Fahrenheit 451, By Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a story about a grim future, in a world where the public has lost the will to think, and societal norms overrun individuality. This essay will focus on the review of “Books of the Times” by Orville Prescott and its interpretation of the text. The review claims that in the book, suppression is caused by the government, the “unholy powers of science are released” and that books are false and “only make people unhappy”. This is a central theme in Fahrenheit 451, where critical thought (caused by books in particular) is considered burdensome. The books have been replaced by what the review calls “synthetic entertainment” (Prescott 217), which invades the lives of the public, not even allowing them to think. This

One notable phrase used in the review is “synthetic entertainment”. In Fahrenheit 451, entertainment and distraction are invasive and unavoidable. The world runs on making people too stimulated to stop and think, with all media being synthesized and fake. There are multiple examples of this throughout the book. One particularly interesting illustration is the parasocial relationship between Mildred and the people she watches on her television. In the book, Mildred’s character is a tragic representation of the broader public, obsessed with and addicted to her favorite shows. When asked by her real husband to turn off the TV, she simply states “That’s my family” (Bradbury 46). Another example of the overwhelming “synthetic entertainment” is one of the final scenes where Guy Montag, now a fugitive, runs from the firefighters. During this sequence, Montag is being chased by drones with cameras. In addition to being used to track him, the drones provide video to be streamed into homes nationwide. Throughout the chase, Montag catches glimpses of himself on the run in the homes he passes. People are watching him for entertainment as he runs for his