Mechanical Hound In Fahrenheit 451

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Throughout history, advances in technology are made to suit society. As society progresses, so does the technology that is used in daily life. Often, people do not realize that advanced machinery is actually a reflection of themselves and their needs. In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, books are illegal and burned to prevent further knowledge of the people so that society can live in peace without opposing views, which causes the society to confine to a materialistic lifestyle. Firemen, like the protagonist Guy Montag, burn houses and the people in them who are caught holding books, with the assistance of Mechanical Hounds. Mechanical Hounds are somewhat like electronic dogs, with needles that have the potential to kill. Their one goal is law enforcement and they punish anyone who breaks the rules. The Mechanical Hound is actually personified to Montag’s society, where people have a single objective. Bradbury’s personification of technology parallels the people in Montag’s society, revealing that people are functioning without purpose or impact.
During the course of the book, Guy …show more content…

What a shame if that’s all it can ever know”
Beatty snorted, gently. “Hell! It’s a fine bit of craftsmanship, a good rifle that can fetch its own target and guarantees the bull’s-eye every time.”
“That’s why,” said Montag, “I wouldn’t want to be its next victim.” (25).
Beatty seems parallel to the government, as he believes that a Hound is perfect for its job and that burning books will create peace by demolishing anything that may disrupt society. However, Montag introduces the idea of censorship that the Hound is able to do more than what it is assigned, much like people in his society. This causes the Hound to be ‘perfect’ yet almost useless to what it could have been. In other words, the hound has potential to do more without knowing because it is made to be perfect in one

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