Catch Me if You Can- The Colton Harris-Moore Story

Catch me if you can......

“Colton Harris-Moore is a real life 21^st century out-law.” At 19, he is a serial criminal with two years of consistent break-ins and thefts. He’s traveled the country stealing cars, planes (yes, planes-- and crash landing them), boats, and breaking into people’s luxurious vacation homes to spend the night. His calling card was white chalk footprints he left as a way of marking his territory. This, and his habit of removing his shoes before every crime, deemed him the “Barefoot Burglar.”

Relative to other serial criminals, Moore seems harmless. Annoying, disrespectful, and lacking morals for sure, but otherwise devoid of the brutality and violence of other crimes. Think Scott Peterson, OJ Simpson, Charles Manson, etc. Moore is a far cry from being compared to these cold-blooded killers, but his story has achieved the same caliber of coverage and the same caliber of fame. How? The internet.

Unlike Scott Peterson etc., Moore’s story was only covered on the news and in periodicals briefly. He never became the poster-child for tabloids, the cover story of People Magazine, or headlining news days in a row. Despite the media’s menial coverage of the “21^st century Jesse James,” the internet never fails. Professor Silverman mentioned last class that without technology we can only shout so far, but with the internet our voices are much louder. This is what happened to Moore.

The adventurous nature of Moore’s crime spree attracted an influx of followers which soon called themselves ‘fans.” Because the general public seemed either unaware or uninterested in Moore, the internet became the means of his fame. Websites supporting donations for his legal fees when finally caught were created. Facebook (surprise, surprise!) had a fan page. ColtonaHarrisMooreFanClub.com emerged. T-shirts were even made! The internet turned Moore’s crimes into victories and soon Moore was considered a hero. The internet sensationalized and glorified Moore by manipulating his spree into a story of an outlaw instead of a disturbed young man.

Moore’s story is unusual and without the internet, would perhaps slip under the radar. Some of you may ask why this matters? Well it matters for several reasons.

First, it is important to see why people were so invested in Moore. I believe the mystery of police's inability to catch him was the point of appeal. Because this story was not top news, the internet chronicled his adventures, allowing the public to continue following Moore’s every move, intrigued as to where he would once again fool the police.

It is also no secret that public support is often helpful when facing criminal charges. Moore’s publicity gained him recognition from a California lawyer who offered to represent him free of charge if only he turned himself in. Without the internet, this would never have happened as Moore's publicity would be little to none.

On the other hand, Moore’s publicity somewhat threw him under the bus. With his picture plastered on the web, blogs, chat rooms, and Facebook, Moore became much more vulnerable. His brief mentioning on the news was not enough coverage to make the whole country aware of his antics, unlike other crime sprees that sparked national distress. This was obviously due to the benign nature of Moore’s crimes. However, coverage on the internet is not a 1 minute clip on TV- it is a permanent mark. People became aware of Moore through his internet exposure. One bounty hunter even offered his services free of charge because he had seen Moore’s case online.

Technology gives people power. In this case, Moore’s identity as a hero, fame as a criminal, and ultimate demise were products of the internet. Technology took this story by the reigns and allowed Moore to achieve status he would otherwise never achieve. As previously discussed, there were pros and cons. However, the internet in this case is proof that technology can greatly aid in the encouragement of a criminal and for Moore, eventual demise.

Colton Harris-Moore, Internet Legend, was caught in the Bahamas on July 10, 2010. Gawker deems him one of the ‘greatest criminals of our time.’ Is this because his crimes were so crafty? Perhaps… but the internet was absolutely a main player in the rise and fall of Colton Harris-Moore.

Mallory.

　
　

Fahrenheit 451 Compared to our Current Society

Bradbury’s book, fahrenheit 451, illustrates a future that is remarkably similar to our current society. His science fiction tells the story of a community that relies on technology advancements to guide them in their everyday lives. His characters live in a fast passed society where they don’t read books, watch a lot of TV and drive very fast… Does this sound familiar?
Were Bradbury’s predictions from sixty years ago ironically similar to our current society just by chance? Or was he right in predicting our future? Perhaps in another sixty years we will be calling Bradbury’s book science instead of science fiction!

Although Bradbury’s technology is more advanced than ours, we too are becoming a world consumed by technology advancements. Our society is similarly addicted to television and not as many people are choosing to read for leisure anymore, especially when the TV is readily accessible and seamlessly addicting. Furthermore, novels and plays are being made into motion pictures left and right, so what’s the use of reading the book if you can just see it in theaters? However, unlike Bradbury’s society we have not yet band books and do not have our fireman burn them.

Currently many of our kids are learning through technology instead of reading books. They may play video or computer games that teach them how to say the alphabet or watch a TV show that teaches them Spanish. By not reading, kid’s imaginations are being taken away, much like Bradbury’s characters. As a society we are moving away from the arts and being drawn toward the technology and the internet world.

