Theme Of Loss Of Critical Thinking In Fahrenheit 451

Loss of critical thinking in Fahrenheit 451 The dictionary defines dystopia as an “imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives.” Ray Bradbury’s 1953 novel Fahrenheit 451 exemplifies dystopian writing at its finest. The loss of critical thinking reoccurs in this novel as a theme. Bradbury visualizes a society closely controlled by government and television. In Fahrenheit 451, the government incinerates the books, citizens watch television excessively, and the government sets up consequences for owning books. In this society, firemen do not put out fires; they start them. A fireman’s job consists of burning books, and the firemen do not even think about what their jobs actually incorporate. Instead of being concerned,

The government highly encourages television watching, as the citizens stupefy themselves by watching and watching. The government knows that if the people keep watching, they will not think critically and therefore not question the government. As much as the people watch television in the parlor, each household has many different television sets. Montag’s wife, Mildred, especially enjoys watching television and begs Montag: “It’s really fun. It’ll be even more fun when we can afford to have the fourth wall installed. How long you figure before we save up and get the fourth wall torn out and a fourth wall-TV put in? It’s only two thousand dollars.” (20). Citizens all think that that watching television makes you happier. People in the book think of the television characters as family, leading to the citizens interacting with one another less. The excessive viewing also leads to less critical thinking, as the citizens let the television characters think for them. The citizens in Fahrenheit 451 also watch the same shows in the parlor every day. Most citizens enjoy the excessive television watching and all think highly of it. If everyone agrees on the same thing, then people will not argue, and arguments do require critical thinking. Watching television excessively is another reason citizens in Fahrenheit 451 do not think