Collin Mucha
Honors English III
Mrs. Freedman
December 5th, 2018
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Research Paper
In the novel Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury creates the theme book burning drowns individuals within the city with ignorance, leaving the population without insight on the outside world, and keeping citizens addicted to modern technology.When Montag attempted to read a book to his wife and friends, they were not interested, proving people within the city are ignorant to literature. They only cared about watching TV. Montag reading the books and leaving the town at the end show his fear and understanding books are what keep man stable and pure and without books everybody within the town are brainwashed, manipulated by technology. He realizes the isolation of the citizen within the town so he leaves everybody else behind.Montag stole a book; with doing so, he recognizes the manipulation the book burning has to the society. He is now confused and lost, books are causing Montag’s life to change. Book burning has caused the society to only have biased technology become their source of events and news. Montag attempting to read the book to his wife and her friends as they play with the ideas of books, their ignorance is an effect of technology being the only form of news and entertainment.
Montag attempted to read his wife and her two friends a book. They seemed as if they weren’t interested as they continued to watch the television.As Montag attempts to read a book, the women immediately take it as an act of foolery.“‘Guy’s surprise tonight is to read you one sample to show how mixed-up things were, so none of us will ever have to bother our little old heads about that junk again, isn’t that right, darling?’ He crushed the book in his fists” (Bradbury 99). Montag was discouraged after hearing his wife, Mildred reiterate the thought that books are problems. With her claims she shows Montag how technology is manipulating society to completely ignore books and book burning. Montag’s disapproval later causes him to leave town with fear recognizing how the citizens are becoming lost within the town only counting on the television on entertainment and news.
Montag escaped the city leaving his house, wife, and books behind , escaping the isolation of society as the city fell.After Montag, burns Captain Betty of the fire department, he overlooks the air strikes that were called in descending on the city.“Montag held the bombs in the sky for a single moment, with his mind and his hands reaching helplessly up at them” (Bradbury 158). The quote shows his hope diminishing as the bombs slowly reach the surface. The war doomed the city is caused by the ignorance brought upon the citizens.As Montag stole his first book, it brought insight on Montag’s mindset towards book burning.
Montag stealing his first book gives insight on his real thoughts about book burning and the society as a whole.After stealing the book, Montag’s mindset towards life, close friends seemed to be strangers as he is beginning to realize how books could change society’s technology addiction.“And suddenly she was so strange he couldn't believe he knew her at all. He was in somebody else’s house, like those other jokes people told of the gentleman, drunk, coming home late at night” (Bradbury 42).Montag’s world was changed after encountering books. His perception on the world wasn’t only seen through television, but now his mind. Books are causing him to understand how book burning is taking away the intelligence among the town. People such as his wife even, were now strangers to him. The manipulation of technology is clearly discussed as Donald Watt, introduces the role technology plays the city in comparison to modern day lifestyle.
Donald J Watt is a ex serviceman for Australia and an author of a Holocaust memoir named Stroked and writer of Burning Bright:Fahrenheit 451 as Symbolic Dystopia (Watt). “An ironic notion when one considers that the technological tools developed [in Fahrenheit 451] to create a greater sense of freedom ushered in an alienated age of disillusionment and paranoia” (Watt).Watt connects technology supposedly gives the population freedom, but how it just seems to be hiding the problems around them. Watt’s quote ties into the general theme of manipulation showing how television and technology in general strongly influence one’s ideas or thoughts. Watt claims that the technology is starting a war around them, while the individuals seem to be completely ignorant to it. In real life, one tends to be shielded from the world as they are taking in thoughts as seen on the internet, people tend to make decisions, ignorant to what’s happening around them.
Ramin Bahrani of North Carolina is a director and film writer most known for directing movies such as; Chop Shop, 99 Homes and Fahrenheit 451 and writer of Why Fahrenheit 451 Is the Book for Our Social Media Age (Bahrani).Technology among modern United States is coherent to modern technology as used within Fahrenheit 451.“In the novel, he imagined a world where people are entertained day and night by staring at giant wall screens in their homes. They interact with their ‘friends’ through these screens, listening to them via ‘Seashells’ — Bradbury’s version of Apple’s wireless AirPods — inserted in their ears.” (Bahrani).Bahrani helps explain the similarities between the novel and modern United States, comparing Bradbury’s version of Apple’s wireless AirPods. He introduces how people in the novel are amazed by the pictures represented through the televisions. As Bahrani compares the similarities between the technology in Fahrenheit 451 and modern day technology, like iPhones and videogames. He shows how even now some people would prefer pictures over memories. For example, watching the sunset on a television, rather than going outside and witnessing one’s self. This common theme exists within the world today, as shown by people being caught up in a virtual items and memories rather than physical items.
Even in modern day America, individuals tend to value synthetic items over physical items, causing one to have ignorance and be manipulated by their view on the world.As Montag attempts to read the book to his Mildred and her two friends Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles, they began to joke around with the idea of books, showing the manipulation of technology. It also proves the ignorance they have due to the manipulation of technology.As Montag leaves the town he realizes the effect books had as he leaves alone, upset with the town and the isolation technology is causing the civilians to have, showing he realizes the way technology manipulates society’s view points.As Montag, encounters his first book, his views on society is changing and life around his is becoming different as he evidently realizes the change books could make on the world. As evident in present day society and Montag’s point of view, technology is manipulating the way one views problems, as they are getting caught in the new elements of technology not facing problems rather than the lessons one could learn when away from technology.