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Ray Bradbury once said, “There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them”. This relates to his novel Fahrenheit 451 because people in the society portrayed in the novel do not read books causing the society great unpleasantness and misery. No other style of fiction encompasses the qualities of dystopian literature better than Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451. A strong oppressor, citizens living in fear and paranoia, and the dehumanization of technological advances clearly help depict the novel as a piece of dystopian literature. By analyzing the characteristics of Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451 readers will gain knowledge of what may come if humankind does not proceed with caution and learn the terrors of society. In analyzing this novel as a dystopian work, students become more aware of their own personal views on reading as well as knowledge; it will leave them reflecting on how all types of literature contribute to society. Dystopian literature often portrays the characteristic of the oppressor having dominance over the rebel.
Oppressed by their superiors, the ordinary people in the novel become unaware of their subjugation. Captain Beatty, the oppressor, illustrates oppression over Montag, the rebel, when the firemen have gathered together at the fire station, playing a game of cards. He also displays the characteristic of oppression over Montag by visiting his residence and checking up on him when he was sick even though Montag had not called in sick yet and when Montag comes into work the next time. Captain Beatty and Montag clearly demonstrate this characteristic of dystopian literature when Captain Beatty states, “Well.” said Beatty, “Now you did it. Old Montag wanted to fly near the sun and now that he’s burnt his damn wings, he wonders why. Didn’t I hint enough when I sent the Hound around your place?” (107). This quote shows that Fahrenheit 451 classifies as a dystopian novel because it exhibits the characteristic of the oppressor being stronger than the rebel, a characteristic typically exhibited in dystopian novels. Captain Beatty exhibits unjust treatment towards Montag by sending the Mechanical Hound after him.
Captain Beatty also exhibits control over Montag when he visits Montag’s home and gives him a huge convoluted speech about books, the burning of books, and the need for firemen. This entire sequence shows that Beatty exerts control over Montag because he gives a lecture to Montag instead of an equal conversation between two intellectuals. Beatty’s lecture jumps around and much of it causes confusion to deliberately confuse Montag or he cannot connect it together coherently. When Montag shows up for work the next time, Beatty greets him, “Well,” he said to the men playing cards, “here comes a very strange beast which in all tongues is called a fool.” (101). After Beatty states this, he begins to string together a bunch of contradicting quotes from literature to further confuse Montag. This shows Captain Beatty manipulating and exerting control over Montag by using insults and confusion. Captain Beatty abuses his power causing him to inflict fear on Montag and that fear then translates to other people in the society.
Fear has a great impact on Fahrenheit 451. The characteristic of citizens living in fear and paranoia has been used effectively throughout the novel to help classify the novel as a dystopian piece of literature. Montag is often very fearful of his situation and the people around him, such as Captain Beatty. His boos as well, the mechanical hound and the constant fear of being caught all equate to the characteristic of citizens living in fear and paranoia. An example of this characteristic has been shown when Montag arrives at work. Ray Bradbury writes, “In Beatty’s sight, Montag felt the guilt of his hands. His fingers were like ferret’s that had done some evil and now never rested, always stirred and picked and hid in pockets, moving from Beatty’s alcohol flamed state. Montag felt his hands might wither, turn over on their sides and never be shocked to life again, they would be buried the rest of his life in his coat sleeves, forgotten. For these were hands that acted on their own” (101). This quote shows that fear runs rampant throughout the novel. The people of this world fear knowledge, each other, and the idea of intellectual though. Any kind of knowledge that the government deems unfit gets burned. For example, if one person knows one thing another should not know, they get killed. That fear constitutes throughout the entire novel and makes a statement about the people in it.
Montag also exhibits the characteristic of citizens living in fear and paranoia when the mechanical pursues or threatens him. People in this society, described in Fahrenheit 451, fear the mechanical hound because it has the ability to target a person and kill them. Montag demonstrates this characteristic with the mechanical hound; Ray Bradbury states, “Montag touched the muzzle. The Hound growled. Montag jumped back… He stepped off in the half-lit deck of the upper level. He was trembling and his face was green-white” (23). Montag demonstrates the characteristics of people leaving in fear and paranoia because the mechanical hound inflicts fear in people. It inflicts fear into Montag because it can kill him or alert the other firefighters about his strange behavior and illegal activity. Though people leave in fear and paranoia, technological advances have dehumanized people throughout the society portrayed in the novel.
Technology dominates the futuristic society in Fahrenheit 451. The role of entertainment technology, specifically society’s obsession with televisions show dehumanization through technological advances. Montag’s wife, Mildred, has dedicated an entire room in their home to wall-sized television screens. Ray Bradbury writes, “He states at the parlor that was dead and gray as the water of an ocean that might teem with life if they switched on the electronic sun. “Now,” said Mildred, “my ‘family’ is people. They tell me things; I laugh, they laugh! And the colors!” (69). This quote shows that TV’s work to dehumanize Mildred and the other people in the society who engage in such behaviors because the TV’s pull them out of reality and places them in a constructed fantasy world where they are physically and mentally surrounded by a manufactured life. Mildred says that the people on the TV are her ‘family’ when they are not, they are just made up characters displayed on a screen. Since Mildred has conjured up a fantasy life, she has cut off all connections to their own lives and interpersonal relationships because she shows no interest in Montag, even though they are married.
Another example that shows the use of technology dehumanizing society is medical technology, specifically the machines that were used on Mildred when she overdosed on sleeping pills. To illustrate, Ray Bradbury writes, “They had this machine. They had two machines, really. One of them slide down into your stomach like a black cobra down an echoing well looking for the old water and the told time gathered there” (12). The machines that the medical professionals used to cleanse her body completely dehumanizer her because the machine treats Mildred as if she was an object that needed to be cleaned out. The tubes suck the poison out of her stomach and another machine literally drains all of the blood out of her body and replaces it with fresh blood. The operators state “Got to clean ‘em out both ways” (12). This shows that Mildred has been reduced to something of a machine.
In conclusion, Ray Brady’s novel Fahrenheit 451 classifies as a dystopian novel. The novel fulfills the characteristics of the oppressor being stronger than the rebel when Captain Beatty shows up to Montag’s residence unannounced and when he intimidates Montag when they went to his house to burn it down. Fahrenheit 451 classifies as a dystopian novel when the Mechanical Hound inflicts fear into the people of the society and when Captain Beatty subtly interrogates Montag about his illegal activities, showing the citizens live in fear and paranoia. Finally, Fahrenheit 451 classifies as a dystopian when the characteristic of dehumanization through technological advances is displayed when Mildred claims her family is the people shown on the wall-sized televisions and when the medical machines treat her as an object that needs to be cleaned out. The reader finally becomes more aware of their own personal views and they will leave having reflected on how all types of literature contribute to society.
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