Theme of Technology in Fahrenheit 451 (Literary Essay Example)

In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury's work shows what life can become if readers overuse technology. Throughout the book, Bradbury shows the reader what our world could be and sends us warnings on how to avoid those situations in our society. Technology has affected how people are restrained from their true emotions that they have buried. The society in Fahrenheit 451 had become content with watching television and wasting away their lives. Bradbury was able to emphasize that technology can impact people through Montag’s journey throughout the book.

To begin with, technology didn’t only expand through homes but throughout the whole society such as schools, workplaces, and subways. When firemen burn homes neighbors and the family must report it. They bring in a mechanical hound to identify if it's true. “Nose so sensitive the mechanical hound can remember and identify ten thousand odors indexes on ten thousand men without resetting” (Bradbury page 127). When Beatty knew Montag was hiding something in his home he sent the mechanical hound to give him a warning. When Montag returned to work to give the book back everyone found out once he returned. Beatty then made him burn his own home because he was the one who caught himself. “Well said Beatty, Now you did it. Old Montag wanted to fly near the sun and now that he’s burnt his damn wings”( Bradbury page 107). The technology went downhill after burning Montag's home because the hound attacked Montag. Montag then destroyed the hound and killed Beatty to escape. Montag thought the hound was destroyed but turns out the mechanical hound can be destroyed but the information would still be there. Without the mechanical hound, tasks wouldn’t be able to be done because society relies on it. The hound is not very smart because Montag was able to kill him and get rid of his odor before he left into the river. Montag had to kill the hound to be able to run to the forest but when he did he heard the radio saying that they needed to capture Guy Montag. On page 141 Granger tells Montag that he threw them off and they don’t want to tell society what actually happened. Society couldn’t tell that he escaped because it would look like they couldn’t do their job. So they took an innocent man's life because he was on the street during that time. Technology is taking innocent lives for mistakes they didn’t do because of others trying to outplay technology. In society, the citizens are glued to their parlor walls and living their life like it has no importance to them. On page 69, When Montag goes to talk to Mildred about how the people don’t pay attention to the bombers. The parlor wall distracts people from knowing what is happening in the real world because they are too caught up with it. Technology has destroyed people's reality of living their life and made them think that books were useless. Technology is used for their things and they depend on it to get things done.

Technology has consumed people's lives leaving them disconnected from the world and themselves. According to Bradbury, Mildred became very selfish and turned into Montag. “Montag started to speak twice and then finally managed to put his thoughts together. Was it because my wife turned on the alarm? Beatty nodded. But her friends turned on the alarm earlier, so I let her ride. ( Bradbury page 111). When Mildred's friends were over Montag read them a poem and they felt unworthy for hating on poetry. Mildred turned into a Montag because she didn’t want to seem as if she liked books. She had only cared for her family on the parlor walls instead of Montag's safety. Montag wanted to keep the book a secret but Mildred only worried about her family being gone. Bradbury demonstrates how Mildred has become disconnected from the world and her husband. Mildred seems selfish because she never thought of what would happen when she turned Montag in. On page 46 Montag asks Mildred if she could turn off the parlor walls since he was sick. She told him she couldn’t turn off her family. Montag witnessed a woman burn herself alive with her books when the fire department tried to burn her books. Montag felt sick after that moment because that was the first time he has ever witnessed something like that. Montag arrived home and needed Mildred to help him get past that situation but she was too busy with the parlor walls. This shows that Mildred only cares about the parlor wall because that was her entertainment and way of communicating to this real-life she had. Montag kept asking her to bring him aspirin but she was too caught up to the parlor walls that she kept forgetting.

In conclusion, technology can take over if readers don’t know how to control it. Using technology as an everyday use will let technology manipulate our society because we will have to rely on it for everything. In Fahrenheit 451, Mildred lets technology waste her life and lead her to an unrealistic lifestyle. We wouldn’t our society to be just like Fahrenheit 451 now would we?