Another key similarity is the fast pace of society. Bradbury’s characters not only drive fast but they want everything in their lives easy and readily accessible. Even though we have speed limits, not many people follow them as they increase their speeds at a dangerous rate, simply to get to places faster. We also want everything to work faster; faster computers, faster software and faster meals.

There are however still a few difference between the book and our current reality. First of all, our firemen still have the responsibility to put out fires and not start them, they have the responsibility to save likes and not take people to jail. Second, we may rely on technology for many things but we have not yet started to rely on robots in daily life. Third, people are also still writing stories and using their imagination to write new literature. Lastly, people are still reading book, books our not band, books are not being burned, and our schools are still encouraging us to read.

However, our society will continue to rapidly change due to technological advancements. Perhaps books will no longer be printed and only read electronically, like the kindle. Some may argue this is economically friendly but some may miss the feel and smell of holding the book and turning the pages. As important as books are to our society, where will they be in sixty years? Will there still be libraries full of them or just rooms full of computers with electronic sources?

Why Hard Copy Books are in Trouble

In Fahrenheit 451 books were banned in the future, BUT WHY? I think the author Ray Bradbury proclaimed that books would be completely banished because of a general lack of interest or demand for such a premature technology within the future. As of 2010 Mr. Bradbury may be right. Technological innovations have given the ability for people to obtain information of numerous devices that much cheaper and more convenient. There are 3 main gadgets that will destroy whatever is left of the book publishing industry.

1. Internet- There are numerous websites and companies that provide the exact publications that you can buy at your local Barnes and Noble. The most common that I come across is the Google book, where they have complete or large chunks of the exact text that appears in the hard copy. It is even possible to print out books, though not recommended because that is not very “eco-friendly”.

2. Ipad- The ipad makes it extremely easy for users to read, transport and purchase books online. Ipad user’s have access to books that they can view, purchase and read all from their ipad device. The interface for this online bookstore is very easy to use and is comparable to buying songs from Itunes.

3. Mobile Phones- Another Google innovation (what else is knew) allows mobile phone carriers to have access to over 1.5 million books in their pockets. The cell phone market is very immature and will continue to grow rapidly. Everyone has cell phones, but not everyone has Ipad’s or comparable devices, which is why this market is so important and sought after. Within the next five, the ability to purchase books on a consumer mobile phone can single handily take down the hard copy book industry.

The one thing book companies have going for them is that high schools and universities are still using hard copy textbooks. I think this is going to change very quickly. Ebooks, or online books are much cheaper and with the budget cuts and financial problems that school districts are facing it would not make sense to spend more money that is not necessary. Last year Washington DC schools saw the light and switched to ebooks and I am sure others will soon follow.

The future Awaits

Ray Bradbury book Fahrenheit 451 depicts one man’s struggle to rediscover the meaning of life in a society driven by technology once he is exposed to the one thing his profession deem to destroy, books. The main character Guy

Montag is on a journey to restore mankind’s faith in books, a challenging task yet once he is convinced of its relevance he lays it all on the line to protect it. Much like our society the author illustrates a society that is consumed by T.V and technology as a whole. Bradbury leaves the reader with the notion that television has dumb-down the mental compactly replacing the willingness to develop complex ideas with empty superficial desires. The author than depicts books as the ultimate sources of freedom because it gives the reader creative power to interpret information. I personally agree with this notion, most television shows do not require an enormous amount of thinking. A person is just simply being entertained by the bias information that is being feed. On the other hand, reading a book required a certain amount of comprehension and literacy that allow a person to think and form conclusions. Reading a book develops skills such as comprehension, vocabulary, writing and the list goes on. On the contrary television does not develop skills that allows for any critical thinking, but rather puts forth information that the viewer can choose to take in or not. Even with electronic book reader like Kindle I believe it takes away from the physical act of reading a book. There are some many skills that are being nurtured when you read that goes over look with an electronic book reader. For example as a child I learned to read with the help of hook-on phonics as embarrassing as it may sound I still use those techniques until today. You cannot learn or sound-out new words if there being told to you. To be physical engaged in a book provides a great value than any television or electronic reader can!

Fahrenheit 451

The TV parlours in Mildred’s life are very similar to TV and social networks of today. Mildred becomes enthralled in television so much that she wants to make an entire room in the house covered with TV’s, which many guys would love to do for football Sundays. The value of the dollar that it costs for it to be put in doesn’t matter to her, and why should it? Putting the TV into her house would just aid in her addiction and lets her be with her family! She talks about how the people on the shows are a part of her life and that they are her family, basically because she has disconnected herself from the real world entirely. So how is this similar to TV and social networking today? Facebook, Twitter, and even through the use of mobile phones—that have the internet or app for whatever you are looking for—allows people to get their daily fix of what is going on with the people and world around them. This isn’t any different from what Mildred is doing either, she just sits in her TV parlour and becomes alive because she is with her family. That is one thing that is different from society today, you never hear people talking about a television show or a social network as their own or that they associate themselves with it like it’s their family, you would be considered crazy if you did that! Yes everyone today has their favorite TV shows, I am guilty of that as well, but no one, especially people that I know, talk about their favorite show as the people being their family. The thoughts and feelings of the actors are the same thoughts and feelings that Mildred experiences because she lives her life through the TV. Many TV shows today portray their thoughts and feelings through technology but not everyone agrees with them, and others may be swayed to agree because they see it on TV.

