Fahrenheit 451 Happiness Analysis

Faber explains that reason is due to the fact of peoples' lack of knowledge and consistent ignorance. In a conversation between Montag and Faber, Montag asks Faber why is he miserable when he has absolutely everything to satisfy his needs and wants (820). Faber responds to Montag saying that what he needed was not books, but what the books contained in them (82-83). Faber being able to remember how things used to be and how they are now is able to justify what is missing in the society he currently lives in. Faber states that there are three things missing. They are: the quality of information given from the books to the people, the ability of the people to understand what the books say and mean, and the ability for people to apply what they have learned into their every day lives (83). If the government in the novel would stop keeping their civilians on the ignorant side, and allowed them to read and understand books, the emptiness due to the lack of knowledge would be

"Montag sensed it was a rhymeless poem. Then the man grew even more courageous and said something else and that was a poem, too. Faber held his hand over his left coat pocket and spoke these words gently, and Montag knew if he reached out, he might pull a book of poetry from the man's coat. But he did not reach out. His hands stayed on his knees, numbed and useless. "I don't talk things, sir," said Faber. "I talk the meaning of things. I sit here and know I'm alive." (2.36)" This quotes broke down states that books hold value for Faber only in so far as they apply to life. He believes that human

The characters in Fahrenheit 451 are addicted to the technology that is in their society. One character that exemplifies this technology addiction is Mildred. The technology that she is the most obsessive over is the parlor walls. The parlor walls can best be described as televisions covering all the walls of an entire room. While most parlor walls have four televisions, Montag’s and Mildred’s parlor walls only have three. Mildred questions Montag by saying, “How long do you figure before we save up and get the fourth wall torn out and a fourth wall –TV put in? It’s only two-thousand dollars” (20). Montag responds with “That’s one-third of my yearly pay” (20) and is astonished by how naive Mildred is. Mildred is so blindsided by her beloved parlor walls, that she doesn’t even recognize how lazy she is and how hard that Montag works to provide for her. She doesn’t see or understand the bigger picture, she only sees the parlor walls as most important. Mildred expects to get another parlor wall because she is addicted to them. In another statement, she says a rude comment in return to Montag asking, “Will you turn the parlor off?” (49). Mildred responds with, “That’s my family” (49) and doesn’t give it a second thought. Even though Montag and Mildred are married, Mildred says that the parlor walls are her family and implies that they are more of a

The society in Ray Bradbury's, Fahrenheit 451 is almost completely made up of the falsehood that everyone is “happy”. Up until the main character Montag, meets Clarisse, he believes that he is “happy.” Then he is asked a simple question…“Are you happy?” (Bradbury 10). This was the most significant turning point for Montag and is what caused him stop and think about what his life had really become. The propaganda throughout the book plays a substantial role in people's lives, but not in a positive way. The government brainwashes them to not think or read, and encourages them to have a hatred for whoever breaks the law. In Fahrenheit 451, propaganda plays a dangerous role in influencing the decisions made by the characters.

Faber believes there are three main reasons why people should read."'Number one, as I said: Quality of information. Number two: leisure to digest it. And number three: the right to carry out actions based on what we learn from the interaction of the first two.'" (84) This shows why knowledge is important because books contain much information. They also provide an activity when in times of boredom. Faber explains the real importance of books to Montag and he realizes the affect books have on society, such as educating people and making them less oblivious. Faber also explains the confusion of the material in books. "'So I thought books might help...'No, no, it's not books at all you're looking for...There is nothing magical in them at all. The magic is only in what books say,'" (82-83) Knowledge is not books themselves, it is what is in the books. Faber refers to what is in the books as magic, meaning it has a way of affecting someone and has importance. Faber closes his conversation with Montag by explaining that the importance of knowledge is necessary. "'You can't guarantee things like that! After all, when we had all the books we needed, we still insisted in finding the highest cliff to jump off. But we do need a breather. We do need knowledge. And perhaps in a thousand years we might pick smaller cliffs to jump off.'" (86) Faber says with all the books his society has, people still give themselves

Mildred is an average member of society but yet, is alone. Mildred’s only real conversations are with or about the television. Millie answered the phone and immediately answered with “Yes, the WHite Clown’s on tonight!”(Bradbury 70). There was no asking of how their days were, just the television. When Millie hear a conversation about not caring when one's husband dies, she immediately thought of a show she had watched, not even thinking about the thought of how heartless not mourning a dead husband was. One of the first times Mildred is introduced in the novel, she is shown after attempting suicide, and most people who are suicidal do not feel loved, but instead live a dull, vapid life. One shocking detail of the city is how much the population is abating because of suicide. Mildred doesn’t even have much of a reaction when she is saved by the technicians, which truly shows her detachment from true feelings. As the novel progresses, Mildred is still surrounding herself with her television and acting as an average member of society. By doing this, she is unknowingly separating herself from the world, which is exactly what the society wants her to do. If all the people in the city were talking and having conversations about important things, they may start thinking, which, in the opinions of the city, is the worst thing that could

