Changes In Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury

“Fear is the highest fence” -Dudley Nichols. Fear drives the human race to want to fix the problems that scare them. The common thread in all dystopias is the fear of a problem in society growing out of proportion and changing the world for the worst. In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury the fear of television completely taking over was well backed because he write his book in 1953 in the Golden Age of TV unlike in today’s society where TV is almost a household necessity. Wall-E is based around the fear that pollution and climate change could completely rid the Earth of life and The Roar by Emma Clayton expresses how social class can completely ruin society and the impact of social media. To get his message across Bradbury uses many stylistic

Part 1: The Social Commentary and Style within Fahrenheit 451 One important event that took place in 1953, the year the book was published, was TV’s became one of the most popular products ever which relates to Bradbury’s concern with television taking over the world. In an article about television in the 1950’s, the author states “One of the most popular products in the 1950’s was the TV” - Steve Wiegand, and the number of television owners grew from three million to 55 million in the 50’s. Television was beginning to take of more and more of people’s free time and instead of going outdoors and exploring, reading a book or bonding with family and friends people would waste their time on television and it is a reasonable concern for Bradbury. Another quote from Wiegand’s article was, “TV had become a huge cultural impact.” Television had many positives and negatives on the American culture in this time period. Children didn’t have to use their

Therefore, it is reasonable that Bradbury makes television a large issue in Fahrenheit 451. In addition to his concern with television, Bradbury also critiques underpaying workers and consumerism with the pressure to buy all the new things. When Montag is talking to his wife about buying another television (wall), he says “we’re already doing without a few things to pay for the third wall”(Bradbury 18). They are being pressured by society to want what everyone else has even though Montag is not paid enough to provide everything they are being pressured to buy. This commentary can still be relevant today with many people going into debt buying the latest IPhone or newest car. Montag also says that the third wall was “one-third of my yearly pay”(Bradbury 18). A television is very expensive and due to the consumerism surrounding them they are pressured into buying them. This is still relevant today with people wanting the newest stuff due to consumerism. Therefore, it is reasonable that Bradbury critiques low