Conflict Between Man And Technology In Fahrenheit 451

Walking against the gradient that society puts forth poses an idea that challenges people everyday. For centuries, humans have questioned whether to cling to the status quo through art, music, and most prominently, through literature. Authors of short stories, poetry, and novels employ literary concepts such as characterization, external conflict, and imagery to exemplify the struggle of blending in. In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, a man named Guy Montag is haltingly consumed with awareness of the flaws embroidered in his society. Montag, a fireman, works for the government to burn books as they are seen as a danger within his community. The book follows Montag as he transforms from a disciple of the government to an outright rebel.

In the first section of the book, Captain Beatty, the captain of the firestation and Montag’s boss, notes, “[The mechanical hound] doesn't like or dislike. It just 'functions’, It's like a lesson in ballistics. It has trajectory we decide on for it. It follows through...it's only copper wire, storage batteries, and electricity" (Bradbury 24). Throughout the novel it becomes clear, through the struggle between man and technology that the mechanical hound, a tool of the firemen, symbolizes all man-made technology. According to Diane Telgen, author of Fahrenheit 451, Novels For Students, Vol 1, “With the representation of the Mechanical Hound, Bradbury is able to convey how technological advances can be used for destructive purposes” (8). Telgen’s analysis alludes to the fact that with the power to create new technology advancements comes the decision whether to use it for destruction rather than development. Relating to Bradbury's background of World War II and the following threat of nuclear war, the novel represents whether or not people will individually use their power to destruct in a society booming with advancing technology. Faced with this same decision, Guy Montag must decide whether he is willing to transform into a ‘rebel’, rejecting his society’s common notions. Originally the agressor towards books, he molds into a protector of books, decisively not to using his power to destruct any more, reminding readers how misleading the societal expectations (the pressure to use technology to destruct) truly