Fahrenheit 451 Quote Analysis

In the novel Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury provides a social commentary onto the dystopia that the character, Guy Montag, experiences. In the midst of WWII, Ray Bradbury provides an accurate social commentary in the novel. This was due to the existence of Nazi Germany at the time, which was a historical authoritarian state.

To begin, the first occurrence of the errors of the autocracy can be seen in the form of censorship. Inside Fahrenheit 451, a reoccuring theme of the censorship of books and knowledge is prevalent. It has gotten to the point where most books are forbidden to be read, “Montag gazed beyond them to the wall with the typed lists of a million forbidden books,” (Bradbury, 31). Books are even burned by “firemen”, with the rewriting

As can be seen, intellectual thoughts have been thoroughly abolished throughout the country. Still, to further elaborate, most of the characters inside Fahrenheit 451 do not seem to care about anything. This descends to the point where wives do not even care about their children or husbands. “”I plunk the children in school nine days out of ten. I put up with them when they come home three days a month; it’s not bad at all. You heave them into the ‘parlor’ and turn on the switch. It’s like washing clothes; stuff laundry in and slam the lid”” (93). Mrs. Bowles explains that she doesn’t even have to care or tend to her children, all she has to do is to put the children in the ‘parlor’, or the TV room. The shortness and spontaneousness of relationships in Fahrenheit 451 is even shown in the pop culture. “”Did you see that Clara Dove five-minute romance last night…”

For instance, censorship is rampant in modern day China. The Chinese government censors and controls all information flowing through the country through mass surveillance, to the point where, by 2020, all citizens will be fully and completely monitored and controlled, being given a ‘social score’ of how ’good’ and obedient they are. Furthermore, loss of self applies to the modern day in numerous forms as well. Most common, of which, is the rampant use of social media and technology. Large amounts of people lose themselves, shaping themselves in a way where they can be liked by as many people as possible on social media. Specific few percentages of the population entirely give themselves up for newest trend, for the highest grade, or for