Loss Of Humanity In Fahrenheit 451

Humans By Definition

The dictionary defines humanity as followed: “the human race; human beings collectively”, but it is what humanity connotes that really makes a human human. Being a human does not make one humane; it is having values, ethics, and culture that does. Humans are a complex species with ethical and logical thinking along with compassion for other creatures and things. It is the nature of humans that has allowed great development of our society within the short amount of time people have inhabited Earth. So if these traits and characteristics are what provides humans with their superiority and strive, what happens when it dissolves. The novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury conceptualizes the loss of humanity in a society

In the novel Fahrenheit 451 Mildred never seems to want to give her husband Guy any of her time or attention; she rather give it to her gadgets and entertainment. For example, Guy was trying to discuss his life crisis with his wife and she could not even be bothered to turn off the television “‘Will you turn the parlor off?’ he asked. ‘That’s my family.’ ‘Will you turn it off for a sick man?’ “I’ll turn it down.’ She went out of the room and did nothing to the parlor and came back” (Bradbury, 46). This example shows the large role that the TV played in Mildred’s life. Not even for her ill husband would she turn off let alone turn down a program she was not even actively watching. Place higher value over an inattimate than one 's own spouse is clearly inhumane and lacks compassion. Mildred even called the actors on her program her family demonstrating just how much the characters on a show meant to her. The distraction of her so called family eventually lead to her death because “the family pratted and chatted and said her name and smiled at her and said nothing of the bomb” (Bradbury, 152). Essentially Mildred used her “family” as a distractions from her problems. Mildred could not handle to the difficult reality that came along with supporting her own family so she turned to hoax of a TV family and regarded her own. Like a majority of the civilization, Mildred let her shells block out the worries of the world until eventually those issues caught up to her and engulfed her. The loss of humanity came along with loss of valuable relationships eventually causing the destruction of the entire