Why Does Ray Bradbury Use Figurative Language In Fahrenheit 451

“It was a pleasure to burn” (Bradbury 1). At the start of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, published by Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, comes one of the most iconic introductory phrases in literary culture. At the moment of reading it, this line is interpreted to be an expression of the thrill that came with the act of lighting a fire as Montag does his job to burn illegal books. However, by the end, it is possible to say that this line has a different meaning altogether. In a time where censorship and other forms of oppression were on the rise, Bradbury wrote his work to speak out against a strong government, preserving freedom for the individual. Through the use of allusions, he grounds Fahrenheit 451 in reality, calling the themes of the novel into question in the present as much as they were in the time when the novel was written. Through the world of his story, Bradbury makes a statement about a potential path society could take, destroying freedom of thought and individual expression, becoming nothing less than a dystopia like the one in Montag’s world.

With the advancement of machinery and electronics, the more people combine the living with the dead. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury uses the motif of nature and uses imagery to show the fight between living and dead, and how the two can blend together.

In the book Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, the author predicts the future of today’s society. Bradbury predicted the future of today’s technology and societal issues. Some technology from the book that is similar to today is the small electronic earpieces that fit into peoples’ ears to communicate with people; nowadays, it exists and people call it Bluetooth. In addition, there was large flat screen televisions that were the size of a wall. Technology is part of the societal issues from the book, they are similar to today’s society because the people do not care about reading or gaining knowledge anymore, it’s all about television and technology. In addition, suicide is not taken care of or prevented properly It is almost as suicide is taken as a joke. Actually, there are many ways today’s society is similar to the book, society that Bradbury based in the future containing advanced technology and societal issues.

Montag came home as usual and was not noticed by the group of chatting women with the TVs. In anger, he turned off the TVs and the women glared at him for ruining their enjoyment. From the increase of technology, including TV walls, have become the main focus to be happy. No one knows that the TV walls block the trouble from the real world. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury uses TV walls to express that technology does not bring happiness but an illusion of a fantasy by connecting their relationships with the characters.

Fahrenheit 451 is a book by Ray Bradbury, written after World War II and it examines the corruption of technology in a dystopian society. This book explains how a dystopian society works and how people are so attached to television and cars and do not enjoy the natural world. People in a dystopian society are full of fear and sadness. They do not have equality or freedom, they are all so soaked up in technology that it is illegal for them to do simple stuff, such as, reading books. The book, Fahrenheit 451 explains how firefighters start fires rather than stopping them. A firefighter’s job is do burn books, since books are illegal to have because they go against the power of technology and modernization. In a dystopian society, people should be unhappy, unequal, violent, and brutalized and that is what is exactly being seen throughout this book. As Ray Bradbury captures the attention of many readers, he captures our attention on how the future could be if technology would become so extreme. Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451 is not about control, but it is a novel about how television destroys curiosity in reading literature.

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.

Prompt: The novel contains many literary elements and references to different works of literature, how do these convey the themes of the novel?

In part one of the book. Bradbury uses Similes and strong diction to build the idea that appreciating the outside world can produce calming benefits. Montag routinely talks to his new friend Clarisse after work. Clarisse socializes in an extrovert manner often prompting Montag to look at the world around him. ‘“Have you ever smelled old leaves? Don’t they smell like cinnamon? Here. Smell.”

In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury tells the story of a dystopic world where books are burned by firemen because they are prohibited. By presenting this, he makes a point on how books are essential and at the same time warning readers. He was trying to say,” If this happens, then this will happen.” He visualized this society in this book, based on his society, which is parallel to our society now. In the dystopic Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury examines his society at the time, and he admonishes readers about possible aspects of future societies, especially mass media, technological advancement, and peoples’ mental health.

In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 describes Mildred with the utilization of metaphors and imagery to characterize Mildred as hypnotized by technology.

Fahrenheit 451 is a novel of little happiness. Society as a whole has become content with watching television and wasting away their lives, while a few individuals ponder the true meaning of life and happiness. Bradbury throughout the book depicts what our world could become, and almost sends a warning to the reader on how to avoid this unfriendly fate.

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.

Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is a display of how humans are relying more and more on technology for entertainment at the price of their ability for intellectual development. It is a novel about technological dystopia, often compared to other novels such as, George Orwell’s 1984 and Asimov Ender’s Game. Although today’s technology has not quite caught up with Bradbury’s expectations, the threat of having his vision of a dystrophic society is very realistic. He sees a futuristic society in which this submission of thought is highly valued. In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury displays a futuristic utopian society where "the people did not read books, enjoy nature, spend time by themselves, think independently, or have meaningful conversations" (Mogen, Pg. 111).

Ever see firefighter’s burn houses because it was their job? What about books being completely outlawed? In the novel Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury creates a futuristic, dystopian society, in where people are engulfed by an influx of technology. In this odd world, people are more concerned about technology than they are about people. In Fahrenheit 451, the book serves as a warning to us about the negative effects of the overuse of technology.

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.