Dystopia, meaning an undesirable or fearful society; this word is commonly associated with fictional and apocalyptic settings, yet modern day society can easily resemble these dystopias. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury depicts a futuristic, dystopian society where the masses are controlled by societal norms, technology, and censorship. Everyone is one and the same, both in likeness and in their shared desire for contentment; there is no room for individuality, and those who differ from the majority are scorned. The novel warns people of the consequences of blindly following societal norms, especially those under the guise of false promises for happiness and comfort, and how it can lead to the loss of individuality, freedom, interpersonal connections, and empathy. The primary …show more content…
When parents refuse to take responsibility for their children and instead rely on others to raise them, they are neglectful. Childhood neglect has consequences that can even lead a person into adulthood, such as impairing their development and ability to trust and build healthy relationships with others. Technology isn’t meant to be used as a substitute for genuine human connections, yet the treatment of it as such in Fahrenheit 451 only emphasizes how essential bonds with families and interpersonal relationships are for people’s well-being and harmony in society. The significance of societal norms to people in Fahrenheit 451 and the resulting hatred toward those that stray from them demonstrates how people’s perceptions of others shouldn’t always be determined by norms. When Montag expressed his distraught after burning the old woman with the books, Mildred responded with, “She’s nothing to me; she shouldn’t have had books. It was her responsibility, she should’ve thought of