Reading practices often afford readers different understandings and nuances of how ideological systems operate within a text. Fahrenheit 451 reflects the context of which it was written by the way it marginalises women and their role within society. This is certainly true when a feminist reading practice is applied to the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Set in a dystopian future of which conformity and censorship if the norm literature is outlawed and banned from society. Consequently, as a result of the oppressive society that individuals live in, a range of meanings can be obtained by adopting a feminist reading lens. The feminist perspectives centres around the marginalisation of women and the female characters as they navigate the male dominant culture.
MARGINALISATION OF WOMEN
In Bradbury’s representation of women, he reflects the marginalisation of women in 1950’s America and offers some critic through the characterisation of females. Women within the novel are marginalised due to the structure of society. Bradbury wrote this book in the 1950’s when this was viewed as a period of conformity when both males and females observed strict gender roles and complied with societies expectations. The main protagonist’s wife, Mildred, is a prime example of a woman who is marginalised within the novel by conforming to the gender expectations of women. The representation of the ideal woman during mid-twentieth century was envisioned to be a domestic housewife who found meaning and identity through her family. Mildred serves as a stereotypical 1950’s housewife as she stays home all day to look after her family (the television). By Mildred conforming to societies expectations of being a housewife this makes the comment about the direct inequalities at the time period between the sexes. Clarisse McClellan is a seventeen-year-old girl curious about the world. Clarisse shows the perspective of feminist awareness as she is not not content with the life at home that has been planned out for her and she would like the same freedom that the males within the novel enjoy. By having Clarisse’s character, it allows the audience to gain an insight into the gender roles that society had set in place. The context of which a reader in today’s society has (of equality between the sexes), compared to the context 1950’s audience has is vastly different therefore makes us criticize the gender roles that would not have been criticized in the 1950’s. Women are ‘objectified’ by male characters as they are described by their physical attributes. When a woman within Fahrenheit 451 are introduced in the text the narrator tends to give a short external description and possibly adds a few adjectives of her inner features. This objectification of females assists with the marginalisation of women as it belittles the gender and makes the men the ‘superior’ gender. Thus by a feminist reading this representation of women suggests that men were afforded the power that women were not.
WOMEN DON’T HAVE THE AGENCY TO MAKE CHANGE
Women in America during the 1950’s had significantly less power than today. This power inequity was reflected in Fahrenheit 451 and was criticised by Bradbury through providing women with no agency to make change. Bradbury is writing about females in a dystopian society that already embodies a certain view of women. By women having no agency to make change within the novel, this means women are unable to change the role that they played within society. Many women in the 1950’s felt empty and their daily lives felt meaningless despite achieving the upper middle class ‘dream’ of being a domesticated housewife. Women were frustrated with their daily life and negative feelings from living in an oppressive society and this in an extreme case leads to suicide (MILDREDS SUICIDE EXAMPLE). From this quote the pressure of mainstream society is once again to be blamed for restricting people’s lives in negative ways and therefore making the women alienated and having to resort to suicide to escape the expectations of females. Society causes strain on the way Mildred always lives her life as she may not have always been like this. This is further emphasised by technology as her life revolves around the media.
These drastic measures that have to be taken in order for changes to occur. Men play the significant role within the novel and a feminist reader notices the male ambiance. They control all the decisions. ‘Suddenly it seemed a much younger voice was speaking for him. He opened his mouth and it was Clarisse McClellan saying, ‘didn’t firemen prevent fires rather than stoke them up and get them going?’’ (Pg. 47). Clarisse acts as a guide for change as she makes Montag inquisitive and wants to learn more and obtain more knowledge about the past. Due to the fact that Clarisse was not following the gender expectations for females and had knowledge it can be argued that the female voices and perspectives are silenced. The fact that the novel gets rid of Clarisse’s character shows the oppressive society’s viewpoint on the issue. The old woman that is burnt with her books is an example of the drastic measures that women have to take in order for change to occur as she inspired Montag to stop burning books. Society looked down on individuals that didn’t conform to societies expectations and wanted to endorse change.
MEN HOLD ALL THE POWER WITHIN SOCIETY
Fahrenheit 451 reflects the time it was written as throughout the novel the men hold all the power. The 1950’s were an era for the men and male dominance, as the projected toughness and courageously took risks. The male characters in the novel portray this stereotypical 1950’s male by being firemen. The men in this is situation hold all the power as the control the burning of the books. No women are firemen which again enhances the gender inequality during the 1950’s. The men are subtly portrayed as the ‘superior’ gender as the books that were mentioned in the novel (e.g.—), are only ones written by men. The rebellion to fight the system and to save the books therefore reinforcing the 1950’s stereotypical female as dependant on males to help ‘save’ them. During the 1950’s it was viewed as a period of conformity when both men and women observed strict gender roles and compiled with societies expectations. The men during the 1950’s were the sole providers for the family. This gave them significant amount of power in their homes and contributed to the feelings of male superiority, this is evident throughout Fahrenheit 451. Through the stereotypical male being the only one that generates income this assists with the portrayal of women being dependant on men both within the 1950’s and the novel. The males in the novel are all described as having hyper-masculine qualities for example, ‘he would feel the fiery smile gripped by his face muscles, in the dark’ (Pg 10). The harsh adjective of ‘fiery’ draws connotations of hyper masculine traits this is further enhanced by commenting on the physical features of muscles. Through these hyper masculine qualities it enhances the dominance and control that they have in society. Thus by a feminist reading this representation of 1950’s society in the novel suggests that men were afforded the power that women were not.
CONCLUSION
Throughout Fahrenheit 451 Bradbury has created an oppressive society that views conformity and censorship as the norm. Through the implementations of these norms it reflects the context of which it was written by the way it marginalises women and their role within society. The dominance that the males have though out the text is enhanced when a feminist reading lens is applied to the novel.