In
Fahrenheit 451 the society seems to be obsessed with material wealth.
Mildred, Guy’s wife, lives with her Seashells blaring in her ears and
participating in life through her televisions. She is only focused on what else
she can buy to put into their home. This lifestyle in the book’s society causes
the characters to miss out on life experiences and important relationships that
should be formed. The couple rarely spends time with each other and they have
begun to forget things about one another. The gain of technology that the
author portrays heavily throughout the text is in a way portraying at how
people are living today. Everybody believes that they need the biggest TV, the
newest cell phone, or the nicest computer. We think we need these things when
we actually only want them. We get so focused on gaining materials and being glued
to those items that we miss out on life. We no longer actually talk to people
because we are too busy texting, and we no longer spend time outside because we
are watching TV. Most people think that these items will complete their lives
and make them happy, but instead they are making everyone lazy, depressed, and
miserable. Our lives today are beginning to resemble the characters in the book
because we are stuck on the path of desire. So far the book seems almost as if
it is warning to every reader to step away from material wealth and instead
appreciate the things they already have.
I found this post interesting, mostly because our society really is starting to resemble the society in this book. I absolutely believe that one day we will all be depressed and lazy like the people in this book. It is clear that technology is starting to take over our lives, and especially in high schools. In the next few years, for example, CCHS will become paper-free, and every student will have an iPad. I think this is a horrible thing, because I know that I take better notes and do better on tests when I hand write on paper during class.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Amanda. I think this book is definitely portraying what our lives have become and how the technology will continue to progress into the future. It's amazing how Bradbury could predict basically how our society functions today all the way back in the 50's. Although our society isn't as extreme as his, yet, he was able to write about some things that exist in our society today. Nowadays people do have wall sized TVs and Seashells blaring into their ears (headphones). Our society, however, does not have fireproof houses, toasters that can butter the toast, and we are still allowed to read books. But I believe that some of these things will change in the near future and our society will become more like Bradbury's. We can already see this change occurring. My sister is in 7th grade and they do all of their school work on iPads rather than on real books and paper. The new high school is also trying to eliminate paper and complete everything electronically. As Amanda said, all of this new technology makes relationships less meaningful. On one hand, it's nice that we are able to communicate with family and friends who live far away through technology. On the other hand, technology pulls apart relationships. Since we are constantly texting our friends and families we don't see the need to spend as much personal time with them. Additionally, we are never able to receive anyone's full attention. Everyone is always communicating with others while in your presence through texting, email, or phone calls. Even when families go on vacation, parents cannot stop their work because they can just continue to communicate through technology. We see this technological separation in the book as well, between Montag and Mildred. She is so involved in the technology, that she does not have time to form a real relationship with her husband.
ReplyDeleteIt's unsettling, isn't it, how Bradbury so clearly depicts our current reality? Although not every futuristic gadget has come to fruition, he makes a powerful suggestion that we will become increasingly reliant on that technology as our society evolves. I wonder why books are so reviled in the new world of technology. What is it that books represent or threaten?
ReplyDeleteRay Bradbury is most certainly making a comment about society. Its kind of funny how accurate he was, seeing as he wrote this in the 50's.
ReplyDeleteThis novel seems very interesting to me because with all that's going on regarding the new school, it hits very close to home. It is clear that Ray Bradbury's vision of the future from 50 years is much closer to our reality now, making his words ever more poignant. I think it is also interesting to compare the trajectory to those we have read about in Handmaid's Tale and The Road. Both of those novels have pushed technology out of the future (granted, for very different reasons) while Bradbury paints a depiction which seems far more imminent
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