Download Fahrenheit 451: Ray Bradbury's Literary Journey and Themes and more Exams Technology in PDF only on Docsity! Intro to Fahrenheit 451 Lecture Notes, Background, and Themes Ray Bradbury (1920-2012) As a child, Bradbury recalls an intense fascination with monsters, magicians, and adventure films. He began writing stories at the age of 12. He wrote for Alfred Hitchcock and The Twilight Zone. Bradbury is the author of more than 500 published literary works that include short stories, plays, novels, poetry, and screenplays. What do You Think? Despite its benefits, technology can have unpredictable consequences on our society. What are some of these potential consequences? The Novel: Fahrenheit 451 was published in 1953. It is a novel of social criticism that warns against the dangers of suppressing thought through censorship. It uses the conventions of science fiction to convey a message that “oppressive government, left unchecked, can do irreparable damage to society by limiting the creativity and freedom of its people”. What is Social Criticism? Social criticism analyzes (problematic) social structures, and aims at practical solutions by specific measures, radical reform, or even revolutionary change. Fahrenheit 451 is a social criticism that warns against the danger of suppressing thought through the censorship of books. Personal Context On a more personal level, Bradbury used Fahrenheit 451 as a means of protesting what he believed to be the invasiveness of editors, who, through strict control of the books they printed, impaired the originality and creativity of writers. Bradbury Was Right… In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury tries to “prevent the future,” not predict it, but he actually does anticipate the future. Seashell Radios Parlor Walls Population Explosion A reliance on technology to mediate all social experience What Else was Bradbury Right About? • A rise in violence (including gun violence) • The use of televised surveillance footage for many purposes. • Growing illiteracy • The condensation of information into what we now call “sound bites.” Theme: Ignorance vs. Knowledge What does true happiness consist of? Is ignorance bliss, or do knowledge and learning provide true happiness? In this world, firemen promote ignorance by destroying books—and with them—knowledge. Theme: Technology-Deadening Human Experience Technology in Bradbury’s 24th century is highly advanced and dominates society. TV, radio broadcasts, fast cars and atomic weapons dominate people’s experiences—at the expense of things like nature, music and poetry. Theme: Dystopian Society The “Dystopia” motif, popular in science fiction—that of a technocratic and totalitarian society that demands order at the expense of individual rights—is central to the novel. an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one.