73). However, when Guy asks her if her 'family ' loves her with "all their heart and soul," (pg. 77) she is at a loss for words. Much like what happens when Clarisse asks Guy whether or not he is happy, this question forces Mildred to think strictly about what is real. It reminds her that deep down, she knows that her 'family ' consists of fictional characters who cannot harbor real emotions and thus, cannot requite her love for them. This is part of the awareness that she refuses to acknowledge, and she is stunned when Guy 's question catches her in her disguise. Unfortunately, she does not accept that she has a problem and proceeds to change the subject in response to his question. Towards the end of the book, when Mildred leaves the house as the firemen arrive to burn it, it can be inferred that technology does not have the effect on her that she desires, and that it cannot save her from her reality. One can recall that earlier in the story, an old woman chooses to stay in her house and burn along with her books, causing Guy to realize that books can help people to find in their lives a meaning that does not exist in his or Mildred 's. Mildred does not stay to burn with the parlor that she makes such a big deal out of throughout the course of the book. In this way, she inadvertently proves that the parlor and the other forms of technology she attaches herself to, do not provide her life with any

Faber is an English professor who encourages Montag to start reading books. Faber mention “’Do you know why books such as this are so important? Because they have quality’” (pg 83). Faber tells Montag that books are important because they have quality. He helps Montag to read and to understand why books are important. Also, Faber believe ‘”we do need knowledge… The books are to remind us what asses and fools we are’” (pg 86). Through Faber’s suggestions

Dunbar says “ With torn and bleeding hearts we smile.” and this quote relates to Mildred in Fahrenheit 451 because she appears to be happy on the outside and content with her 3 wall TV and no outside connection. “The small crystal bottle of sleeping tablets which earlier today had been filled with thirty capsules and which now lay uncapped and empty..” Page 11, when night comes around the happy Mildred that Montag thought he knew had tried to kill herself with a drug overdose and the rescuers who help her explain that it happens all the time. The people in Fahrenheit 451 are all struggling with finding happiness and the ones who have already found happiness are just blinded by the ignorance that the leaders of the society have tried to create.

Happiness in our society is harder to find than in the society of Fahrenheit 451, but once achieved, it is a true happiness, one which grows upon its seeds, and sprouts a great and fulfilling life for that person. The average citizen in our society believes themselves to be happy, but in reality, they too are replacing their true desires and childhood dreams with superficial entertainment and mindless activities, which resembles the society which is portrayed in Fahrenheit 451.

Mildred constantly shows Montag that she doesn’t care about him or what he does. She has no real connections in life and only cares about herself no matter what it costs other people. Technology rips away any real connections that Mildred has ever had with Montag to a point where she doesn’t even care about him. Mildred has succumb to technology and it has corrupted her life in such a way that her own husband no longer holds any emotional meaning to her anymore. In a horrifically shallow conversation between Mildred and Montag, Mildred says to Montag, “It's really fun. It'll be even more fun when we can afford to have the fourth wall installed. How long you figure before we save up and get the fourth wall torn out and a wall-TV put in. It's only two thousand dollars.” (Bradbury 20). The conversation goes on and Montag replies with, “That’s one-third of my yearly pay. It’s only two thousand dollars, she replied. And I think you should consider me sometimes.” (Bradbury 20). Mildred talks about how she needs another parlour wall to improve her life. This conversation inspires the idea that Mildred only cares about herself and how she is oblivious she is to Montag’s emotions. The idea that Mildred, through technology, has become completely detached from her husband and that she doesn’t care about him. She only cares about the

Would you rather be happy in your life and live in ignorance or would you rather live your life with more of a purpose? Even if that purpose means doing things that most people would frown upon. This is one of the conflicts the characters face in the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Fahrenheit 451 is a book about a fireman named Guy Montag. In his society fireman start fires rather than put them out. Most fires started by the firemen are fires in which they burn books. Most books are not allowed and the firemen have to be called to burn them. In this book Montag appears to be a by the book firemen early on but as the

Almost everyone at the beginning of the story were weak minded and self evolved. Mildred is one of the main victims who just wanted more than what they had and weren't satisfied until they got it. Montag built Mildred a three TV parlor, but that wasn't good enough for her so any chance she got she tried to complain. The people in Fahrenheit 451 have no emotion at all, Mildred told Montag that Clarisse died a week after it happened and she was so nonchalant about it because it has been just another death and that wasn't her main priority, she was focused on getting a new

“The parlor was dead and Mildred kept peering in at it with a blank expression as Montag paced the floor and came back and squatted down and read a page as many as ten times, aloud.” Only reason she was paying him attention was because the parlor walls were dead. “I’m not angry,” Montag said, surprised- Mildred shrieked with laughter in the hall.”

The philosopher Aristotle once wrote, “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” This famous quote compels people to question the significance of their joy, and whether it truly represents purposeful lives they want to live. Ray Bradbury, a contemporary author, also tackles this question in his book, Fahrenheit 451, which deals heavily with society's view of happiness in the future. Through several main characters, Bradbury portrays the two branches of happiness: one as a lifeless path, heading nowhere, seeking no worry, while the other embraces pure human experience intertwined together to reveal truth and knowledge.