Compare Dover Beach And Fahrenheit 451

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Introduction At first glance, Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451 and Matthew Arnold’s poem Dover Beach may not have anything in common however the inclusion of Dover Beach in Fahrenheit 451 begs to differ. Both were written during a period of change. Arnold wrote Dover Beach during the Industrial Revolution and Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 shortly after World War 2. Although Dover Beach was written a century earlier, they both consider the problems within society; the effects of an ever changing world. The two bring forth their similarities through addressing the issues of loss of faith, sadness and loss of humanity. Loss of Faith One can interpret faith in two different ways; faith in religion and faith in one’s self. Religion has always been known to be an important aspect of society however, during the Industrial Revolution religion began to lose its prominence. Dover Beach and Fahrenheit 451 both tackle the difficulties of losing faith however, in different ways. Dover Beach criticises society due to its changing outlook of religion. Arnold presents mankind during the Industrial Revolution as ignorant and pessimistic. The allusion of religion is shown through the ‘Sea of Faith’. Arnold uses the imagery of “ebb and flow” in the once “full, and round earth’s shore” sea of faith, and its “withdrawing roar” to show that lack of importance religion now has on society. Due to the technological advancements in industry, religion is no longer significant in the lives of