Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit As Culture

In the ruins of a town somewhere in America, late in the twenty-first century, only a library remains standing. Built of crumbling red brick, it is small and unassuming. Inside, a thick layer of dust rests on its shelves, which bend underneath the physical and philosophic weight of the books. There are thousands of them crammed into the small space, each one as important as the next. On the outside, the books are as modest as their library home, but between their pages are the answers to all the world’s problems. The books hold that which America has lost: culture. Although this future is depressing and seems improbable, to Ray Bradbury, it is a possible result of humanity’s diminishing interest in books. According to his acclaimed novel Fahrenheit …show more content…
Among them is the truth behind Bradbury’s famous quote, which can be difficult for some people to understand. From a present day perspective, a future lacking books seems dubious. When one analyzes the quote in the context of a dystopia, however, the destruction of culture Bradbury describes becomes possible. Among the various elements of dystopias that impact the quote’s relevance are the presence of extreme oppression and the restriction of freedom of speech and thought. Most, if not all, works of dystopian fiction revolve around the control of society by an oppressive force. Many revered science fiction novels feature authoritarian governments over which cruel dictators or monarchs reign. Fahrenheit 451 is distinct in that it avoids this trope; instead of a single person controlling the population, the population controls itself, with a little help from the media. Though they cannot create laws themselves, they are able to coerce everyone into following certain social protocols. By feeding people’s need to be accepted, the media and its followers are as effective as the typical tyrant. This is because most people do not realize they are oppressed. They see themselves as normal people sticking to the status quo. They hide whatever quirks they have, because difference can result in social rejection and exclusion, which no human being …show more content…
Though books are legal today, many people loathe reading, and television and the internet have taken over as America’s favorite forms of media. In the present, it is not uncommon for someone to spend an entire day lounging on a couch and watching television, resembling the pitiful Mildred Montag. It is undeniable that technology controls life, both today and in the foreseeable future. Additionally, in Fahrenheit 451, Montag mentions that America has “started and won two atomic wars since 2022!” (Bradbury 71), and the novel ends with the start and end of another one. Modern times are not much more peaceful; America has been at war for the past fifteen years, and the country has yet to experience a full decade of peace. It seems as though the present is as dark and grim as Bradbury imagined the far future to