Fahrenheit 451 Cultural Analysis

Fahrenheit 451 Cultural Characteristics

From nomadic life to farming settlements, working in the home to commuting, rudimentary education to advanced specialty learning, and equal rights for men to equality for all, the world has undergone exponential numbers of change. Ray Bradbury, an author during an era of the most unprecedented technological advancements, wrote the novel Fahrenheit 451: the story of an intelligent man, named Montag, trapped in a world that has banned books. He, along with the majority of the population, has been programmed into the ignorant mold that the government wants. Montag is quite intelligent but needs a push to reach his potential, and that is where Clarisse comes in. She unintentionally shows Montag what society

Most people are unaware of the current events around the world and are numb to emotions. They have no strive to become a genuine person. The culture is simply oblivious. Throughout the novel a war is brought up; however, the descriptions of it are vague. No one knows the reasoning behind the war, who is fighting in it, and when it is happening. Montag is confused about how the civilization has become so unobservant and he says: “How in hell did those bombers get up there every single second of our lives! Why doesn't someone want to talk about it” (Bradbury 69)? It even took Montag many years to notice the war going on just outside his front door. A sense of awareness is completely missing in the day-to-day lives of these people. The society is not only cultured to be uneducated, but they are trained to live life at a fast pace. The readings are condensed into one-sentence synopses to efficiently use their time. Even driving is changed into a speed event; the cars move by so fast that kids play games jumping out of the way of the cars to see who can get the closest to them. Because of the ridiculously fast speed limits, people are unaware of the beauty of the world, as Clarisse says: “White blurs are houses. Brown blurs are cows. My uncle drove slowly on a highway once. He drove forty miles an hour and they jailed him for two days” (Bradbury 6). This shows the lawful consequence of trying to break the shackles of

She is a thought-provoking, conversant, and attentive teenager. She enjoys doing things considered unnatural or antisocial compared to the rest of society. While everyone is watching television she is out dancing in the rain or conversing with her family. Without specifically portraying the how Orwellian the world has become, Clarisse gets Montag to realize it. She talks of the past societies, how firemen used to prevent fires not start them, and how: “There's dew on the grass in the morning” (Bradbury 7). This may seem like an average occurrence, but it makes Montag contemplate on if he even knew that. Clarisse gives Montag the spark to revolt against society; she is to Montag what Montag is to Faber. Mildred plays just as big of a role in Montag’s revolt as Clarisse does. Mildred is caught up in society; she watches television every day, hates books, and even attempts to commit suicide similar to many other people. At times Montag feels as if he is not in love with Mildred. She is highly materialistic and can only be pleased through the means of technology. This shows how societies mold has encapsulated and brainwashed her. Because of her tedious characteristics, Montag sees what has gone on under the roof of his own house. When Montag asks Mildred where they met she says: “It doesn’t matter” (Bradbury 40). She is completely lackadaisical which causes Montag to lose it, and go attempt to save the world from