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Fahrenheit 451 Complacent Technology

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George Sackie Mrs. Benedetto English IV 11 April 2024 The use of technology to keep society complacent Technology is essential to maintaining a complacent society in Ray Bradbury's book Fahrenheit 451. The use of technology to keep society complacent is more dangerous than beneficial. The setting of the novel is in a dystopian future in which books are banned and "firemen" burn any that they find. One of the main ways that technology keeps society complacent in the novel is through the use of large screens (TV) and "seashells" (earbuds) that constantly flood people with mindless entertainment, preventing them from thinking deeply or critically. In the story, people from the society are constantly getting addicted to technology. The common use …show more content…

Every night the waves came in and bore her off on their great tides of sound, floating her, wide-eyed, toward morning. There had been no night in the last two years that Mildred had not swum that sea, had not gladly gone down in it for the third time.” (Page 12) In this quote it shows how much Mildred used technology and how she is becoming addicted and isolated from society. In the quote, Mildred explains her addiction to technology by informing readers how she has been listening to her Seashells in her ear for 2 years.Not only Mildred, but people have lost interest in the outside world and in one another because of technology like Seashell radios and parlor walls, sometimes known as flat-screen TV walls. Some might disagree with this argument because technology is beneficial in some ways. The benefits of technology that lead to complacency in society include higher productivity due to the creation of easier-to-use machines and increased safety and security of citizens through the use of devices like webcams.. In the article I reacted it states “The positive effects of technology on society are extending the life span of people, increased productivity through the inventions of machines which makes work easier.” In this quote it goes against my argument in the story we do see how technology benefits society and montag job with the robo

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Mildred; however,”nodded” and was humming. she did not communicate, therefore she has no social skills. “Both ears were plugged” with seashells shows that Mildred’s full attention was on the seashells. Bradbury also states that the “electronics bees were humming the hour away”, which means she was spending a significant amount of time on her seashells. If people continue to abuse technology, all their social skills and daily skills will be destroyed.

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In the novel, there are many instances where technology can be seen getting in the way of the character's lives. Mildred a character in the novel who's life is filled with technology obviously has instances where it can be seen getting in the way of her everyday life. For example, Mildred has cut off a conversation with her husband Montag, and does so to talk with her friends about technology. Montag says, “God, Millie, don’t you see? An hour a day, two hours, with these books, and maybe…’

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Their technology is used in different ways such as when Mildred is described as having “the seashells shoved in her ear” (Bradbury). while Montag has them in to communicate with Faber as he asks him “ Would you like me to read you something” (Bradbury 89). As well as when Faber tells Montag that he “will read something that you remember” (Bradbury 89). This shows that although technology is a big issue in this society, it is not what has caused it to fail. People choose to do what they want in this society and they choose to be selfish.

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The books society, uses tv for happiness, the government found that technology is the way to control them. It gives them something to look forward to, because they don't have to think to watch tv, so that eventually becomes a habit that makes them happy. In this book, the society gives plenty of examples of the characters using technology. For example, when it says Montag puts his hand into the glove hole on the front door to let it know his touch,the front

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And in her ears, the little seashells, thimble radios, tamped tight…” And, “There had been no night in the last two years that Mildred had not swum in that sea,

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(Bradbury 46). She relies on it for entertainment and she acts as though she can not live without it she even thinks of it as family. In today's society, this is also a reality making Bradbury’s perception of the future true. Many people in today’s society are addicted to technology just like Mildred and it negatively affects their lives in a lot of different ways.

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When the narrator describes Mildred as "a charcoal sketch, a drawing waiting for the rest of the shading,"(page 10) it suggests that Mildred's lack of individuality has left her incomplete and unfulfilled. The earbuds have not only made her emotionally distant but also prevent her from communicating with her husband. As Montag tries to connect with her, he "called her name, but she was lost in the music's threads" (page 10). This quote underscores how technology serves as a barrier to communication and can harm

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Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel by Ray Bradbury set in a future society where books are outlawed and the "firemen" burn any that are found. It follows the protagonist, Guy Montag, a fireman who begins questioning his cruel society and rebels against it. In this novel, technology plays a significant role. Technologies like parlor walls and seashell radios isolate individuals from reality. Technology creates distant relationships within families by causing one to spend more time on screens than interacting with others.

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In the world of Fahrenheit 451, entertainment is something that consumes the minds of waking people. Examples like wall-to-wall TVs, Seashell radios, the parlor family, etc are all things in Fahrenheit 451 that directly reflect the technology, the need for constant stimulation, and the desire for escape in our modern world. Seashell Radios and AirPods for example, have similar functions, design, and use in both our worlds. The similarity is shown when Mildred in Fahrenheit 451 is revealed to be wearing Seashells constantly every night. It is shown again when Mildred is seen wearing them as she is running from Montag and their house, and even as she is overdosing on sleeping pills; the Seashells stay stubbornly in her ear.

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This shows how technology has negative effects on people and society. Next, Bradbury shows how people get addicted to technology. When people get addicted to technology they lose many things such as strong relationships, their mental health,

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It is seen through the character Mildred especially, as there is not one moment where the reader encounters her not using technology. The novel explores and dives into the obstructive effects technology has on the human race, such as negatively impacting a child’s ability to learn and develop critical skills needed to succeed in adulthood and harming real-life relationships. These points are seen especially in the character Mildred, as she is the prime example of what would happen if technology took over the day-to-day lives of humans. Though technology has dramatically helped the human race grow and develop, it should not be in place of parenting. Instead, an aid to make sure the child is successful in the

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Effects of technology The overuse of technology has affected man’s willingness to be successful for centuries. This overuse has it caused a lack of communication between humans as well as reaffirming man’s reliance on technology. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury displays how the overuse of technology can lead to the lack of knowledge and communication in society. There are many contributing factors to why the overuse of technology has led to the lack of communication in Montag’s society.

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Technology such as the parlour from the story can be seen as a way the government used to mentally control people. Mildred, Montag’s wife is an example of how people are being brainwashed by technology. Mildred is dependent on the parlour and the “relatives” she interacts with, but in fact, she is actually empty inside and she is losing her personality in real life. Mildred chooses to spend her time with technology instead of people in real life. The technology might give a sense of happiness at the moment but when she doesn’t have the technology, she chooses to kill herself by taking excessive sleeping pills.

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Being one of the greatest American novels in recent memory, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury exists as a supremely intelligent piece of writing that also heavily impacts science fiction literature. Firstly, a theme regarding the overall negativity of technological advancement is demonstrated in the great work. Throughout the plot, literature is seen as greatly unnecessary while the supposed beauty of modern technology is glorified by society. Progressively this praise sours amongst the knowledged though. Technology overwhelms the people of this future world and quickly becomes the most important part of life.

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Throughout the book Mildred is frequently in the house’s parlor with the “family”. The family is three wall TVs that play three to five minute “shows”. This keeps people from thinking and processing what goes on which gives people little creativeness and thoughtfulness. Another piece of technology is the hound, the hound is a robotic dog that can very easily track somebody and find them. This makes it easy to find criminals which gets broadcasted on tv to give people the feeling of safety.

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