Overall I would say that the TV parlours in Mildred’s life are similar to TV’s and social networking today. Many people in today’s society have a connection to a TV show, sports team, or even their Twitter and Facebook that can be compared to Mildred’s obsession, just not on the same level. I mean I guess that there are people out there that could be like this I obviously just don’t know any of them.

Farenheit 451....

I believe it’s presumptuous to assume that Ray Bradbury thinks books are better than T.V. I do not believe Fahrenheit 451 necessarily makes that claim seeing as towards the end Guy destroys both his books and his T.V. However, I do believe Bradbury is making the claim that reading gives access to a more analytical kind of knowledge, in which you must allow your brain to make inferences on a particular material rather than have that process done by someone else and have their vision projected on a screen for you. This sort of limitation does not necessarily promote exercising your brain, by using it to retain information, make inferences off the information, and be inspired to: believe, create, and change something. I believe there is something vastly intimate about a book. It is easier on the eyes for me and worth purchasing, in my own personal opinion. I can’t imagine reading a novel on a screen but I don’t mind watching a movie based on a particular novel on my television. When it comes to things like a Kindle I’m not convinced. For those who appreciate the art form of a book there is something about the format, style of a page, even the front cover, that is more inviting than the “any color you want” Kindle. Even though they both may contain the same story or information, a Kindle does not necessarily have the same aesthetic appeal as a book. Overall, I do not believe Bradbury was making a claim on books for what they physically are but more for what they represent. Books are a representative of knowledge, and I believe Bradbury was trying to assert the notion that we shouldn’t allow the government to have so much say on what we view, and what were exposed to. In this society the government exerted way too much control and concern on what the people thought. They were very aware that books could transmit as well as ignite ideas. This is something I believe that Bradbury was aware of and therefore it would be contrary to assume he thought books were better than T.V.'s because T.V.'s can also be used for propaganda. This is why Guy was always being watched.I believe he was trying to make a stance on censorship more than he was pro-books.

The Future?

Fahrenheit 451 written by Ray Bradbury explains why books will be obsolete in the future; the two main causes he contributes for the demise of books are the growth of new technology and censorship. Bradbury says that people will always be plugged in to various sources of entertainment. This is somewhat true; the growth of technology has enabled us to stay connected with people and information all over the world literally. He also states that the wall of houses are TV’s, at first II thought this was some crap, but when I thought about this, it is also true. Nowadays we have plasma TV’s that actually cover the whole wall. But I don’t not agree that Newspapers will be outdated in the future, some people have a hard time coping with technology, and the layout of the newspaper is still convenient and easy to maneuver. In the future book will be illegal, I took that as it is there will be so much new technology and entertainment that people will no longer use book or anything inscribed on paper. This new world has plenty of information, but no one is equipped with knowledge because they do not take the time out and read and comprehend quality. The humans of the future are more concerned with materialism and are blinded by their ignorance. I do believe that our society is becoming more materialistic, Ray Bradbury wants us to have a respect for nature and mother Earth around us. If we do not take the time and read we can never grow intellectually, I believe that is the overall message Bradbury is trying to get across.

Rethinking "Break Time"

Are you really taking a break when you pick up the remote control? Well, you're not. One thing that is missing in television is “leisure,” according to Faber – a character in Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451: “Off-hours, yes. But time to think? If you’re not driving a hundred miles an hour, at a clip where you can’t think of anything else but the danger, then you’re…sitting in some room where you can’t argue with the four-wall televisor. Why? The televisor is ‘real.’ It is immediate, it has dimension. It tells you what to think and blasts it in. It must be right. It seems so right. It rushes you on so quickly to its own conclusions your mind hasn’t time to protest” (Bradbury 84).

Ironically, it is for the purpose of leisure that people sit down to watch television. In Bradbury’s mind, however, that is not leisure. And, I completely agree.

When watching TV, one is bombarded by the media and thoughts that are not your own until they become so. This bombardment with foreign thoughts is similar to the TV parlors in Fahrenheit 451. Although in Bradbury’s exaggeration, televisions never turn off, and viewers are directly addressed by a televisor, so as to make this type of indirect interaction appear real and its’ provider reliable. In reality, we use both programs and the advertisements that interrupt them. Our children are beginning to be socialized by televisions.

When you sit down to relax and enjoy a program on television, you are in no way relaxing. Your mind is pulled in so many different directions that it is near impossible to calm down. When you sit down to read a book, you are reading that book and that book alone. You have one thing to do and you are not forced to move on to the next page until you are done with the last. You have the opportunity to take an opinion of what you read. You can close the book when you want to and open it at a later date. Whereas if you do not have Tivo, you have to finish watching a TV show when it is on, or you don’t get to see the rest of it. You have to sit through the commercials that interrupt it before you get to see what happens next. What’s more, if you do record a show and you watch it a week later, all of the media and advertisement interruptions have become old news and are no longer applicable. Thus, you have lost the “quality” of information (Bradbury 83)… that is, if you hadn’t already lacked that quality when you turned on “The Real Housewives” or “Family Guy.”

