Theme Of Technology In Fahrenheit 451

The novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury expresses many ideas that recognize the path our society is headed towards. One of the most important themes recognized in the novel is that technology causes society to become selfish, detached, therefor lowering the value of humanity and the lives of people. It establishes this theme by recognizing the different factors that brought society to the edge of its downfall. Technology is causing people to disregard the rest of the world using the selfishness already has to its advantage. It then separates people from each other, eventually causing the value of being human and living have a much lesser value. Unfortunately, we can see this beginning to happen in our society just as it did in the society

It does this by separating people from one another. It’s impossible to have a relationship with someone or care for them when you are never aware of their situation. For Montag, it was the parlor walls that separated him and Mildred. The parlor walls were symbolic, a motif, that represented how technology destroyed the Montag’s relationship. When Montag was trying to remember how he met Mildred, he recognized that he hardly knew her at all because they never spent any time together. Page 44 states, “Well, wasn’t there a wall between him and Mildred, when you came down to it? Literally not just one wall but,so far, three!...No matter when he came in, the walls were always talking to Mildred”. The technology pushed their relationship away, causing them to never see each other, making sure that there is no reason Mildred would care for Montag if he would be gone. Even when Montag did get caught for keeping all the books, Mildred didn’t care that she would never see her husband again. Page 114 states, “She shoved the valise in the waiting beetle, climbed in, and sat mumbling, ‘Poor family, poor family, oh everything gone, everything, everything gone now…”. The main wedge in their marriage were the parlor walls. Due to the technology offered, people were seperated. Such separation gives people little compassion and care for each other. If the parlor walls hadn’t been there, the Montag’s would have been a much happier couple. Unfortunately, these parlor walls didn’t only separate individuals, but they also shaped society to look at ideas in one way. When Faber explains to Montag why people stopped reading, he explains that people rather have fun than be aware of the world. On page 87, Faber states, “‘Can you dance faster than the White Clown, shout louder than ‘Mr Gimmick’ and the parlor ‘families’? If you can, you’ll win your way, Montag. In any event, you’re a