Analysis Of Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 451 As Symbols Of...

Introduction How are books and television used in Fahrenheit 451 as symbols of freethinking and conformity? In 1951 Ray Bradbury wrote this letter to a fellow science fiction writer, Richard Matheson: â€Å"Radio has contributed to our ‘growing lack of attention.’ [†¦] This sort of hopscotching existence makes it almost impossible for people, myself included, to sit down and get into a novel again. We have become a short story reading people, or, worse than that, a QUICK reading people.† The use of television plays an enormous role in creating conformity and â€Å"happiness† within the society. The 1950’s are often referred to as the age of television, and it was in this time that coloured television was introduced, harbouring a potential in the view of Ray Bradbury to overshadow and completely eradicate books. Ray Bradbury lived in a time of extreme technological advancements and the fear that such advancements might be disastrous in our societies was ever so present within his mind. The question arises of the relevance of such a topic in today’s society. I would argue that it is more relevant than ever. The question of government control is ever so present today, especially through the modes of technological monitoring and online censorship. Although Ray Bradbury argues that his novel is not meant to be a focus on censorship, it is a connection that can be drawn, and is very much in connection with the world of today. With greater advancements in technology than when this book