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Censorship In Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury

735 Words3 Pages

Technology plays a crucial role in Fahrenheit 451. The book was written on the brink of technological advancements in 1953 which allowed for Ray Bradbury to let his imagination run free. His imagination of technology and inventions is partially what makes him so notable, he used his fears of technology in the future to form a true dystopian novel. One of the critical themes in dystopian literature is overconsumption of entertainment. Through the use of technology the theme of censorship was thoroughly developed which caught the attention of readers. Relating to the idea of censorship being brought to the reader's attention through the use of technology. A major argument presented by critics is the interpretation of every situation, a piece …show more content…

During the time of publication the growing fear of communism was persistent in the minds of Americans. Censorship throughout the novel is the most notable concern within the novel by its characters, as shown through Guy Montag, Clarisse, and Faber. However that “fictional” fear translated to the real fear of Communism in the 1950’s. McCarthyism was a campaign or practice that endorsed the use of unfair allegations of communism against individuals. It was a result of the recent escalation in politics of the Cold War and the spread of communism throughout the world. This lead to extreme paranoia in citizens and lead them to question everyone from their neighbors to officials of the government. Edward Eller explores this idea and weighs in on his interpretation of the analogy in his analysis “An overview of Fahrenheit 451.” Eller focuses on the point that “most significantly for Bradbury, the U.S. government responded to its fear of growing communist influence with attempts to censor the media and its productions, including literature” (Eller 1986). Fahrenheit 451 coincidentally seems to be in a similar situation with a war occurring in the background of the novel. The citizens in the town are censored from seeing the truth of the war, they continue to believe they are always winning and are safe. It’s a recurring motif in dystopian literature, the prospect of being persecuted

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