashing screens and stimulants in Montag’s world have the people distracted from their obvious problems. Because of Mildred’s fixation with the characters displayed on her TV parlour walls, she is immersed in a virtual world that conceals her true emotions. She is revealed to be in severe pain and depression as she subconsciously tries to end her life by overdosing on sleeping pills. The stimulating effects of all the technology and media around her, creates a distraction from her real issues involving mental health. Similarly, Beatty, confident in his belief of giving people whatever makes them temporarily happy, is also revealed to be subconsciously facing suicidal thoughts due to the lack of a meaningful life. Beatty intentionally taunts Montag to the point where Montag kills him, Beatty subconsciously knowing that would be the result. Technology and media is revealed to be the factor that causes these mental health issues to occur. Montag initially lived his life burning books mindlessly, not knowing its negative effects because of how thinking is controlled in this society. Clarisse later makes him notice the world around him and its beauty, along with its problems as well. He later understands that reading books provide a way to learn about the past in order to understand the present. He also learns that reading books allow people time to think and reflect to further develop understanding, an ideology forbidden from his community. His heroic journey reveals to us how a technologically fast-paced society is not sustainable for a healthy meaningful life.

People generally treat technology as a tool that helps us progress as a society. Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 reveals to us that technology has the ability to not only negatively alter the way society functions, but also hinder our ability to express emotion. Fahrenheit 451 exhibits the negative effects of technology and where our society could one day end up. The exaggerated satirical features of Montag’s society in Fahrenheit 451, helps readers further comprehend the problems with technology and media that Bradbury is trying to address. The issues presented by Bradbury in his novel will hopefully help us as a society realize the similar issues that we face.

Normally of our lives, we spend unlimited hours under the grip of advancement. In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, advancement and media are plainly planned into the lives of the characters in the novel. In this episodic, propelled world, firemen light flames to duplicate books instead of stop fires. In this overall population, books are seen as terrible considering the way that they move free-thought. Countless the pieces of the overall population in Fahrenheit 451 are remarkable. The TV parlor dividers, laws against walking, and the extricated up releases for fast automobiles are generally examples of this. Its distorted themes, in any case, make a fruitful satire of how the present society limits. Fahrenheit 451 reveals how the components of the present society are balanced by the effect of development and media.

Fahrenheit 451 presents an overall population where development and media makes a virtual world far from this present reality. Mildred, the mate of our saint Montag, is an exaggerated instance of the standard development subordinate individual in the present society. She experiences her day looking at the three TV’s on the parlor dividers of her home. She is submerged into a sham reality where she thinks the people on TV are her family. Along these lines, she ponders this ‘family’ more than she does about her real family: ‘She pushed the valise in the holding up creepy crawly, moved in, and sat murmuring, ‘Poor family, poor family, goodness everything gone, everything, everything gone now … .” (p. 52). Rather than remaining quiet about Montag’s responsibility for, she decides to report him in fear that she would lose her TV ‘family’. This is a sensible instance of how media has doused Mildred into a tragic point of view so far off from reality that she accepts the nonexistent characters on TV to be her ‘family’. She would adequately save that ‘family’ rather than save her certifiable family, which is Montag. Montag later comprehends that he would not be abandoned if his better half, Mildred, passed on considering the way that their marriage is solely a title with no significance. Our overall population hasn’t gain huge ground to be on the level of Mildred’s reliance on media, anyway there is a hint of legitimacy by they way we regard our important advancement over the human relationship with our friends and family. As often as possible we wind up setting the essentialness of development over the criticalness of significant associations. We would like to experience our meals talking with someone else through substance, than having an exchange with the person before us. David Brooks portrays the inventively reliant Wireless Man and Wireless Woman in his article ‘Time to do Everything Except Think’. These characters are a taunting bending of how advancement is appallingly organized into essentially every perspective in our lives. As Brooks says in his article: ‘in case you are eaten up by a comparative information hover as each other individual, you don’t have anything to strengthen you into derivation in an unforeseen manner.’ He explains how the present society is up to speed in the virtual world rather than this present reality. In Fahrenheit 451, the people are reliant on advancement and media, anyway they are missing to it since it is seen as the standard. Today, we are in practically identical condition where we don’t comprehend our reliance on development and don’t consider it an issue in view of its expansive nature.

Fahrenheit 451 presents a creatively reliant society redirected from their certified issues. The whole of the development and media in Montag’s world makes a setting where people don’t have the chance to think and are too occupied to even think about evening think about reasoning. They don’t comprehend the issues of their overall population: ‘The air ship crossed the sky and navigated the house, gasping, muttering, whistling like a colossal, subtle fan, floating in void.’ (p. 33). There is steady war going on in Montag’s world anyway no one seems to mind. People, as Mildred, are unnecessarily devoured by their TVs and their shallow obsessions that they don’t see how they are being ‘controlled’ by the organization. Advancement is apparently redirecting and desensitizing them from viciousness and its assets. The people don’t comprehend the consequences of war, and youths endeavor to run over Montag in a vehicle without feeling any sort of disappointment or fault. Donald Glover’s music video for his tune, ‘This is America’, gives reasonable comprehension into the present obsession with media and development. Survey the video, we are so involved by his moving that we don’t see all the stunning things occuring far out, for instance, the man being lost the exhibition. Correspondingly, society is unreasonably occupied by media and shallow delight, that we don’t see the primary issues going on in our world. Glover moreover sings about how people film scenes with our PDAs instead of remembering ourselves for supporting the situation. People are too stressed over getting events that they don’t comprehend the liberality of what’s going on before their eyes. Fahrenheit 451 reveals social requests obsession with advancement occupying us from this present reality.

Fahrenheit 451 blueprints how society’s obsession with development can have extraordinary negative effects. The total of the splendid glinting screens and energizers in Montag’s world have the people involved from their obvious issues. In perspective on Mildred’s fixation on the characters appeared on her TV parlor dividers, she is immersed in a virtual world that camouflages her real sentiments. She is revealed to be in extraordinary misery and distress as she instinctively endeavors to end her life by overdosing on resting pills. The invigorating effects of all the advancement and media around her, makes a break from her principle issues including passionate prosperity. In this way, Beatty, sure about his conviction of giving people whatever makes them by chance cheery, is furthermore revealed to be subliminally standing up to reckless examinations in light of the nonappearance of a significant life. Beatty intentionally affronts Montag to the point where Montag butchers him, Beatty instinctively understanding that would be the result. Advancement and media is revealed to be the factor that causes these enthusiastic wellbeing issues to occur. Montag from the start continued with his life expending books neglectfully, not realizing its negative effects considering how accepting is controlled in this overall population. Clarisse later makes him notice his general environment and its brilliance, close by its issues as well. He later grasps that examining books give a way to deal with get some answers concerning the past to fathom the present. He in like manner finds that examining books license people time to think and reflect to moreover make understanding, a conviction framework forbidden from his region. His heroic journey reveals to us how a creatively brisk paced society isn’t reasonable for a sound noteworthy life.

People generally treat development as a device that causes us progress as an overall population. Pillar Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 reveals to us that development can unfavorably change the way wherein society limits, yet likewise obstruct our ability to express feeling. Fahrenheit 451 shows the negative effects of development and where our overall population may one have the option to day end up. The distorted wry features of Montag’s overall population in Fahrenheit 451, helps perusers with advancing handle the issues with advancement and media that Bradbury is endeavoring to address. The issues displayed by Bradbury in his novel will in a perfect world assistance us as an overall population comprehend the near issues that we face.