Although over half a century old, the themes explored in Ray Bradubury’s Fahrenheit 451, still resonate in today’s society, where technology is king. Bradbury’s belief that books are better than TV stem from technology’s ability to overwhelm society, thus de-emphasizing all other aspects of humankind. To Bradbury, it is therefore literature that serves as a representation of all mankind. Thus respect and admiration for literature, is respect for humankind.
Throughout Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury uses various techniques to highlight literature’s superiority over technology, chief of which is his use of contrasting character traits. The character of Mildred Montag, is numb to her surroundings, engulfed in the false world of her TV parlour, where she mindlessly passes the time watching television. Mildred becomes detached from society, and even goes as far as to refer to the characters on her television shows as family. There are those who overlook the written word, and those who see value in it. Granger’s character falls in the latter category. He is the leader of “The Book People”, a group of intellectuals who memorize books despite society’s banning of them. Granger is meant to represent what is good in society, as his reverence for books are of great importance to his character.
Another implement that Bradbury uses to show the stark contrast between valuable literature and destructive technology is through two contrasting themes: freedom vs. conformity. The firemen comply with society’s insistence on book burning, paying no mind to their actions, and ultimately aiding in the creation of a world based on sameness. However, characters like Granger and Faber (an English professor who longs for knowledge through literature) promote Montag’s curiosity, sparking a yearning for freedom from the norm.
To Bradbury, books are the manifestation of value in society. Books exist, to keep this mutual respect ongoing. To me, there is something to be said about the difference between reading literature online as compared to the feeling of a book in hand. One holds the capacity to evoke tangible feelings, provoking memories from one’s childhood or past. The other, although entirely the same in terms of information, lacks the potential to truly captivate, which to me is an essential timeless quality of literature.
Technological creations such as the Kindle serve as modern day representations for antiquated books. It bridges the gap of the past and modern day by using contemporary technology to create a twenty first century, book reading experience. However, people like me who treasure a book’s smell, enlightening its readers of its travels, won’t be picking up the current TV parlour of our time henceforward.
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