Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: A Dystopian Future

Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is home to a dystopian future where technology has taken hold of society, allowing no room for interpersonal connections. Bradbury saw how engrossed people were by the new technologies introduced in the 1950’s and felt that, if not controlled, this technology had the potential to dominate society as a whole. Though there was no way Bradbury could have known exactly how the future would look, his general predictions were quite accurate. In today’s times, our lives are highly technology centered - it is difficult for a person to go without checking their phone or computer for any length of time. Every day, new inventions make it easier and easier to depend heavily on the convenience of technology, to the point where …show more content…
Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Hester faces endless adversity to which she stands strong, taking pride in her flaws. This does not come as an extreme surprise, as Hawthorne was writing The Scarlet Letter during a time in which the women’s rights movement was just beginning to grow. He recognized the importance of writing about females who possess the same strength and self-confidence that male characters are typically expected to have. That idea of women having the same capabilities as men is one that is still fought over today with the ever-prevalent feminist movement. In fact, The Scarlet Letter has been subject to countless feminist reviews, most of which agree that Hester is a revolutionary character, one of the few female characters of this time period who fights for herself and her own reputation, rather than waiting around for a man to rescue her from her sorrows. In one essay by Nina Baym, she talks about how Hester breaks free of the stereotypes set for women, namely in relation to her role as a mother. Hester fights ceaselessly to make sure Pearl is not taken away from her, as she values her daughter so deeply that having Pearl taken away would feel like a part of her has broken. She barely even pursues a real romance with Dimmesdale, sacrificing such an idea to raise Pearl instead. Another prominent feminist movement is one fighting for women’s right to own their sexuality: the movement …show more content…
Because of this awful situation he’ has been forced into, Hamlet begins to exhibit some unconventional behavior - some genuine, and some not. Hamlet as a whole is an interesting look at mental illness, as it shows two sides of the same coin: on one hand, characters like Hamlet and Ophelia do show signs of depression and madness, but on the other hand, a lot of the characters’ mental problems go unnoticed due to the fact that most audiences focus more on the acting of the play than anything else, and a lot of the madness exhibited is part of an act Hamlet performs in order to take advantage of others. In an article by Mental Health America, the ways in which mental illness is presented within Hamlet is discussed. The article gives Shakespeare credit for creating characters with real problems that evoke sympathy and respect, and also mentions that Hamlet invokes a discussion of mental illness that many people do not often think about. It goes on to say that if the play is taken seriously and the focus is put on Hamlet and Ophelia’s grief rather than their acting, the play could serve as excellent way to open people’s eyes to the reality of mental health. The fact that a work Shakespeare wrote over four hundred years ago can still be used to show how devastating mental issues can be shows that literature has the power to transcend time and affect the world long after it