Fahrenheit 451 Dominant Themes

The Dominant Themes: What they are and the Aftermath on the society of Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury explores a futuristic world where books are cast aside, and the masses are brainwashed with technology, in a scientific thriller known as Fahrenheit 451. However, Bradbury explores much more than rejected books and technological control of humans. Bradbury visualizes how such a place becomes a Utopia for some members of the society. Bradbury probes fire, and how it can help clean the wrongs of society. In addition, he also demonstrates the idea of individualism and what it truly means to be one. All things considered, Ray Bradbury applies the ideals of Utopia, individualism, and fire-cleansing to show what our future would be like, should

Firemen burn books, due to the fact that books cause sorrows to people. As a matter of fact, people want to stay happy. However, books and such other problems can prevent said happiness. Beatty, the captain of the firemen, explains to Montag on how problems can be solved by burning them. “A problem gets too burdensome, then into the furnace with it” (Bradbury 115). Any sort of problem can be simply thrown into a furnace, and burned away. Of course, that does not define fire’s true characteristic of beauty. Beatty, after exposing the known truth about Montag, taunts Montag and talks about fire and its uniqueness. He explains how fire’s beauty is define. “Scientists give us gobbledegook about friction and molecules. But they don’t really know. Its real beauty is that it destroys responsibility and consequences.”(Bradbury 115). Fire is truly magnificent when it burns problems and duties of people. People do not have to worry about work or problems, since fire can simply burn it away. At this point, and Beatty sees Montag as a problem, but does not decide to burn him. Montag is ordered to burn his house, using a flamethrower rather than kerosene and a match. Rather than being upset about the task, Montag finds a sense of joy in burning a house he wishes to forget. As a matter of fact, the house, Mildred, and the parlor walls are problems to Montag. “If there was no solution, well then now there was no

Regardless of the attempts to get her to leave the house, she always refused. “You can’t ever have my book” (Bradbury 38). The old woman explains that the firemen will not have her books, even if she dies in the process. Coincidentally, the old woman burns herself and her books, as means to keep them safe. Montag is almost like everyone else, following orders and not question anything. However, Clarisse and the old woman inspire Montag to question the society, and the idea of burning books. Montag, in turn, questions the value or books, and what they could hold inside. “There must be something in books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You can’t stay for nothing” (Bradbury 51). Montag points out to Mildred that the old woman stayed in her home, considering the fact the books may have something inside of them. Montag then begins to find a sense of originality in himself, as he searches for the answers he seeks. Originality helps people learn the truth, and become different from the norms of the society.
As Ray Bradbury explains, the ideas of Utopia, individualism, and fire-cleansing show us a society in which knowledge and books vanish, and technology takes over our lives. Parlor walls and other technology create “Utopia” by removing them from society. Fire cleans all problems, any problem in fact, by burning it. Being original is not a good thing, but it does mean a change to go against