Fahrenheit 451 Technology Analysis

Technology may seem like it’s a good thing and it could never hurt anyone, but that is not entirely true. (BS-1) Many people in this book spend so much time using technology and just being distracted, that it’s too hard for them to focus on anything. The ones who do endlessly watch tv are turning lifeless because they have no control over how much they watch. However, there are some characters in the text who do escape from these problems and they are the total opposites from the people who don’t. Many people in the book Fahrenheit 451 are too focused on their technology that they are damaging themselves and their society.

Many citizens are so distracted by their technology and other things that it is hard for them to actually focus on something.

Their tv made them so empty that they don’t even care about people and living things. When Montag had the women talk to him about their children, Mrs. Bowles responded by saying “‘I’ve had two children by Caesarean section. No use going through all that agony for a baby. The world must reproduce, you know, the race must go on. Besides, they sometimes look just like you, and that’s nice’” (92). Mrs. Bowles clearly doesn’t care about having her own children because she believes that there is no use going through all the agony for one. She also says that the only good part about having kids is that sometimes they look like you. Mrs. Bowels just thinks of babies as a thing and not a living human being which is not how they should be thought about. Montag was trying to get Mildred to ask him about what happened the night before, but she didn’t care. Montag called “‘Mildred?’. She returned, singing, snapping her fingers softly. ‘Aren’t you going to ask me about last night?’ he said. ‘What about it?’ ‘We burned a thousand books. We burned a woman.’ ‘Well?’” (47). The day after Montag had burned a thousand books and a woman, Mildred acted like it is not a big deal and she should not be concerned about it because the tv had made her lifeless and emotionless. The society is so lifeless that they call the parlor family their own family because they spend so much time watching it. Before

They also don’t spend their time doing mindless activities like watching tv, and instead they do something important with their lives. When Granger was remembering his grandfather, he described him like “what wonderful carvings never came to birth because he died. How many jokes are missing from the world, and how many homing pigeons untouched by his hands. He shaped the world. He did things to the world. The world was bankrupted of ten million fine actions the night he passed on” (149). Unlike other people in their society, Granger’s grandfather did great and helpful things in his lifetime. He made an impact on the world because he cares and he doesn't waste his days watching television or getting distracted by other noises. When Montag told Granger that he had forgotten, granger replied saying that they all have photographic memories and “Simmons here has worked on it for 20 years and now we've got the method down to where we can recall anything that’s been read once” (144). Simmons has spent many years of work and dedication and this proves that he is able to focus and spend his time doing useful and meaningful things, which other people in this world are unable to do. The ones who are able to focus and not be constantly distracted are the ones who can actually have relationships and real, meaningful conversations with each other. Montag was remembering Mildred being stuck in the war