Fahrenheit 451: The Deeper Meaning
Fahrenheit 451: The Deeper Meaning
Fahrenheit is a novel written by Ray Bradbury. It presents a society in danger of extinction due to ignorance. Ignorance in the novel is depicted by the destruction books in an attempt to establish an equal society. Ignorance is also depicted in the society’s over-reliance on technology to the extent that it leads to empty lives, increases chances of suicide and poor decisions. Bradbury also demonstrates a society where man has stopped thinking and allowed the government to engage in whatever it pleases without question from the public. Ignorance is a deadly vice that societies should strive to eliminate. It impedes on growth and development as an individual fails to engage in critical thinking. Ignorance allows man to accept everything the world offers e.g. excessive technology, which contributes to limited thought. It is the responsibility of societies to work towards a better future that promotes knowledge and freedom.
The Deeper Meaning
The novel presents a society where intellectual people abhor intellectual knowledge. With this in mind, the laws of the land prohibit the possession of books. The role of firemen in the society has changed from putting on fires to igniting fires in premises that stored books. When Bradbury wrote the book, he had more than the literal meaning in mind. The book contains deeper meaning that requires critical analysis to understand. Bradbury uses the book to bring to light the vices associated with modernity. The emergence of technology such as television and the internet has led to reduced desire for books. Using various characters, Bradley demonstrates how the digital and virtual realities have led to the disintegration of human relations. Bradbury uses his literary text to demonstrate how man rushes past the precious physical and sensory moments in an effort to embrace an uncertain future.
It is by rushing through these precious moments that man misses out on circumstances that give life meaning. The author narrates the story from Guy Montag’s perspective, the central character of the novel. Montag is a fireman, but instead of putting out fires, Montag’s role in the society is to set homes on fire. ‘homes have been fireproof: the only fires now are the ones fireman ignites” (Bradbury, 2012, p34). The law of the society now categorizes books as contraband hence illegal. The firemen are equipped, with the latest technology to monitor and search for individuals with books. Though the character Montag, the author presents an ignorant society. In the future, the standards of intelligence will reduce. Montag is a representation of the ignorance that persists in the society. Montag is ignorant, yet he is the same one torching books that would have been the source of intelligence.
What the author attempts to put across is that the society is engagement in excessive technology will be our undoing. The author illuminates this grim future from the first paragraph of the book. He states “it was a pleasure to burn…a pleasure to see things eaten…” (Bradbury, 2012, p1). This opening sentence depicts the consequences of the carelessness of man with regards to technology.There is also deeper meaning in the titles found in Fahrenheit 451. The second part of the book is titled the sieve and the sand. In the second part, of the book Montag’s cousin puts Montag to the impossible task of filling up a sieve with sand. The sieve has holes and thus the sand gradually sips through every time Montag attempts to fill it. The sand and the sieve have a deeper meaning that the author tries to put across. The sand represents the knowledge that Montag attempts to grasp, whereas the sieve represents the mind that tries to make the knowledge acquired permanent. The author demonstrates how difficult it is to grasp the truth in a permanent way.
Using the context of sand and sieve, Bradbury attempts to demonstrate how the society is gradually losing vital knowledge. The reliance of technology has turned man into a zombie. Montag, for instance, complains of his strained relationship with his wife. He states “I cannot to the wall because there’re yelling at me. I cannot talk to my wife; she listens to the walls” (Bradbury, 2012, p82). The author attempts to bring out the degradation relations in the society, and the effects it has had on the family unit. The knowledge attained from these technologies is temporary and does not last. However, the knowledge in the mind cannot be erased. The firemen determination to eliminate all the books in the country saw the physical destruction of the books, but the content already in the mind of people in the society was permanent. Bradbury also uses the hearth and the salamander as a form of symbolism. The earth and the Salamander represent fire.
Traditionally, the hearth is a fire place, and fire is used to represent the source of life. The name has also been used symbolically to refer to the Montag’s fire truck. Traditionally, it was believed that the salamander could live in a fire without harm. Bradbury brings out an ironic representation using these two names. Montag does not remain unharmed by the society that he destroys. He later realizes the harm he has caused in his society. This is evidenced through Mildred dependence on television and sleeping pills. Over reliance on technological advancement is a dangerous scenario that the society must avoid. Mildred, for instance, is dependent on happy pills to the extent that she nearly dies from an overdose (Bradbury, 2012, p11-14). Bradbury demonstrates how enslaving technology can be. Even after the near death experience, Mildred awakes the next day and reverts back to her lifestyle of television and fun with friends (Bradbury, 2012, p18-20). Over-reliance on technology makes man lose meaning and a purpose of life seen through Mildred’s life. It is this lifestyle that Montag begins to question. Indirectly the author asks readers to ponder over their use of technology and the harm or the benefit that it brings to their lives.In conclusion, the entire reading of Fahrenheit 451 is a message by ray Bradbury that man should review the effects of technology in society.
With increased technology, Bradley presents a society that is less intelligent and thinking is no longer a necessity in life. People live their daily lives controlled by technology and advancement around them. In Fahrenheit, nobody thinks anymore. The firemen are burning books without question. Characters like Mildred are reliant of television and happy pills to the extent that they no longer have another life. Fahrenheit 451 is a scenario that Bradbury brings to light in an effort to remind readers that the current society should not disintegrate to that level. Bradbury demonstrates how technology can negatively affect a society. He states “the new TVs take the whole room and enclose the person in a different world without thoughts” (Bradbury, 2012, p22). Currently, the society is in control of technology and changes in society. However, man should tread carefully because as the society develops, so does technology hence risk of the technology working against the development and growth of man.
Reference
Bradbury, R. (2012). Fahrenheit 451.Simon & Schuster
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