When a mention of the future is made, one might be enthralled over the plethora of groundbreaking technology which could exist by then, but to author Ray Bradbury, this is no source of excitement. In his novel, Fahrenheit 451, he sees past the benefits which technology brings forth and exposes its drawbacks. He notes how people have become addicted and overly reliant on technology, turning away from reading books which, in turn, cultivated their critical thought and individualism. Such a vision is undoubtedly astonishing; in looking at the developed societies of today, the effects of technology on the populaces so uncannily resemble those described by Bradbury in Fahrenheit 451, showing that the future which he so desperately tried to prevent
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In this review, Bradbury’s effectiveness in conveying his warning will be discussed and the quality of his writing, evaluated.
The novel is set in a dystopian future American society ruled by a totalitarian government. Its people have willingly diverted from literature and are consumed by the new, futuristic (from the perspective of a man writing in the 1950s) technology. Wall-to-wall televisions and “Seashell” earpieces, possessed by virtually everyone, serve as channels for constant government-programmed entertainment. Although the widespread addiction to technology is sufficient to keep most people ignorant, books are nevertheless burnt to ensure that no one is ever able to read the radical ideas which lie inside a book’s pages. The protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag, is employed as a fireman: someone who, in this society, does not put out fires, but rather, starts them to burn the houses of those who possess books. In the beginning, Montag finds much enjoyment in his occupation. As a blind conformist to the government, he is like the millions upon millions of other people who are completely brainwashed by technology and government media, oblivious to the much more …show more content…
Although the progression of events is somewhat engaging and tense, nothing in the plot was remarkable. The characters seem lacking in depth, and many of them are quite unrealistic: to take an example, Montag himself, who was once so faithful to his occupation and society, is altered in thought by mere minutes of conversation with Clarisse. The dystopia of the novel is quite nondescript; other than the fact that it burns books, not much else is explored. As a result, the narrative portion of the novel proves to be noticeably flat and insubstantial. The book’s themes, however, are extremely thought-provoking and complex, and it is this which makes the book worth the read. The overarching theme is the importance of books in society—it is through them that people gain the ability to think for themselves. One factor to blame is technology: the author shows that its use is detrimental to the very cultivation of individual thought. In the novel, Faber explains, “The televisor is ‘real.’ It is immediate, it has dimension. It tells you what to think and blasts it in. It must be, right. It seems so right. It rushes you on so quickly to its own conclusions your mind hasn’t time to protest, ‘What nonsense!’” (Bradbury 75). The significance of this idea is substantial nowadays, with technology becoming more and more ubiquitous among people and people becoming more and more
In this review, Bradbury’s effectiveness in conveying his warning will be discussed and the quality of his writing, evaluated.
The novel is set in a dystopian future American society ruled by a totalitarian government. Its people have willingly diverted from literature and are consumed by the new, futuristic (from the perspective of a man writing in the 1950s) technology. Wall-to-wall televisions and “Seashell” earpieces, possessed by virtually everyone, serve as channels for constant government-programmed entertainment. Although the widespread addiction to technology is sufficient to keep most people ignorant, books are nevertheless burnt to ensure that no one is ever able to read the radical ideas which lie inside a book’s pages. The protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag, is employed as a fireman: someone who, in this society, does not put out fires, but rather, starts them to burn the houses of those who possess books. In the beginning, Montag finds much enjoyment in his occupation. As a blind conformist to the government, he is like the millions upon millions of other people who are completely brainwashed by technology and government media, oblivious to the much more …show more content…
Although the progression of events is somewhat engaging and tense, nothing in the plot was remarkable. The characters seem lacking in depth, and many of them are quite unrealistic: to take an example, Montag himself, who was once so faithful to his occupation and society, is altered in thought by mere minutes of conversation with Clarisse. The dystopia of the novel is quite nondescript; other than the fact that it burns books, not much else is explored. As a result, the narrative portion of the novel proves to be noticeably flat and insubstantial. The book’s themes, however, are extremely thought-provoking and complex, and it is this which makes the book worth the read. The overarching theme is the importance of books in society—it is through them that people gain the ability to think for themselves. One factor to blame is technology: the author shows that its use is detrimental to the very cultivation of individual thought. In the novel, Faber explains, “The televisor is ‘real.’ It is immediate, it has dimension. It tells you what to think and blasts it in. It must be, right. It seems so right. It rushes you on so quickly to its own conclusions your mind hasn’t time to protest, ‘What nonsense!’” (Bradbury 75). The significance of this idea is substantial nowadays, with technology becoming more and more ubiquitous among people and people becoming more and more