“The Clueless and Corrupt Societies”
The society in the book, Fahrenheit 451 is a world based on technology and leisure. They live in a time where knowledge is getting tarnished, to the point where it does not even exist anymore. Essentially, this world is a corrupted dystopian society, but the people of our society act the same way as the people in the book Fahrenheit 451, and as a result, our world is turning into a dystopian world, like the one in the book, Fahrenheit 451. While the life of Fahrenheit 451 and our world has some differences, the two worlds are extremely similar in many ways.
In Fahrenheit 451, Clarisse is a unique teen who sees the world differently from others. At one part, she mentioned something peculiar about people
…show more content…
This shows that nobody in Clarisse's world is unique or different from each other and that everyone acts identical, whereas everyone is unique and different in our society. According to Bradbury, Montag asks, “When did we meet? And where?” (Bradbury, 40) He asks this to his wife, Mildred, but neither knew when nor where they met. Knowing full well that they are husband and wife, this is quite concerning. This is because in our world, forgetting where someone met their partner is absurd and unimaginable. Nobody ever forgets when or where they met their spouse because this event is a sacred and unforgettable moment for a couple. Since Montag and Mildred forgot how they met, they have no mutual love or respect for each other, and they did not really care about each other. Those are some differences, but when it comes to behavior, that is where the differences end between the two societies. In Fahrenheit 451, the people regularly watch the TV screens all day, so much so that they are calling the parlors their family. At one part, Mildred says, ”That’s my family.” She said this after Montag asked her to turn down the volume because he was sick (Bradbury, 46). Our society has not called our electronics family, but we treat our electronics like family …show more content…
As stated by Bradbury, Beatty says, “...our civilization is so vast that we can’t have our minorities upset and stirred...Colored people don’t like Little Black Sambo. Burn it. White people don’t feel good about Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Burn it” (Bradbury, 56-57) We, of course, think that burning books are a bizarre thing to do, but this actually happens in our world. In our world, people might burn religious books as an act of defiance against the books because they hate the ideas and disagree with the knowledge contained in it. Also, in Venezuela, some people burn textbooks that schools provide for Venezuelan children. In the article, “Textbook Burning in Venezuela,” it says, “As children head back to school after winter break, many Venezuelans are still angry about their textbooks.”(Newsela, “New Elections, Same Outcome” paragraph 2) According to the article, these angry Venezuelans are burning these textbooks because it contains information that they oppose, and they do not want their children learning this, resulting in anger and the burning of textbooks. The government is basically controlling what the Venezuelan children learn, just like the government in the book Fahrenheit 451 when they burn books to eliminate knowledge that opposes the people and the government of that society. Our society is always eager to shun ideas
The burning of those books that create discontent by the firemen in the plot of 451 is used to create a passive thinking, politically correct, ignorant society through the censorship of ideas. This idea is present in 451 due to Bradbury’s social context of censorship, which was prevalent during the time Bradbury was constructing the text. This shows that Bradbury has constructed 451 to be a criticism of censorship. The fireman, in Fahrenheit 451, sole job is to burn and destroy books, they burn books because they trigger thought, which then triggers discontent amongst the population. The destruction of those that trigger discontent is used to make a sterile, plain society. Furthermore this leads to a society of political correctness, due to
Technology is a common similarity that is brought up many times in both Fahrenheit’s society and is often brought up in today’s society. When Bradbury wrote this novel, he was concerned that television would drown out literature in the future as it became more popular. One might argue that the introduction of the internet and social media has led people to prefer cyber relationships over human relationships. An example of this in today’s society could be the people on the subway train. We tend to refrain from communication with others and the best way to do that is by entering our virtual reality in our technology. But, this hasn't happened to an extent portrayed in the book. Montag, the main character, begins to interact with a girl named Clarisse in the book, she asks him questions like, “Are you happy” (pg.10). In Fahrenheit 451’s society, people haven't totally lost the ability or will to connect to one another in person. Bradbury provides many examples of how technology has blinded people in his envisioned society. Mildred, Montag’s wife, is a perfect example of how technology is slowly consuming the lives of people in Fahrenheit 451. Everyday Mildred sits in her room surrounded by a wall of
In the novel, Fahrenheit 451, a controlling government has banned all books. The story follows Guy Montag, a firefighter who burns books in this dystopian world. He begins the story passionate about his job and the cause he serves. When he meets a young girl named Clarisse McClellan, he begins to rethink the life he lives and realizes that books are not as destructive as the government wants him to believe. Without books showing different and conflicting ideas, the people in this community are brainwashed into believing in a single value and principle.
Some citizens are so passionate about their novels they would burn with their books as the firemen set the books on fire. Firemen in this crooked society will do anything to disallow people from books, even if it means burning them with the books, Captain Beatty tells Montag “...these fanatics always try suicide; the pattern’s familiar.” (Bradbury 39) Citizens who protect their books and die with their books as they burn, proves how important books are to people who have discovered there “powers” and how great they are for relaxing and such. The world is so ignorant about how much you can benefit from books, but throughout everyone’s life all they learn about is how books should be hated by all. People who do not take the time to explore book’s greatness believe (like the rest) that books are evil and should be burnt, so they think everyone who reads them is better than those who do not read, Montag is to be believed to be one of these “book loving freaks” when Beatty says “You think you can walk on water with your books. Well, the world can get by just fine without them.” (118) People in general no matter what society, dystopic or not, believe anything the government throws in their face. By burning books, the government is making citizens believe reading is terrible, expanding your mind with literature is disgustingly bad, and create people who read
Fahrenheit 451 is a unique novel because of its depiction of a future set of events that shows the effects on a world where books and basic education have been drastically changed. The results shown in the novel show the negative effects this change has on the modern society depicted in the book. Any permanent change in everyday living that is enforced in the most suppressive ways can change our perception of what history should be. Adolf Hitler's plan was a perfect example of this philosophy. Fahrenheit 451 was written in an era after World War II and the story can be seen to be influenced by events that transpired during World War II and Hitlers rein. Ultimately, Fahrenheit 451 is a futuristic novel that shows how taking away a basic fundamental rights such as learning or freedom can change history and society for the worse or better depending on the an individuals perspective.
