Books have always been the building blocks of society as they teach us many life lessons we can use in the real world. The dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury depicts a dark future where books and knowledge slowly lose the value over time, a future we could be seeing very soon. Bradbury incorporates many life lessons within the plot some of which are warnings to our world today about the dangers of technology, knowledge and censorship. Throughout the book Bradbury’s lessons and ideas initiate why it is so important for students to be able to study these invaluable lessons in school to be able to apply them to the rest of the world.
Imagine a world where you could not read or own any books. How would you feel if you had someone burn your house because you have books hidden within them? One of the most reoccurring themes in Ray Bradbury's novel Fahrenheit 451 is the idea of censorship. The censorship in Fahrenheit 451 causes people to become mindless and have no control over their lives. The television seemed to dictate what their actions should be. The people become obsessed with the television, some trusting what their television families were saying more than their real families. Beatty explains that the censorship did not come from the government, it came from the people. “The bigger your market, Montag, the less you handle controversy, remember that! All the minor minor minorities with their navels to be kept clean. Authors, full of evil thoughts. lock up your typewriters.They did. Magazines became a nice blend of vanilla tapioca.
Books, so the damned snobbish critics said, were dishwater. No wonder books stopped selling, the critics said.” Society’s obsession to become happy blinded them from seeing what was being put in there and how they were slowly being brainwashed to the point where they won’t think for themselves. The author’s use of symbolism indicates how people are being brainwashed to think what the government wants them to think, this is shown when Guy is on the train and Denham’s dentifrice is playing and he can’t seem to get it out of his head. This is symbolic of how the government is putting information into people’s mind like brainwashing. In looking at censorship in Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury sends a very direct message showing readers what can happen if they allow the government to take total control of what they do, read, watch, and discuss.
Technology is inescapable, it is a vital part of our everyday life especially in the world of Fahrenheit 451. It’s responsible for replacing literature, intellectualism, and curiosity. On top of that, it’s become a substitute for family, friendship, and any sort of real conversation or relationship. In the novel technology to the citizens it is seen a necessity to everyday life and the main way to become happy, yet no one is happy. This is shown through Mildred as she completely adores technology above anything and even calls it her family, though she seems very happy she...
