Fahrenheit 451 Technology Analysis

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In Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, technology plays a main role in everyone’s life. However, the effects of technology are very negative in this story. The theme is how technology can isolate, influence, and corrupt society. People who are isolated by technology are lonely and miserable without even realizing it. An example of this is when Mildred attempts suicide. “‘Hell!’ The operator’s cigarette moved on his lip. ‘We get these cases 9 or 10 a night. Got so many, starting a few years ago, we had the special machines built.’” [Bradbury, 15] This shows that people subtly detest technology and would subconsciously rather be dead. This is because technology isolates people and it doesn’t have the human touch that people have when they socialize.…show more content…
The example of this is when everyone is opening the doors to see if they can find Montag outside. “‘Five!’ He felt their hands on the doorknobs! The smell of the river was cool and like a solid rain. His throat was burnt rust and his eyes were wept dry with running. He yelled as if this yell would jet him on, fling him the last hundred yards. ‘Six, seven, eight!’ The doorknobs turned on five thousand doors. ‘Nine!’ He ran out away from the last row of houses, on a slope leading down to a solid, moving blackness.” [Bradbury, 139] This suggests that people are willing to relinquish control of themselves and do anything that technology tells them to do. This is because since almost everyone is dependent on technology, they become submissive and obey orders. An example is how Clarisse explains how much people listen to technology and repeat what they have seen (ex. T.V. walls). “‘They name a lot of cars or clothes and say how swell! But they all say the same things and nobody says anything different from anyone else.” [Bradbury, 31] This suggests that there is little individuality between people since they repeat what they’ve seen on the T.V walls and unrestricted books (comics, magazines, etc.). This is because people are taught and given restricted ideas to follow. As a result, technology can control and influence people and they will listen to technology without giving much

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