Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451
In a world where books are outlawed and knowledge is scoffed, separation from true feelings means true happiness. Or does it? Ray Bradbury’s book, Fahrenheit 451, illustrates exactly what the world would be if people were separated so completely from their feelings that they were unable to comprehend the true meaning and feeling of real satisfaction. Although Fahrenheit 451 and our society today are distinctly different, they also have some startling similarities. Why are people separated from their feelings in the first place? In Fahrenheit 451, people are disconnected from their feelings because they always indulge themselves in motion, in distraction, in TV. They even go so far as to over-medicate themselves to evade their personal feelings.
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In Fahrenheit 451, people are not truly happy; they are merely hiding behind a mask that even they themselves do not realize to exist. After Montag’s first conversation with Clarisse, the insightful and unusual girl next door, he realizes that she “...had run off across the lawn with the mask…” (Bradbury 9). Even though he tried to persuade himself that he was satisfied, she proved him incorrect. Our society has a tendency to hide behind a mask and pretend that we are not upset or hurt, but we are not unaware of the mask. We wear it to keep others satisfied and content without realizing our internal anguish. Sometimes, in Fahrenheit 451, people found themselves craving more and more because they believed they would feel fulfilled as long as they had the newest and best item. For example, Mildred is constantly bugging for entertainment items that they can’t really afford. “How long… a fourth wall-TV put in?” (Bradbury 18). Mildred just can’t help herself, and she longs for another, better, bigger item to try to fulfill her satisfaction. While Millie believes that she is happy because she can have updated items, on the inside, Millie is missing out on her true happiness, which comes from real life experiences, not Television shows. In our society, people want the newest, the largest, the best products. Sometimes, people feel as though this might satisfy
In Fahrenheit 451, people are not truly happy; they are merely hiding behind a mask that even they themselves do not realize to exist. After Montag’s first conversation with Clarisse, the insightful and unusual girl next door, he realizes that she “...had run off across the lawn with the mask…” (Bradbury 9). Even though he tried to persuade himself that he was satisfied, she proved him incorrect. Our society has a tendency to hide behind a mask and pretend that we are not upset or hurt, but we are not unaware of the mask. We wear it to keep others satisfied and content without realizing our internal anguish. Sometimes, in Fahrenheit 451, people found themselves craving more and more because they believed they would feel fulfilled as long as they had the newest and best item. For example, Mildred is constantly bugging for entertainment items that they can’t really afford. “How long… a fourth wall-TV put in?” (Bradbury 18). Mildred just can’t help herself, and she longs for another, better, bigger item to try to fulfill her satisfaction. While Millie believes that she is happy because she can have updated items, on the inside, Millie is missing out on her true happiness, which comes from real life experiences, not Television shows. In our society, people want the newest, the largest, the best products. Sometimes, people feel as though this might satisfy