In Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, conformity is a prominent theme that is explored through various literary techniques. They convey the idea that it harms society by creating barriers to communication and hindering critical thinking. The novel is set in a dystopian future where books are banned, and individuality is discouraged. Bradbury uses his characters' experiences with each other and technologies to demonstrate the dangers of blindly following societal norms. The use of literary devices such as metaphor and symbolism allows him to highlight the harm caused by conformity and warns readers about the dangers of this society. One prime example of how conformity can harm society is the use of technology in the novel. The seashell earbuds, for instance, serve as a barrier between Mildred and her husband. By using the earbuds to escape from reality and drown out her emotions, Mildred cannot connect with Montag. As the narrator describes, "And in her ears, the little Seashells, the thimble radios tamped tight, and an electronic ocean of sound, of music and talk and music and talk coming in, coming in on the shore of her unsleeping mind" (page 10). The technology used in the novel ultimately prevents individuals from communicating effectively and leads to a lack of emotional connections. …show more content…
When the narrator describes Mildred as "a charcoal sketch, a drawing waiting for the rest of the shading,"(page 10) it suggests that Mildred's lack of individuality has left her incomplete and unfulfilled. The earbuds have not only made her emotionally distant but also prevent her from communicating with her husband. As Montag tries to connect with her, he "called her name, but she was lost in the music's threads" (page 10). This quote underscores how technology serves as a barrier to communication and can harm
One point in the story when this is relevant is when Montag tries to get Mildred to read the books that he stole, but Mildred instead goes to answer the phone and starts talking to someone about a television show that is playing. This shows that Mildred may have a short attention span and does not care about anything but her television. When Montag gets fed up with the constant background noise echoing from the parlor room walls, he asks her if her television family loves her. To this, Mildred looks at him with confusion and asks him “Why [he would] ask a silly question like that” (73). This proves that Mildred is so consumed by technology, that she doesn’t even realize the grasp it has on her.
The screens and seashells in their ears are rotting their brains and making them so they don’t have any feelings or desires in life. In addition, when Montag asks where he and Mildred met she replies, “I don’t know” which shows she is so persuaded by watching the screens that she can’t remember a big moment in her life (Bradbury 40). The government is using all of this equipment that they have access to and using it on people just so there are no ideas in the world. The consequences and effects of technology are truly shown through Mildred and her friends’
Society establishes a set of rules and laws to keep it stable and the people who live in it safely. Normally, the majority will follow these rules, although occasionally, certain individuals or groups will exhibit their disfavor and revolt. In the context of Fahrenheit 451, its society and the rebellion that happens within is akin to this exactly. Bradbury writes of a time in the future when books are forbidden and television becomes the dominant media in the pursuit of a simpler, less volatile society. In other words, oppression was produced precisely at the juncture where knowledge was denied.
Fahrenheit 451 is a book about the censorship and burning of books. The book by Ray Bradbury shows the dangers of rebelling against society. The main character, Guy Montag fits into society until he realizes how wrong it is. The main theme of the book is conformity vs. individuality.
The only thing she cares about is technology and how it serves to entertain her and keep her happy. Mildred’s interest in human interaction begins to
“Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth” (John F. Kennedy). This quote by former president John F. Kennedy explains how conformity can hurt a society over all. In Fahrenheit 451, the society concedes into the bizarre laws of the land implemented by the government, without a care in the world. They see the laws pushed upon them as normal, and don’t question them because nobody else does. In “Harrison Bergeron” the society sees individuals with artificial handicaps to be ordinary, and orderly.
Obedience and Conformity "Without obedience to a relevant ruling authority there could not be a civil society" (Meyer 10). To have a successful nation or society, you need an authority or ruler. People don't always choose to obey or listen, but most do because they think that is what is best for them. When one chooses to go against their morals and what they believe it becomes that the government is taking advantage of them.
Mildred, Montag's wife, is the perfect example of this loss because she is emotionally cold and dependent on the parlor walls and seashell radios. Their superficial connections point out the loneliness that characterizes the technophobic world and their lack of depth and authenticity. Bradbury warns against ignoring empathy and real human ties by emphasizing the loss of emotion. Overuse of technology can result in emotional withdrawal, and a failure to recognise or respond to the emotional needs of others. This separation from emotions has the potential to ultimately dehumanize people and destroy society.
Mildred views her parlor walls as real people, and as a result, she opts for screen time over time with Montag. Mildred’s addiction to technology creates distance in their marriage, and Montag views her as a stranger. This kind of addiction is not uncommon in Montag’s world, and we can infer that most of his society is unsettlingly reliant on technology for news, human interaction, and entertainment. We see a similar phenomenon in our own world as we become increasingly reliant on technology for basic function. By overusing technology, we neglect other aspects of our lives such as hobbies, staying active, and most importantly, personal relationships.
As humans, we naturally have the urge to question why things happen the way they do, or why we have trouble obeying social pressure unquestionably, but what if we no longer wanted to understand the truth of life surrounding us. In the dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451, written by Science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, the Characters are taught to live their lives questioning as little as possible and enjoying the easy, peaceful life while conforming to society's rules of censorship without raising issues about true happiness. The main characters Montag, Clarisse, and Mildred show how mandatory conformity impacts people's actions differently which leads to great harm. The society in the novel Fahrenheit 451, was created as a way to abolish
“A time to keep silent and time to speak,” is a quote from the dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 (Bradbury 158). Based upon the novel, when should one take a stand and when ought to submit to society? Set in the distant future, Fahrenheit 451 introduces a public that conforms to burning books, with the intention for thoughts to be more limited and less likely to go against the government. Even so, there are still some who decide to be individualist and enlighten themselves in secret.
Throughout our society, examples of conformity can be seen across all age ranges; however, the most common and noticeable age group subject to these temptations are teenagers. Teens feel the constant need to conform to their peers and fit into society's preconceived notion on what type of person we should be, how we should behave and look. Fiction, such as in the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, conveys many reasons why conformity can be destructive to not only to an individual but an entire society. Novels that portray these themes should be read in schools, not only because they discourage conformity, but also show its long lasting sinister effects. Without literature, the growth of our creativity would be stunted.
Mildred; however,”nodded” and was humming. she did not communicate, therefore she has no social skills. “Both ears were plugged” with seashells shows that Mildred’s full attention was on the seashells. Bradbury also states that the “electronics bees were humming the hour away”, which means she was spending a significant amount of time on her seashells. If people continue to abuse technology, all their social skills and daily skills will be destroyed.
The fact that she refuses to turn off her ‘family’ and goes against Montag’s wishes demonstrates the control that the parlor has over her. Instead of spending quality time with her husband or her real-life family, Mildred prefers her stronger connection with the parlor. Technology not only limited her interaction with Montag but essentially replaced it. This minimizes faith in humanity since the time that could be spent building stronger, more meaningful connections is consumed by technology, as seen with Mildred and the parlor. Furthermore, Reynolds Price’s “The Great Imagination Heist” exemplifies how in more recent times, technology draws people away from each other, causing a lack of strength in relationships.
Mindless entertainment and biased media could eventually lead to a conformist world rid of complex thought. Fahrenheit 451 is an accurate depiction of a future where intricate thinking and having different world views is discouraged. Conformity is enforced, books are burned, and almost everyone is ignorant about societal issues. Guy Montag, a fireman, starts to notice this after meeting a strange girl, and then tries to seek justice by committing various acts of treason throughout the book. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury shows how the lack of intellectual content and individuality can falter society into a place rid of complex thought and multiple idealisms.