Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: Dystopian Society

Matthew Nodder
ENG 3UC
Mr. Hokstad
May 2, 2017
Essay Rough Copy
Fahrenheit 451 takes place in a dystopian society where knowledge and critical thinking is considered to be different. The novel revolves around the main character, Guy Montag, referred to as Montag throughout the novel. Montag is a firemen, which means that in his society he starts fires rather than puting them out. A ban was put on books by society the people because they were seen to create a form of inequality, and contained controversial content. This was replaced by modernized technologies such as wall televisions. Montag questions his beliefs when he encounters his new teen neighbour Clarisse, who exposes him to what being social really means rather than society’s interpretation.

Three characters that are affected by the simplistic technologically advanced society the novel takes place in are Mildred, Fabre, and Clarisse. Mildred’s alienation can be seen through her failing relationship with her husband, Guy Montag. Their relationship is deprived of love, and is also very shallow and materialistic as Mildred ends up guilting Guy into spoiling her. This can be seen when she says to him, “It’ll be more even more fun when we can afford to have the fourth wall installed … It’s only two thousand dollars.” (Bradbury 18). This shows how Mildred is alienated from her own husband, due to being too consumed by the technologically advanced society they live in. Mildred is also oppressed, and ends up overdosing trying to commit suicide to escape her own loneliness. Clarisse McCellen is also an example of how the dystopian society alienates people. This is because a standard has been built into everyone’s minds that if you critically think and are intellectual, you are considered different. This is the case for Clarisse, as she ends up being alienated from her friends who reject her and call her crazy. Clarisse is extremely intelligent but she is living is a lazy and simplistic world where she is demised. This rejection and alienation lead to her eventual suicide. The warped guidelines of the society can be seen when Clarisse says, “I’m antisocial, they say. I

Montag’s loneliness demonstrates alienation throughout the book because of his adverse opinion towards societal ways, along with him being miserable about his relationship with his wife. Montag’s job also shows alienation in the novel, as he is isolated from the other firemen. Alienation is also illustrated through how a dystopian society affects life, like in the cases of Mildred, Clarisse, and Fabre. The twisted societal ways affect how these characters live, and contribute to their personal downfall and alienation from others. The society’s dependence on technology is also a key factor to alienation in the novel, as it becomes central for life. This replaces communication with others, because it provides modern convenience, superficial pleasure and censorship to any controversial concepts. The image Ray Bradbury displayesd of how technology can alienate human beings will remain in thought with technological advances taking place in the