Essay Sample on Fahrenheit 451: The Frightening Analogy Between Societies

📌Category: Books, Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury, Writers
📌Words: 659
📌Pages: 3
📌Published: 09 June 2022

“He was not happy. He was not happy. He said the words to himself. He recognized this as the true state of affairs” (Bradbury 9). In Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, the people live in a society where knowledge is so opposed to the point where books are banned. The government censors and controls people's everyday life in order to keep happiness. The novel follows Guy Montag (the main character) who questions and rebels against the rules of his society after his encounter with Clarisse, a smart but peculiar girl who seems to know more about the world. While some differences between modern society and the dystopia of Fahrenheit 451 are evident in terms of education, the similarities relating to technology and values are more salient.

Even though it may not be obvious, our society is much like the society in Fahrenheit 451 in terms of technology and its impact. Both of our societies have advanced technology such as medical devices, transportation systems, entertainment appliances, and weapons. In the book people use this tech every day, for example, “Mildred watched the toast delivered to her plate. She had both ears plugged with electronic bees that were humming the hour away”(Bradbury 16). Although our world doesn’t have mechanical toasters that butter and deliver your toast, yet, we do have a lot of other tech like the electronic bees. Instead, they are called Airpods. There are many other things that both societies have, ranging from helicopters to TVs, to even flamethrowers. Another thing that is quite similar to our society and the novels, is the impact technology is having on people. There are many good impacts, like technology saving people and making life more convenient, but there is also a dark side to it. In the book, Montag notices that, “when the front door cried out in the hall and Mildred ran from the parlor like a native fleeing an eruption of Vesuvius. Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles came through the front door and vanished into the volcano's mouth…”(Bradbury 89). People are obsessive and addicted to electronics because they always offer immediate entertainment, but what most people don't realize is that this is very harmful. As soon as Mildred's “friends” came over, Mildred ran from the TV room to get them, and then they vanished back into the room. In the novel, people are not happy. People including Mildred only have relationships with the TV instead of family. As a result of this, people are anti-social, and some try to commit suicide. The book exaggerates this, but it is kind of like a reflection of our society today. Fahrenheit’s society has advanced technology similar to ours and it acts as a warning of the impacts it is having on people. 

Despite a few differences, our society and the one illustrated in the novel Fahrenheit 451 share much of the same values.  Like our society, the novel’s society highly values entertainment. When Montag asked, “‘Will you turn the parlor off?’”(46). Mildred responded, “‘That’s my family’”(46). Mildred values entertainment so much that she refers to the people on the TV as her family. In our present society, we also constantly demand entertainment. People are always on their phones scrolling through social media to get instant entertainment. Another thing that is valued in both societies is money and nice things. Mildred asks “‘How long you figure before we save up and get the fourth wall torn out and a fourth wall-TV put in? It's only two thousand dollars’” (Bradbury 18). Mildred wants a new parlor wall so her experience with the TVs is more luxurious. This is very similar to our society where people value nice things and always want more. Money is one of the most valued things in our society, and you can see in the book that Mildred also values it. The values of entertainment and nice things are major similarities shared between the two societies. 

Despite the differences, our society has many things in common with the society of Fahrenheit 451. Both of our societies have advanced technology and face the many consequences of it. Our societies also both share numerous values, such as the value of entertainment and money. So, does the novel Fahrenheit 451 act as a warning for this current society and future generations?

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