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Technology in the book fahrenheit 451 essay
How does fahrenheit 451 relate to the real world
How does fahrenheit 451 relate to the real world
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"A book is a loaded gun in the house next door" (Bradbury 56). This quote was from Fahrenheit 451, a book where technology takes over a society and diverse knowledge is banned. People who own books are deemed crazy and have everything burned down. It connects to Harrison Bergeron, a short story by Kurt Vonnegut, where everyone is equal by bringing everyone down to the lowest average. People in this dystopian society are handicapped mentally and physically and when someone decides to rebel they are met with grave consequences.
The two stories, “Harrison Bergeron” and Fahrenheit 451, both have common themes. The common themes of the stories may include; our reliance on technology can spiral out of control if we let it, knowledge is joyful and painful, and that we can be confined by our own self-censorship. All of these themes are exhibited throughout both stories frequently. Whether it is as Montag has conflict with his wife over books or as Harrison’s parents forget right from wrong in their society. In Fahrenheit 451, their technology definitely gets out of control.
In the short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, society has been flipped upside down by a corrupt government that has obligated everyone to wear a handicap to limit their strength, intelligence, beauty, etc. The government said that they did this to create a sense of equality among the people, but their true intentions have been inferred that they have done this to control every aspect of society. The story begins in 2081 when Harrison Bergeron is introduced, a character who has a controversial role in the story, but whose handicaps have definitely affected him both mentally and physically. In the story, Harrison is described by using direct and indirect characterization. Direct characterization is when the author describes a character
Do the titles Divergent, The Giver, and The Hunger Games sound familiar? It’s no surprise if they do because these books are some of the most popular utopian turned dystopian books to date. The utopian/dystopian genre reached its greatest peak around 2013! But... why? Why is the general audience in love with the type of theme shown in Harrison Bergeron, another utopian/dystopian story written by Kurt Vonnegut in 1961?
Why People Need to be Knowledgeable. Knowledge is powerful and is the base of a great nation. Without it, a nation may be corrupt and have many issues. The novel Fahrenheit 451(Bradbury) proves Dr. Gai Chol Paul’s claims about ignorance causing nations problems in his article “How Ignorance Destroys a Nation.”(Gai Chol Paul)
Help and Hurt of Knowledge Does the discovery of knowledge and destruction of knowledge morph the way someone views society? This question is explored in Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451. A novel set in a dystopian world in the future that follows the life of a firefighter who starts fires, not stops them. In the novel, some people thirst for knowledge that can get them killed. Ray Bradbury uses diction to highlight the theme that a thirst for knowledge can either help or hurt society.
With injustice and cruelty running rampant in the world, it is unsurprising that people become determined to make things better for tomorrow. The cliché saying that the ends justify the means is often quoted by those aware of the moral greyness of their actions. Commendable yet unreasonable, leaders whose sole purpose in life is to fix what they see as “wrong” with the world fall prey to thinking there is only ally or enemy. In the long run, they harm those they try to liberate.
Fahrenheit 451 and Harrison Bergeron: Will it be Handicaps or Freedom Fahrenheit 451 was written by Ray Bradbury and published in 1953, it is regarded as one of his best works (Fahrenheit 451). It is a science fiction novel written about the future where books were outlawed and it was the firemen’s jobs to burn any book or any home that contained a book. Books were considered a form of judgment to the people in the future. Reading certain ones could put someone in a bad position due to gaining knowledge from a book, and could affect someone in a way that the government did not approve of.
One common afternoon in the year of 2081, when everyone was equal, Hazel and George Bergeron were in their lovely living room watching television. Suddenly, a news reporter with a severe speech impediment came on. After trying many times to say, “Good morning ladies and gentlemen,” he handed it off to a ballerina who read, “Harrison Bergeron, age 14, has just escaped from jail, where he was held on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government. He is a genius and an athlete, is under-handicapped, and should be regarded as extremely dangerous.” However, in this short story “Harrison Bergeron”, Kurt Vonnegut uses irony, shift and mood, and allusion to illustrated haw society would be if everyone was under the law of equality.
Knowledge can be compared to a torch, or fire. Fire brings light and can help guide us through darkness. At the same time, fire, when not used wisely or contained, can lead to destruction. Similarly, the human species can use knowledge to further advance us, or we could let it tear us down. This is a common theme in the novels
In a dystopian world, “The year was 2081 and everyone was finally equal. They weren't only equal before God and law. They were equal in every which way” (1). George and Hazel Bergeron live in a society where the government enforces equality, by using ear radios and weight balls. Their son, Harrison Bergeron is imprisoned for rebelling against government rule of an equal and safe society.
While reading the short story, “Harrison Bergeron”, the recurring aspects of a utopia to dystopia narrative came to light. A true paradise that is constructed in a story invisions a flawless society. However, over time the higher power becomes deluded from their overall mortality, turning the fairy tail society into a complete disaster. It is hard to say that composing all aspects of life to be “equal” is the right way to live. It seems far too senseless, especially equaling out characteristics such as appearances or specific talents.
The Power Of Knowledge People can rely on literacy and social awareness to help them be better aware and more thoughtful. But when people have neither of these skills it can harm the view they have on their surroundings. Fahrenheit 451 is an example of what would happen if social awareness and literacy were looked down on. In the society where the story takes place in not many are socially aware or can read. This lack of awareness and literacy drives people to take great lengths for their beliefs and wants, this is a problem because they don't think about the consequences their actions will have.
. Falling into the category of dystopian, “Harrison Bergeron” displays many different aspects that call forth this classification. Typically displaying characteristics such as an unnaturally dark setting, an uneasy and often oppressive atmosphere, and usually rebellion, dystopian literature portrays some of the worst possible scenarios for the future, should we continue to follow whatever path the author sees the world on. Within the story, an unsettling atmosphere that is both dark and oppressed is portrayed throughout the exposition. Descriptions of the setting and how equal the people were in that society, especially pertaining to the handicaps help tremendously in creating this form of atmosphere.
The short story “Harrison Bergeron”, was first published in October 1961 issue of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Some other works Kurt Vonnegut has written are, “Player Piano”, “The Sirens of Titan”, “Mother Night”, and “Cats Cradle” are just a few of the novels Vonnegut has written. Kurt Vonnegut has drawn on facts and incidents in his own life in his writings. Kurt’s short stories range from visions of future societies, that are extensions of modern societies. Many of his writings are ones that are science fiction.
