Technology In Fahrenheit 451

A Potential Future

Technology is consuming the world of life, and it’s only getting worse. Despite its harshness, this is the truth that Ray Bradbury, author of the novel Fahrenheit 451, believes humanity must be alerted of. Although written long before now, his ‘exaggerated’ prediction of modern society in the novel is not far off. People, to this day, use technology to the point where it becomes as dangerous as a whirlpool, constantly wanting more. Characters Montag, Mildred, and Clarisse all experience the effects of technology, but in different ways. Mildred’s dependence causes her to lose the value of her relationship with Montag, and develop an addiction, while Clarisse’s independence leads her to establish a personality of her own.

In the novel, everyone is a clone of each other. They have the same pastimes, they watch the same shows, they strictly follow the government, but most of all they have no individuality. According to Beatty, the firefighters' jobs are to rid the world of outliers, and have everyone conform to one guideline. No questioning why, no being different. This is the reason for Clarisse's disappearance. She questioned things, trying to find deeper meanings, and it got her killed. The pressure to fit in with the crowd, in which electronics are people’s personality, makes sure that, “queer ones like her don’t happen often” (Bradbury 58). The government regulation is that people are forbidden from reading books, so as to not have to think critically and configure opinions of their own. This directs them to turn to their devices and use them as their guide. Although it’s preached that the books only contain nonsense, it is rather the technology that feeds people useless information. It is simply used to occupy them, so they don’t cause problems. Having identical sources of influence causes little uniqueness. Similar conformity is present in the Wall-E society. They all use the same streamline for entertainment, and receive the same advice on the same screens, with the same technology. The commercials that they watch affect them all alike too. When shown an ad that claims having a blue suit is the new trend, almost

Taking no action will only result in devastation. Over the course of the novel, Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury aims to give precaution to this in his writing, exhibiting how all the characters have different views on technology, resulting in all with different ideals. In some cases, like Clarisse's, it can be beneficial. Despite the tragic event of her vanishing, she lived a happy and special life, absent of technology. Sadly, characters Montag and Mildred did not get to experience the same effects. Mildred’s addiction and excessive reliance took an emotional toll on both her and her husband, failing their relationship. Though the presence of technology can be beneficial, like a guilty-pleasure, too much of it can be destructive. To learn and know the limits, is the first step to becoming independent and living for ourselves, as humans always