Fahrenheit 451 Research Paper

Fahrenheit 451 and the Dangers of Mindlessness

Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, shows the danger of mindlessness through entertainment, a neutral society, and a lack of critical thinking. All three of these things combine to create the mindless society that we see in Ray Bradbury’s novel, and that these factors play on each other, which increases their effects. Entertainment is a major part of Fahrenheit 451 and shows how mindlessness is dangerous to society. There are many examples of this in the novel, but the TVs, known as parlor walls, are the biggest example of mindless entertainment in the novel. Not only do the parlor walls help create a mindless society, they also create a barrier between people that negatively affects their relationships.

Literally not just one wall but, so far, three!” (Bradbury 41). The three walls described refer to the parlor walls, or TVs. They provide mindless entertainment with loud noises, bright colours, and flashy images. Mildred spends a significant amount of time watching these walls, creating a disconnect from Montag due to her mindlessness. As Montag realizes this, he views the walls as something keeping Mildred away from him. In The Theme of Alienation in Two Dystopian Novels: Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451, the author states, “However, in Fahrenheit 451 it is rather to make people believe that leisure is the real point of life and it is accomplished through the addiction of television. Citizens lose their connection with real life and nature.” (Altuntas 5). This shows that people put being happy and entertained at the top of their priorities in Fahrenheit 451. This creates a disconnect between them and their reality and surroundings. Many people in the novel have all four walls of their living room with these TVs, causing an even bigger disconnect. This is the same

Burn the book. Serenity, Montag. Peace, Montag.” (Bradbury 57). The main reason books are no longer allowed in Fahrenheit 451 is because they are not neutral. As society became mindless, people prioritized happiness and instant gratification. Since books were not neutral, they did not make everyone happy and were then burned in order to make everyone happy. This made the mindlessness problem even worse as no one was being exposed to new information from books. “Thus, the state intends that people should not complicate their minds with these unnecessary books inasmuch as these books have nothing in them that can help the cultivation of minds with regard to the manipulative objectives of the state.” (Atasoy 6) is how the author of Impediment to Knowledge and Imagination in Ray Bradbury’s Dystopian Novel, Fahrenheit 451 describes how books do not make society neutral. As books became more controversial in society, they were viewed as useless and unnecessary. Books often show different viewpoints on certain topics, and lots of times some books contain information that would contradict other books. With society turning mindless, people will become confused by these opposing books, making