Joseph Brodsky once said, “There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.” In an interview concerning his science fiction novel, Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury echoed these words because his novel displays such a crime. Although Fahrenheit 451 classifies as fiction, the book points out several problems that now take on the body of reality. Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 exhibits how technology possesses the capability of affecting people negatively through the characters’ actions and the story’s made-up creations. Bradbury’s characters’ actions show how television and other gadgets can disrupt human nature. Mrs. Phelps serves as an excellent example. Montag reads the poem Dover Beach to her and a few friends, and, at …show more content…
Without books and the woman that chooses to burn along with them when Montag burns a house, Montag would not arrive to the conclusion that “a man was behind each one of the books. A man had to think them up. A man had to take a long time to put them down on paper” (51-52). Montag finally knows the importance of books and the great effort a person puts into writing them. Had Montag not realized this, his journey to enlightenment would slow or halt completely because he would never learn to appreciate the beauty and information in stories. Montag might still believe what Beatty tells him when Montag feels ill: “The important thing for you to remember, Montag, is we’re the Happiness Boys, the Dixie Duo, you and I and the others. We stand against the small tide of those who want to make everyone unhappy with conflicting theory and thought” (61-62). If Montag still believed in Beatty’s words, Montag would never find something wrong with his job as a fireman. Montag would not rip free from society’s norm and make his journey in figuring out the flaws in society. Characters in the story do not break away from the norm and earn the same epiphanies and knowledge as Montag because the technologies dished out by the government blind them. Just as TVs prevent Mildred from forming an emotional connection with Montag, technologies prevent people from expanding their understanding. Personally, books are an important aspect of my life. All sorts of stories are crucial to my life; they are a means of escape. Sometimes, when I am overwhelmed by my problems, I take a moment for myself and read. After reading, I always feel significantly better. Also, due to reading, I am able to sympathize with others better. Reading fiction develops my ability to connect with people because I am forced to connect