Fahrenheit 451 Critical Lens

Fahrenheit 451, a novel written by Ray Bradbury, depicts a society that no longer appreciates books or stories. In fact, not only is reading books viewed as tedious, it is considered an exceedingly negative thing. Instead, in this dystopian world, people spend their time in “parlors” watching constant streams of meaningless videos. Reading makes people think, and thinking causes unwanted emotions, therefore all books must be burned. This sounds so strange, especially considering that in the modern world, reading is, for the most part, encouraged by societal ideals. Unfortunately, the world in Ray Bradbury’s book is closer to reality than it may seem, and while people don't outright reject reading, they have begun to lose its value. The main

It is not the lack of books alone that made the change, it is the lack of thought, intelligence, and true education that lead people to be the way they are. Faber's point resonates outside the fictional world of Fahrenheit 451, as well. His statement is completely true, and it is proven by science. In an article written by Leo Widrich titled The Science of Storytelling: Why Telling a Story Is the Most Powerful Way to Activate Our Brains, it explains exactly why humans feel such a deep connection with stories. This renders important in the discussion of Fahrenheit 451, as it explains how things collapsed so quickly after people stopped engaging in storytelling. According to Widrich “For over 27,000 years.telling stories has been one of our most fundamental communication methods.” (Widrich 4). So this need for not just books, but stories dates back thousands of years, connecting human beings to the first evolution of cavemen. In Montag's world, this connection is severed and people have lost exactly what makes them