Dystopia In Fahrenheit 451

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Matt Fischer Mrs. Cook Grade 10 English, Period 4 September 12, 2011 Bradbury’s Dystopia Humans often best define what they do want by first naming what they do not want. In describing a utopia, perhaps one should first describe a far less appealing reality, in order to find what they truly want. In order, to warn man against believing more in technology over his own soul, Ray Bradbury creates a futuristic society in his novel Fahrenheit 451, which controls individuals and banishes thoughtful reflection. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury creates a dystopian world in which soulless science uses technology to enslave people rather than free them. In Bradbury’s futuristic, imagined universe he shows how intellectual oppression and insidious…show more content…
Other than the advancements such as the hound, there are also gigantic televisions the size of walls. The wall sized televisions show how Fahrenheit 451 takes place in the future because the original television set came out in the late 1950’s, but this television was not large and did not have multiple channels; however on the other hand, in this novel the civilization’s advanced televisions take up the size of an entire wall and they have multiple channels to keep the people locked in to the televisions, and keep them from thinking. Dr. Faber explains his plan to Montag a mission that requires them to spy on the firemen: “And something more! If you put it in your ear, Montag, I can sit comfortably home, warming my frightened bones, and hear and analyze the firemen’s world, find its weaknesses, without danger. I’m queen Bee, safe in the hive. You will be the drone, the traveling ear. Eventually, I could put out ears into all parts of the city, with various men, listening and evaluating. If the drones die, I’m still safe at home, tending my fight with a maximum of comfort and a minimum of chance. See how safe I play it, how contemptible?”(90-91). The quote helps one to understand how…show more content…
Bradbury creates multiple examples of dehumanization in this novel. To begin with, one of the first acts of dehumanization occurs in the first part of the book, where Mildred commits suicide and gets her stomach pumped. When Montag finds his wife he gets help for her. Then, when the people show up they bring a giant snake with them to suck out her blood and replace it with new blood. This shows dehumanization because while this is occurring, the medics are not even worrying about it, they are standing there having a conversation and smoking while Mildred is dying. Another prime example would be of the hound chasing down humans like they are animals. This shows dehumanization because they use a machine to hunt down and kill the people and they think there is no problem with that. A final example is how the government thinks of people as disposable beings. This is shown as dehumanization because it shows how the government thinks lesser of the public and think that they are easily replenished. Overall, Bradbury creates a dystopian novel using all of these themes and

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