New reading technology, like the Kindle and the iPad in my mind exist somewhere in between TV and books. They incorporate other technologies in one device. You can type on the iPad, surf the web, etcetera. The Kindle allows you to store Microsoft Word documents and to purchase new books or magazines through its Wifi connection to Amazon.com. All of these innovations are helpful, but I feel that they are unnecessary in terms of reading as a leisurely activity. I use my computer for all of the things that I just mentioned, and I typically use my computer for organizational and work-related purposes…except for when I’m using Garage Band. Still, Bradbury’s Faber views reading as a leisurely activity. I feel as though devices like the Kindle and the iPad can serve as the real life version of what is symbolized in Bradbury’s depiction of TV parlors. They are links to the media that just won’t go away and they eliminate the leisure that reading can provide. There is just something about holding a book in your hand – and slowing down to focusing on just one task – that is extremely satisfying in a fast-paced society.

Book vs. Television

The lifestyle people in the Fahrenheit 451 society lived was fast paced with too much stimulation and basically no time to concentrate and actually think through what they were doing. Bradbury thinks that the presence of fast cars, loud music, and advertisements destroys people’s brain. Although Bradbury doesn’t directly say this, he lets us know how he feels through Montag and what he disagrees with, he has Beatty say. Bradbury feels that technology disconnects from reality and poses the idea that destroying books is destroying knowledge and that promoting technology is promoting ignorance. Bradbury feels books are better than TV because they present the real thing and truth. What someone writes in a book is many times about their personal experience and their life. Books provide variance as opposed to TV which provides sameness and that’s what the people in this society aimed for.

I agree with Bradbury. Books provide more knowledge and when you read you feel like you have a better sense of understanding about something. Books also give different perspective, which I feel decreases one’s ignorance. TV makes you less active and lazy and it requires less thinking. I don’t think it changes when it comes to electronic books, like kindle. The fact that you are still reading what was technically once a book doesn’t really change what you can get out of it.

The reality of Bradbury's vision of the future

Bradbury’s vision of the future in his novel Fahrenheit 451 is quite similar to what has actually transpired today. Bradbury saw the rise of different types of entertainment such as television and radio. Bradbury thought that the presence of all of the fast cars, advertisements and loud music created an existence with too much “action” where there is hardly even any time to think or concentrate. This I feel is definitely an issue in our time. Technology is very overwhelming! Sometimes I’m in my room and I have the TV on, then I get on my computer and have the IM sounds going, and then I’ll decide to watch a video on YouTube, while the TV is still running in the background. It’s like we go from one form of technology to the next, we are constantly “watching” or “hearing” something. It drives me crazy when I have all of this going on at the same time and I have to pause and turn everything off. Somehow we are always being technologically stimulated in some way or another.

Also, an idea I felt that was mentioned in the book was the idea of nature and purity. Clarisse represents this “purity” with her innocence and her love or nature. She tells Montag to taste the rain, which is when he begins to connect with nature. When he leaves the city and goes to the country, he experiences nature first hand. This caught my attention because I sometimes feel the same way. Especially today, no matter what big city we visit, it becomes so crowded and loud. A perfect example of this is Times Square- you walk down the streets with music coming from different stores, TV screens on buildings with ridiculous glowing advertisements, loud cars, etc. This is how our “modern” cities are now. When you go somewhere quiet, for example, when I go to visit my father’s family in Germany, in a little town called Radbruch (which is about 30 minutes from the city Hamburg), I can RELAX. My grandparents hardly watch TV, do not even have an internet connection or a computer and as much as I go through withdrawal after a couple of weeks, it’s very nice at the same time. I take my bike to go to the market, while I pass a field of cows and horses and it’s just extremely peaceful compared to New York. I feel like our modern society is obsessed with technology and ignores nature completely. So, sometimes it’s nice to get away from all of that.

It’s interesting because Clarisse is an outcast from society because of her strange habits, which are for example hiking or playing with flowers but she and her family seem pretty happy with themselves and each other. In contrast to Clarisse, there is Guy’s wife Mildred, who I think represents technology itself. She is very cold, distant, emotionless and also sort of “mysterious”. I think Bradbury portrays Mildred this way because he is trying to prove the point that technology sometimes “disconnects” us from who we really are. Mildred would rather watch TV than talk to her own husband. This also caught my attention because I feel that nowadays families act completely different because of technology. I can’t speak about my own house hold because my Puerto Rican mother and German father raised me very “traditionally”, but when I would visit my friends’ houses, families would not even eat together or sometimes would eat while watching television- without having a conversation amongst each other. There was a sort of disconnect in the family; in the past when there was no television, families would sit together, talk about their day went, etc. but nowadays it’s like we NEED to watch TV, or we NEED to hear or see something that is not “ourselves” for stimulation, if that makes any sense. Maybe it’s because there’s always so much variety and entertainment on TV that we can’t get in our own family? I don’t know.

