Ray Douglas Bradbury

Ray Bradbury’s ‘Fahrenheit 451’ critiques the damage of the forcible coercion of a conformist society and comments on the dangers of technology and mass consumption. Written in 1953, Bradbury critiques McCarthyism and its enforcement by creating a fictitious dystopian society in which the alienation of aberrations parallels with the persecution of communist enthusiasts. The narrative follows protagonist, Guy Montag, who realises the effects of the restriction of knowledge. Resultantly, Bradbury narrates that totalitarianism and technology are a threat to humanism, individuality, and intellectual thought. HOW DID CRITICS VIEW IT? HOW IS THE NOVEL VIEWED?

The author, Ray Bradbury, is known for his intelligent and fascinating books, short stories, poems, essays, screenplays and plays. He was born on August 22, 1920 in Waukegan, Illinois two years after the vicious World War I has ended.

The 1950s was a time of booming everything, from new technology, to never ending wars, the 50s had it all, and it was a time where man became more aware. However, in also be-coming more aware, the nation became a recluse towards one another, always being stuck up against a television screen, ignoring their family and not acknowledging the wars that were hap-pening around them, people started to become the same. The novel Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, is about a dystopian society that has banned books, the novel follows around a firefighter, who burns books, named Guy Montag, who begins to ponder on the idea that books are not pointless but resourceful. The author Ray Bradbury uses the novel to depict a nation blinded by technology,

Ray Bradbury created the novel Fahrenheit 451 as a way to admonish future generations against social and economic trends that would emerge during the twentieth century.

Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel written by Ray Bradbury that depicts a futuristic American society where books are banned and independent thought is persecuted. Bradbury uses his imagination to take a hard look at a world consumed by technology, and he presents predictions about pleasure, violence and anti-intellectualism that are alarmingly similar to the modern American society. Notably, in both societies people find pleasure in entertainment that is endlessly preoccupying. Second, people are violent and careless. Finally, anti-intellectualism and suppression of independent thought affect both societies, as firemen ban books in Fahrenheit 451 and, in the

Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451 presents readers with multiple themes. In the fictional society of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, books are banned and firemen create fires instead of putting them out. Bradbury portrays the society as dystopian. Bradbury crafted the novel to be interpreted intellectually. The characters claim to be happy. However, the reader can conclude otherwise. Bradbury creates a question for the reader to answer: Is ignorance bliss or does the ability to think for oneself create happiness? Bradbury shows the importance of self-reflection, happiness and the ability to think for oneself as well as isolation due to technology, and the importance of nature and animals. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury conveys the stories’ themes through characterization and symbols.

From short stories to fantasy and horror novels the ‘science fiction author’ Ray Bradbury entertains millions with his works. Known from his most famous novel Fahrenheit 451, “ a dystopian study of future American society in which critical thought is outlawed” (“Ray Bradbury” 1). Bradbury was not solely tied to novel writing ‘he had many irons in the fire’ he had several article published in numerous newspapers, he wrote many screenplays for movies, and also created his own HBO television series. “He wrote numerous screenplays and treatments, including a 1956 take on Moby Dick. In 1986, Bradbury developed his own HBO television…” (“ Ray Bradbury” 1) . Bradbury’s life works still touch and entertain millions of people, his timeless words shall ring for eternity.

America’s very roots were born from the words and thoughts of her people; but that could all be put to rest in an instant , the very bedrock of our nation is put to question by it’s citizens and their lack of motivation. Fahrenheit 451 was written to prove the potential future of a society where ignorance is bliss and knowledge is not valued. Ray Bradbury uses a myriad of different strategies to demonstrate the true nature of the 451 society, for example the characters that surround Guy Montag show us the many faces of the community.

Ray Bradbury once said, “My stories are warnings; they're not predictions. If they were predictions, I wouldn't do them. Because then I'd be part of the doom-ridden psychology. But every time I name a problem, I try to give a solution.” Ray Bradbury predicted everything from digital surveillance to our short attention span. Even more surprising, is how our world appears to slowly turn into the world of Fahrenheit 451. In the book, the US has taken a turn for the worse. Children are killing each other, robots are replacing people in the workplace, and most importantly, books are banned. It is intriguing (and even scary) how much this book and our society have in common and if we don’t want be like this, we need to be like Ray Bradbury and find

Throughout the book “Fahrenheit 451”, by Ray Bradbury, we notice the unique style of writing the author uses to bring the story to life. While there are many different stories and tales out in the world, they all use their own writing style. From imagery, to word choice, to tone, the author picks what he thought was best at really bringing out the plot.

At a time when criticizing the routines of society didn’t happen without a reactive consequence, Ray Bradbury constructed Fahrenheit 451, a novel displaying his opinions about the doomed future of mankind. Bradbury predicted many aspects about our modern day society back when this book was published in 1953. Numerous characteristics of the world Bradbury created are emulated in our lives today. Fahrenheit 451 exhibits how reliance on technology, censorship, and adolescent violence mirrored from media can negatively affect the lives of children and adults in society.

Ray Bradubury helps display themes in Fahrenheit 451 by using fantastic elements in science fiction, such as his invention of the “rocket car” and the “mechanical hound.” He uses these elements to help the readers picture a society that he believes could portray America in the future. One of the major themes he expresses through the book is the developing lack of sympathy in human relations to one another. In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury exposes the fact that many people in society today drive too fast with nowhere to go, which relates to the overall theme which is the lack of sympathy in modern day societies.

Ray Bradbury said, “You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” This is a very strong quote by the author of the book Fahrenheit 451. Ray Bradbury is known for his rich text, filled with great suspense and symbolism. He uses a lot of symbols in Fahrenheit 451 to develop his story in to a powerful novel that affirms the importance of books in any society.

In 1953, American author and screenwriter, Ray Bradbury, in his novel, Fahrenheit 451, utilizes a dramatic and depressing tone alerting the effects of social issues in a dystopian society, such as order and identity in the world. During the 1950's new technological advances were being created that helped alter the world such as the first ever commercial computer or television. Bradbury's purpose in this novel was to prevent what was to come in the future with the minds of human minds be consumed by new toys and gadgets. With this book Bradbury wanted to change his audience's perspective on the way they perceive books and the social outcome it can have. He implements many Biblical allusions, paradoxes, and imagery to help develop his major themes that factor what is happening in society.

Ray Douglas Bradbury was born in Waukegan, Illinois, a town that is “perched on the edge of a gently rising bluff that overlooks the slate-green waters of Lake Michigan”, on August 22, 1920 to parents Leonard and Esther Bradbury (Weller 13). He was the third of four siblings. On of his older brothers, Samuel, died before Bradbury was born and his younger sister, Elizabeth, died when he was seven. Leonard Jr., Samuel’s twin, and Ray were the only two siblings to live past childhood.