3 Technological Innovations for Fairenheit 451
Three Technological Innovations How would the world be if there were no books around? Montag, a fireman in the future, burns books to get rid of the uniqueness they posses. This allows the government in Fahrenheit 451 to control how people think. By not allowing people to think for themselves, the government controls individuality. The people in the community can not process information very well, so they rely profoundly upon technology. The three technological innovations that affect the mood, character’s relationships, and society are the parlor walls, the Mechanical Hound, and the Seashells. One technological innovation mentioned in Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, is the parlor walls, which are giant televisions. The parlor walls cause Montag and Mildred’s relationship to deteriorate. For example, “…there [is] a wall between him and Mildred, when you come down to it …not just one wall but …three”(44). This shows how parlor walls affect Montag and Mildred’s relationship because Mildred, Montag’s wife, would rather watch the programs on the parlor walls than talk to Montag. Parlor walls also affect society. For instance, when “Montag reached inside the parlor wall and pulled the main switch the images drained away…[then] the three women turned slowly and looked with unconcealed irritation and then dislike at Montag”(94). This shows how much the society relies on parlor walls to go about their daily routine. Mildred and her friends even schedule days when they will go to one another’s house to watch their favorite programs such as The Family. Besides affecting society, the parlor walls give off a mood that is depressing as well as a sense of loneliness. Mildred sits at home all day and does nothing but watch the parlor walls. In addition to the parlor walls, the Mechanical Hound is another technological innovation. The Hound is the most violent piece of technology. An example of this would be when, “The Hound leapt into the air…Its needle shot out…the