I know I just went on and on about what Bradbury did correctly foresee for the future because I do see a lot of similarities between his future and the actual future. The only thing that was a little exaggerated of course was the whole idea of the burning of the books. I do agree that there is a general lack of interest in reading nowadays but I don’t think reading will ever be completely forgotten or frowned upon. A lot of people still read and for those who are too lazy to read or buy a book, there are ways to do it digitally. Even though the way in which we read has changed, we are still reading: Newspaper articles online, eBooks, websites, etc. We are still reading this information and learning no matter what, even though the “form” has changed. Also, I feel like schools and colleges are still encouraging their students to read, and also require them to read for homework or even in class. So, I don’t really think we need to worry about entertainment and technology completely taking over books … at least not yet :) .

The Value of Literature in Modern Day Society

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.

Are TV parlours like Social Networking? YES!

The TV parlours of Montag’s wife are similar to social networks today. They are also similar to technology in general. The TV parlour completely took over Mildred’s life. All of her conversations with friends revolved around different programs shown on the big, wall sized televisions. She called the people in the televisions her ‘family’. She felt a sense of connectedness with the television and the characters in it. The TVs literally surrounded her. This is very similar to social networks today. Like the televisions of Montag’s parlour, social networking is all around us. It envelopes us and sucks us in. People, like Mildred, have a sense of connectedness though these social networks. Personally that’s how I know what people are doing. I go on Facebook and see that my friends from home are going to Foxwoods next weekend. I feel that Facebook keeps me connected. It keeps me connected to people I know as well as people I don't know, similar to Mildred being connected to her 'family'.



Mildred and her friends feel lost with out the televisions. This is how me and many of my friends feel without technology and social networking sites. When Montag pulled the television plug when Mildred had friends over it was like they didn’t know what to do. Similarly, every time I turn my computer on I automatically go to Facebook even if I mean to go to the Drew website. On a larger scale, I, as well as many other people, wouldn’t know what to do without their cell phones and other technology.
Lastly, Mildred wants more. The Montags have three television walls in their parlour, but she wants four. She completely shakes off the fact that the fourth wall would cost her husband a third of his yearly pay. Similarly we constantly want more. We want new and improved technology and when we ask for them we often don’t realize how much they cost. Mildred yearned for this fourth television only two months after they got the third. We too get sick of things fast and desire upgrades. The demand for new and better things is a strong force behind technological advances.


Although Mildred and her friends represent the majority of our society today, paralleling the parlour televisions to social networking and technology, there are always people that will be opposed to such things. In today’s culture they are the people who refrain from social networking. They are those few college students who don’t have a Facebook account. They are the people who don’t get blackberrys or maybe even cell phones in general. In Fahrenheit 451 the people who are opposed to the technological movement and want to live in the old ways of books and knowledge are the people that Guy Montag found along the river after escaping the police.


Overall, the TV parlours of the book are very symbolic and representative of social networking and technology today. It is the main focus of many people's lives but there are still people who are opposed to technology in ways such as the people along the river in the book.

The Mechanical Hound

Ray Bradbury's dystopian classic, Farenheit 451, fuses animal and machine to create the terrifying "Mechanical Hound". The technological prowess of this creature makes it the most efficient hunter in the twenty-fourth century. By taking what people already fear about animals and rewriting it in a science-fiction context, Bradbury creates a creature much more frightening than any human threat.

Dogs used as instruments of violence are machine-like in their obedience and execution of orders. The most terrifying thing about an animal that has been trained to kill is that you can't appeal to its morality. The natural social inclination of a dog dictates that it choose a leader, heed the signals given by that leader, and protect the pack from outside threats. A snapping, snarling dog can be more intimidating A war dog from the game Killzone 2.
than a person with a gun (which may explain why
guard dogs are popular with drug dealers and other criminals). You can't plead for your life with a war dog. This is the same anxiety that society has about machines- a murderous robot would be the tragically perfect weapon, effective because it does not have morals.

A dog's olfactory system functions like the "Watson" computer compared to the clumsy Commodore 64 that is the human sense of smell. Bradbury's mechanical hound even seems to be able to smell the seeds of dissent in Montag's mind. Dogs can pick up and track scents that are undetectable to humans. The machine-like precision with which a dog can track is mystifying, much like the super-human ability of an FBI computer to find a matching fingerprint in a database of thousands. We fear some animals because we cannot compete with them on a physical level. Dogs have been domesticated, but their bite and running speed still exceeds that of most humans. Machines can cause humans to worry for the same reason- we can't out-perform them. As Clarisse learned, you can't outrun a car.

Bradbury's clever combination of animal and machine speaks to the anxiety people have about their worth as a species. Humans may have ethics and abstract thought, but our bodies are relatively weak. The mechanical hound is a fusion of our deepest fears- the fear that we can be outdone and, ultimately, replaced.

