In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury introduces a new world, focused on the elimination of thought, represented only through the invisible government. The invisible government maintains power and control through fear and intimidation. During this time, the society begins to see the introduction of technology, such as the television. With the introduction of the television, many feared the negative facets of this perceived intrusion on society. Throughout the novel, Bradbury depicts the mass media as a mask that obscures reality and impedes with the characters’ ability to ponder about their lives and society issues. Bradbury focuses on how the impact of mass media on culture results in loss of privacy and individuality (A Marxist Criticism of Fahrenheit
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The ‘invisible’ government manipulates the masses to accept its ideology (‘Marxist Criticism’ 3). An important aspect Bradbury exemplifies “is the motif of spectacle as associated with a fabricated reality and false ideology, and disseminated by mass media” (‘A Marxist Criticism of Fahrenheit 451’ 11). Spectacle replaces the true reality with technology, which hypothesizes the people causing them to feel like it is a reality. Instead of actual small TV screens, the characters in this novel live a fictional life through gigantic walls that represents televisions. For example, many people have become unaware about society. Mildred, a detached and confused character, is one of the major characters whom seem to have no solutions to her inner problems. Mildred feels a profound despair in life, which makes herself distracted by watching television and attempting suicide by overdosing herself with pills. Consequently, Bradbury has depicted Mildred as a human being without emotional, spiritual, or intellectual thought (A Marxist Criticism of Fahrenheit 451 11). Unlike Montag, Mildred is part of the masses that the government has hypothesized through the use of parlor walls. Moreover, through the illusions portrayed by Mildred’s three parlor walls, she is able to interact with fictional characters, and she calls them “the relatives” or her “family” (Bradbury
The ‘invisible’ government manipulates the masses to accept its ideology (‘Marxist Criticism’ 3). An important aspect Bradbury exemplifies “is the motif of spectacle as associated with a fabricated reality and false ideology, and disseminated by mass media” (‘A Marxist Criticism of Fahrenheit 451’ 11). Spectacle replaces the true reality with technology, which hypothesizes the people causing them to feel like it is a reality. Instead of actual small TV screens, the characters in this novel live a fictional life through gigantic walls that represents televisions. For example, many people have become unaware about society. Mildred, a detached and confused character, is one of the major characters whom seem to have no solutions to her inner problems. Mildred feels a profound despair in life, which makes herself distracted by watching television and attempting suicide by overdosing herself with pills. Consequently, Bradbury has depicted Mildred as a human being without emotional, spiritual, or intellectual thought (A Marxist Criticism of Fahrenheit 451 11). Unlike Montag, Mildred is part of the masses that the government has hypothesized through the use of parlor walls. Moreover, through the illusions portrayed by Mildred’s three parlor walls, she is able to interact with fictional characters, and she calls them “the relatives” or her “family” (Bradbury