“The book’s that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame”. This quote by Oscar Wilde encapsulates the idea that texts often highlight issues or ideas prominent in our current society, regardless of the time, place or context of the text. Texts address important issues within our society and facilitate deeper thought and reflection about these ideas. In the novel Fahrenheit 451, set in the distant future, ideas relevant to us in the present world are conveyed by author Ray Bradbury. Short story The Pedestrian by Ray Bradbury similarly presents ideas applicable to our current day society. The effects of our society’s increasing dependency on technology are slowly beginning to surface, an outstanding topic of the
…show more content…
Nowadays rich and meaningful social interactions are becoming less of a common occurrence as our culture shifts to a more hedonistic and superficial way of life, a common idea expressed in both stories.
As a society we are becoming more dependent on technology, children and adults alike are spending more time in front of screens than ever before and we are beginning to observe the effects of this problem throughout the western world. This issue is highlighted by Bradbury in the two texts under examination. People of Ray Bradbury’s dystopian society in Fahrenheit 451 are consumed by their “seashells and parlour walls” throughout the day, this has led the majority of citizens to be ignorant and …show more content…
The mass media bombards us with messages and ideas which shape the way we view our world – our thoughts are becoming a product of the media rather than a product of our own vast imaginations. Additionally, in many places around the world censorship by governments or other authorities is depriving populations of important and helpful information. This combination of government regulated censorship and mass media manipulation is a stern reality for the public in Fahrenheit 451 and The Pedestrian. This issue is illuminated through the character struggle of Guy Montag. Books are burnt as they are seen as a dangerous source of information by the government in the novel- this is because they empower the people by equipping with the knowledge to form their own opinions and make their own choices. In the exposition of the novel Montag‘s job is to rid the world of books. Guy realises he is being deceived by Captain Beatty and the government into thinking that books are evil, he also realises that society is being denied their freedom of opinion in the form of censorship. He also becomes conscious of the negativity and harm caused by the media as he observes Mildred being led into a life of emptiness. Guy eventually comes to the decision that he will fight for his rights and pursue a
Nowadays rich and meaningful social interactions are becoming less of a common occurrence as our culture shifts to a more hedonistic and superficial way of life, a common idea expressed in both stories.
As a society we are becoming more dependent on technology, children and adults alike are spending more time in front of screens than ever before and we are beginning to observe the effects of this problem throughout the western world. This issue is highlighted by Bradbury in the two texts under examination. People of Ray Bradbury’s dystopian society in Fahrenheit 451 are consumed by their “seashells and parlour walls” throughout the day, this has led the majority of citizens to be ignorant and …show more content…
The mass media bombards us with messages and ideas which shape the way we view our world – our thoughts are becoming a product of the media rather than a product of our own vast imaginations. Additionally, in many places around the world censorship by governments or other authorities is depriving populations of important and helpful information. This combination of government regulated censorship and mass media manipulation is a stern reality for the public in Fahrenheit 451 and The Pedestrian. This issue is illuminated through the character struggle of Guy Montag. Books are burnt as they are seen as a dangerous source of information by the government in the novel- this is because they empower the people by equipping with the knowledge to form their own opinions and make their own choices. In the exposition of the novel Montag‘s job is to rid the world of books. Guy realises he is being deceived by Captain Beatty and the government into thinking that books are evil, he also realises that society is being denied their freedom of opinion in the form of censorship. He also becomes conscious of the negativity and harm caused by the media as he observes Mildred being led into a life of emptiness. Guy eventually comes to the decision that he will fight for his rights and pursue a