The Price of Knowledge

In today’s society there is an ongoing struggle between technology and the positive aspects of reading a book. Today, the majority of individuals would rather sit in front of mindless television for an hour rather than read an interesting story. In the words of Harry Wormwood from Matilda, “There’s nothing you can get from a book that you can’t get from a television faster.” But is this true? Ray Bradbury doesn’t seem to think so and neither do I. If you’ve read any of my previous posts you’ll know by now that I am a fan of old technology or lack there of. I will more often than not choose the older version of a product rather than the latest due to either sheer technological confusion or because I am a huge fan of the phrase “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it,” and it’s the same with books.

In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury goes into detail on how society has become this lazy enigma of intolerance. Bradbury thinks that books trump television because they are “quality (Bradbury 83).” Unlike a television show, a book makes you think and put some effort into the topic that you are reading about, and I completely agree. Books stimulate the brain and imagination. They are more of a challenge than television. When I was a kid, my parents would make me turn off the television and go and read a book. I didn’t understand why until I was older and that’s because they didn’t want me turning into a vegetable. It is evident through the characters that Bradbury has created that the ones who read are intellectual and have much more to say. Let’s compare Faber and Montag’s wife, Mildred. Mildred rarely has anything significant to say. She just watches her programs every day and that’s all she has to comment on. Faber, a man who loves books, has opinions and is not afraid to voice those opinions. One could even argue that through Bradbury’s descriptions of his characters, knowledge gives you confidence. Mildred is afraid to go against the law because she figures whatever they tell her must be true. Faber believes what the law enforcement is doing is wrong because he doesn’t wait around to be told information. He goes and finds it in books.

What would Ray Bradbury think of the Kindle? I, personally, would rather hold a book. I like the smell, the feel, and the warmth I get from reading an actual book. One of the main reasons why I dislike computers is because I have to read off of a screen. My eyes get blurry, my mind wanders, and I don’t absorb the information.

But putting my own biases aside, I think Bradbury would probably support the Kindle. If the Kindle were brought into the story of Fahrenheit 451 in some sort of fan fiction story, I think it would be a positive attribute to the given society for because it is technology, the majority of society would accept it as a sort of television upgrade and the book lovers would still be able to read and increase their knowledge which was so harshly taken away from them.

The Kindle allows you to take thousands of books around with you in a very small package. For constant readers it is a great thing, while riding the bus, subway, sitting on a park bench etc. Having a Kindle also saves time. You can download your new book with the click of a button. It is also environmentally sound because the sooner we all run out and buy Kindles, trees can be saved and paper stop being made.

So although I personally would never want a Kindle because I prefer to live in the past, they are a good idea for a society such as today’s. If Ray Bradbury had written in the invention of the Kindle, it is possible that knowledge wouldn’t have been so frowned upon and that woman would not have had to die in her house along with her precious books.

A Comparison of Bradbury's vision of the future with contemporary times; furthermore a meditation on what he got right and/or what did he get wrong?

I was asked to read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Moreover, while reading I was asked to think of some issues and themes the book addressed. Funny enough the book addressed some things that I have been complaining about in my class about modern society’s urge to appease everyone with political correctness, and its dependency on television. Moreover, how the contemporary society we live in and participate in has depreciation for literature and books.

In the text, Beatty the fire chief (character) explains how books became banned. He states that interest groups and “minorities” object to books because they were offended by them. Subsequently, books (literature) became the same. In addition, authors made an effort to avoid offending the “special groups” But it still was not enough, therefore “society” decided to simply burn books.

Guy Montag is the protagonist, he is a fireman. Firemen were the people in charge of burning the books. But he realizes the emptiness of his life. He begins to search for meaning through the books he is supposed to destroy. He learns that he needs the freedom to act upon the ideas of the books. The issue I found most similar to contemporary society other than the need for more literature and time to read/dissect it was exercising the freedom to act upon the ideas from literature. Guy Montag’s wife is described as fragile and sickly. She is “obsessed” with watching television and refuses to engage in conversation. She is described as Small-minded and childish. His wife Mildred does not understand much and has no desire to begin a process of understanding.

I think that our society has become “obsessed” with television because it is our closed mindedness that does not allow us to understand. Rather we want to be entertained and force feed ideas and images. Our society is not interested to invest time to read. It has no interest in conflicting ideas that have to be sought after and examined through another person’s word. Our society wants visual stimulation and conflict to be razzled dazzled liked self explanatory fireworks.

In addition, Bradbury had seen or at least knew about the Nazi book burning. He was aware of what human being were capable of in order to propel controlled chaos and peace. The Nazi’s high authority burned books to demonstrate the evil of the content or ideas. They destroyed ideas that did not agree; it was a form of control and propaganda. Another thing Bradbury got right was how people don’t appreciate the value of understanding and reading. Here is a video of some young people who exhibit this kind of ignorance and burn school books. For these two young men “it was a pleasure to burn” the books. They received satisfaction “a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened…”

What did the future bring? - Fahrenheit 451

Burn books, burn knowledge.