Throughout time when a corrupt nation and a corrupt group of people seek control over everything they limit knowledge. This has been seen in ancient civilizations like the Romans who went after libraries, both Nazi Germany and The United Socialist Soviet Republic, and even today in terror groups like Isil And the Taliban, or even countries like The Democratic Republic of North Korea. The Novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, portrays a perfect example of limiting knowledge for the means of control. Fahrenheit 451 is about Guy Montag a fireman, who in this dystopian world starts fires, rather than putting them out. The firemen burn books, to limit the knowledge of the populace they are supposed to be protecting. The main conflict arises
Finally, throughout the novel Bradbury presents a conflict between ignorance and understanding. The general society is being numbed into believing that knowledge makes people disagree with each other and unhappy. To prevent people from reading and gaining knowledge, the firemen burn all books. By committing these actions, they are promoting sameness and ignorance, to supposedly maintain happiness among society. Captain Beatty explains the history of firemen to Montag, speaking of their society’s view of equality. “We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the constitution says, but everyone made equal . . . A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon. Breach man’s mind.” (Bradbury, page 58) Captain Beatty is hinting that books encourage people to question authority and think about why things are done the way they are
Fahrenheit 451 is a world where technology is more important than literature. This books is in a sense preparing us and warning us for what is to come. With our latest iPhones or Macbooks, we are being blindsided by the glamour when in all reality our government corrupted right in front of us. With all of the latest updates the world.
First, modern American society relates to the society in Fahrenheit 451 through education. In Fahrenheit 451 schools have the kids sit in a classroom and learn from a TV. When Clarisse a seventeen year old girl who lives next to the protagonist, asks questions about the school work, the other kids call her peculiar. While talking with Montag, the main character in the book, Montag asks about school, Clarisse tells him “I’m antisocial, they say. I don’t mix.” (26) she only wants to comprehend the topic better, and the other teens ridicule her. In both America and in Fahrenheit 451 the education system remains faulty and unsuccessful. Education in America prevails horrible, approximately 70 percent of eighth grade students read below the standard expected from them. Other
Stuck in a futuristic dystopia Guy Montag is a fireman who burns books to fulfill the will of the so-called “Big Brother.” Unknowingly fueling the corruption of power through the ignorance of the people. Although fictional, the award-winning novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury typifies the corruption that exists amidst our government, evidently controlling our lives without our knowledge like “Big Brother.” Examining how the civilization was oblivious to the government corruption can correlate to our incomprehensive awareness of our government inner workings. This brings to question, what’s stopping our government from manipulating information to manipulate us? As opposing arguments may claim that it foolish to think that the government is out to get us, I argue the contrary since the US government has
The perfect Utopian society is when everyone is equal. But is everyone truly equal? In the book Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, shows how quickly a society can go from Utopia to Dystopia. The novel states how families are truly disconnected and how the society shows and hides their feelings. Is our society like this?
Fahrenheit 451 is novel by Ray Bradbury that take place in the future were the society has changed in many ways. When we read about it we think that this society is horrible, but what we never think about is that our society is becoming more like theirs. We can say we view certain things way differently than they do, but we don’t They view many morals and events the same as our society does. The society in Fahrenheit 451 is at lost because their society has lost all morals and the passage of life is seen as nothing.
The dystopian society in which Fahrenheit 451 is set, can be compared to the 21st century society. Even though, books are still used regularly, digital books are starting to become of more frequent use. In the story, Fahrenheit 451 books were not at all allowed. The author, Ray Bradbury never really said it explicitly, but one of the main purposes in the story is to show how our real life society, could reach the point where it could evolve to the one in the story. In the story, the society slowly began to loose interest, it did not happen from one day to another.
Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, tells the story of a firefighter named Montag. In this society, firefighters don’t put out fires. Instead, they find and burn books, which have been banned by the government. Montag goes along with the firefighter lifestyle until he meets a girl named Clarisse. She gets him wondering about books, and Montag decides to grab one from a woman's house before it is burned down. Montag realizes how important books are to humanity. He knows that what firefighters are doing is wrong, and sets out to change it. Bradbury uses this story to portray a corrupt society that he believes will come of the real world, and some of his ideas have already come true.
Fahrenheit 451 shows a society very similar to ours today. Much the same as revealed in the Fahrenheit, we live in a society that is impatient, disconnected from reality and desires satisfaction from materialistic objects. We live in a world where people seek the easy way out of problems. People lose their identities focusing too much on themselves and chasing after physical possessions. People have a physical and emotional side but the people in our society neglects its emotional side. People now get their happiness from physical objects and seek fulfilment from self involvement, they ignore the other side of life and the beauty that it holds. We love ourselves so much that we focus only on ourselves, our wants, needs, and desires that we end up losing patience and neglecting each other.