How would you feel if one day it was illegal to own/read books? As a person who loves the smell of new books and the feel of the pages as they turn for the first time, I would be devastated. Although much of the literature required for my classes is available online, I just don’t learn the same as when I physically hold a book, highlight, underline, and write all over it. But what if reading became a thing of the past? What would the future hold with no books- would society benefit? Lucky for us, our society values books, learning and knowledge; but Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451, predicts a future that to me, would not be so lucky.

Bradbury predicts the future from a 1950s perspective in which books become a hindrance to society; accumulating knowledge supposedly causes an inferiority complex, and to succeed as a society, people must be “made equal.” As a result, all books and homes that hold them are burned. The futuristic concept of abandoning the book can be seen in two ways.

1) Bradbury is correct that modern society has absolutely turned from the book to technology.

2) Bradbury is incorrect by believing this is due to the discouragement of pursuing knowledge.

Regarding a bookless future, in a sense, Bradbury is correct. With the internet and search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing, books are often not our first resource when seeking knowledge. Sites such as Wikipedia are often the first stop to find answers because it is quick, easy, and to the point. However, modern society has not deemed books irrelevant. Academia relies on books for scholarship; the internet cannot imitate actually holding a book and reading the words. There is also the nostalgia of rare, classic, and collectible books. The book still holds value and sites such as Amazon and gadgets such as the Kindle or Nook (eReaders) prove that technology is not trying to replace the book. If anything, these elements make reading more accessible with cheaper prices and increased portability.

The futuristic prediction of a shift towards technology, however, is only the surface issue. Bradbury’s prediction of this shift suggests desire for utopia, a society rid of inferiority suggested to come from knowledge. The 1950s were a time of social chaos; for example, prominent racism. Bradbury is influenced by this and predicts a happier future due to social equality; to him, ’ignorance is bliss.’ If people are blind to social, political, and philosophical issues, they can’t form opinions, controversy can be avoided and pleasure can be emphasized. Bradbury predicts a future devoid of knowledge and scholarship. “That’s all we live for…[pleasure and titillation] and you must admit, our culture provides plenty of this.” Actually, we are a society that craves knowledge to the point of needing accessibility to it at all times.

With the internet, we have access to infinite information 24/7. We can Google anything and in seconds, know everything we need to know. Just today, I Googled images of Main Coon cats and within 2 seconds, hundreds of images were found. Our phones and GPS systems are also portals to information readily available at all times. Our daily life is the constant pursuit of knowledge whether it be directions, a recipe for dinner, or leisurely Facebooking.



Bradbury’s vision is no doubt extreme; however, his overall concept promotes escape from reality which he sees as society‘s downfall. Mildred used TV as an escape to the point of the characters becoming her ‘family,’ not a totally unfamiliar concept to modern society. Think about Second Life and the obsessive behavior brought on by Farmville. To Bradbury, leisure is the way of the future and in a sense he is right. Although Second Life and Farmville OCD is not the norm, society today absolutely turns to technology for entertainment; video games, DVDs, and sites such as YouTube and Hulu are meant solely to entertain. However, to say we value escape does not mean the value of knowledge slips through the cracks.

2010 is vastly different from 1950. We live in a time where knowledge is key and by denying society the ability to pursue learning, we are promoting digression. Bradbury predicted a future with the best intentions, but if things panned out his way, the advancements in science and technology among other fields would not be possible.

We are a society of leisure, but we also crave education and despite the internet at our fingertips, the book is not dead.

Check out these sites for more insight on Bradbury and his future predictions compared with today!
Bookstove
TeenInk

Mallory.

　

　

　

　

　

TV vs. Books- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Why does Bradbury think that books are better than TV? Do you agree or disagree? How does this change given electronic book readers like the Kindle?

 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

I was lazy to go buy the book but needed to do this assignment.  I haven’t been to a bookstore in a long time and I when I got there I remembered the smell and the feeling I used to have going to buy a book.  I even looked at other books that I might want to read in the future, which was mindboggling to me.   I also watched the movie that was made based from the book on my Netflix account.  Another way that books can be good is that movies can be made from them and after reading the book someone can watch the movie and compare both to see if they were similar or different.  They can have intellectual discussions with others who did the same, and expand their knowledge.

Why does Bradbury think that books are better than TV?

From reading and watching the movie Fahrenheit 451 I believe that Bradbury thinks books are better then TV for several reasons.  The feeling someone gets from reading a book is much different then the feeling someone gets from watching a program on television. The smell of a book, the idea of holding a book in your hands, the and overall emotions someone relates to from reading a book.  By reading a book a person is able to discuss with others about what they have read.  They can then share feelings and reviews about the book, which will also further a persons knowledge.  In Fahrenheit 45, Bradbury uses “The Book People,” which includes people from the society that break the rules and read books to gain intellect.  They discuss and memorize passages from books that they have illegally read.  They are the people that seem to be the smartest and the most intelligent in the society.  Another character that Bradbury uses to show why he thinks books are better then TV is Professor Faber, who was an English professor and shows Guy Montag why books are good.  When the two meet, the professor asks Montag, “Do you know why books such as this are so important? Because they have quality. And what does the word quality mean? To me it means texture. This book has pores. It has features.  This book can go under the microscope.  You’d find life under the glass, streaming past in infinite profusion.  The more pores, the more truthfully recorded details of life per square inch you can get on a sheet of paper, the more ‘literary’ you are” (Bradbury 83).  I feel that this shows what and how Bradbury feels about books.  I mean you can totally feel the difference from the way Faber speaks and the way others speak in the story.  Faber is a man that read a lot and he has plenty of intellect to explain why reading is important, while on the other hands others that don’t read don’t have much to say.  This is seen from the character of Montag’s wife, Mildred.  Montag wants to try to find out the meaning and the importance of reading.  He wants to understand the meanings from the books he reads, but he has no one to talk to because books are banned.  After he realizes the dissatisfaction in his life he starts to read some of the books that he hid for a while that he never burned.  After reading some he wants to talk about them but he cant talk to his wife about the books because all she does is watch TV with her friends, taking pills and she isn’t interested in books and what they may offer to her life. 

Many others like Bradbury feel it is more intellectual to read then to watch TV and someone can gain more knowledge from a book.  Books let the reader paint pictures in their head, while using their imagination other then letting the TV create the atmosphere for you.  Bradbury explains that processing the written information gives readers the chance to relate the characters and events to their own lives.  It makes individuals use reasoning so they are able to exercise their brains to another level.

I like and enjoy watching TV/movies much more then reading a book, but at some level I do believe and agree with Bradbury.  But I would have to say that I disagree that books have much more to offer then television.  Some of the reasons why I like TV better then books is that information is given to someone faster.  Personally I read slower then others, so it isn’t as easy as some think just to sit down and start reading, it sucks!  But if I am interested in a book’s topic that it presents then I am defiantly more intrigued to read.  I get bored just sitting around reading, I know I have a lot of trouble sitting down to read and it does not excite me as much as watching TV.  I know exactly what shows I like and don’t like I don’t have to read the back of a book to find out if I like it or not.

TV can help the brain much like books do.  TV shows, like kids shows teach the ABC’s, and teach then how to work together.  Some of these programs are Sesame Street, Curious George, Dr. Seuss Stories, Barney, Mister Rogers, and Thomas the Train Engine.  Movies and TV shows can expand the mind because they have suspense and many times have an interesting and compelling theme.  Shows and movies can even leave you with a life lesson or a question that is unanswered so that you can determine your own answers to the questions. 

  If I can change the channel if a show gets boring so you can watch something more interesting to you.  People don’t need to be able to read to watch TV, and You can just put the TV on if your lazy, and don’t want to hold a book to your face and read.  One of the largest reasons I think I feel so defensive to that some think books are better then TV is that because I was always assigned to read books for school I see it as a chore and not a relaxing thing to do. 

My mother has a Kindle because she loves to read and much rather read then watch TV.  She could read numerous books a day if she had the time.  The shelves in my family room at my house are filled up with books because she reads so much.  Our books from when we were kids are there also and since my dad is a chef he collects all of his cookbooks and notes from culinary school.  Once my mom finds an author that she likes she will read all of the books in the author’s series.  She has always been a fan of authors such as Mary Higgins Clark, and James Patterson. Her favorite part about going on vacation is that she gets to read books, and now that she has a Kindle it makes it much easier for her to read whenever, and wherever.  Other then packing and carrying 10 books around she only needs to take her Kindle with her. 

From a statement from my awesome mother about how she feels about her Kindle, 

“I love my kindle.  I can have all my books with me at all times.  No packing many books when I travel.   You can change the type of font and size for your eyes.  I think it is easier to read than print books and it is more comfortable to read than a book because if its size. I read more now because I have the Kindle. I can download all the books I want to read and get samples of the books before I buy them.  When people give me names of books I should read I get samples of the books on my Kindle.  When I open up my kindle it goes to the page that I left off.  I can use the dictionary if I don't know a word and I can browse and shop on my Kindle.  If other family members have kindles you can share books with each other. My iPhone also has a Kindle application that allows me to read from my phone.” Some of the negative aspects of the Kindle that she told me was that there is, “no service at our Vermont house so I have to have the books down loaded before I go up there. Also I can't share the book with others because of the service problem and not all books come out with a Kindle version right away.”

The Kindle has taken reading to a whole other level.  It allows you to download, save and read books electronically, which are known as e-books.  The Kindle has instant wireless access to Amazon.com that makes it very easy to buy books. There are over 115,000 books that are available to buy and there are many more coming everyday.  Another cool feature is that a user can read newspapers, and magazines subscriptions.  The Kindle also allows people to play MP3’s and listen to audio books.

I think that for people who like to read the Kindle incorporates fun into reading, and you only need one device to do it with.  And since it is light and compact it can be carried anywhere.  Think of it as a convenient portable TV for books