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.
The Life of a Writer
In 1940, Bradbury sold his
first story.
In 1942, he was able to
quit his newspaper job
and write full-time.
His first novel was The
Martian Chronicles, which
describes humankinds
first attempt to colonize
the planet Mars.
This novel combines
science fiction with social
commentaryan approach
that characterizes much of
his work.
Social Concerns

Bradburys works
explored the threat of
nuclear war, censorship,
racism, conformity, and
the dangers of
technologyissues that
still concern us today.
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.
Historical
Context

Fahrenheit 451 was

developed in the years
immediately following World
War II.
It condemns not only the
anti-intellectualism of Nazi
Germany (book burnings),
but also America in the
1950sthe heyday of
McCarthyism, and a growing
fear of communism.
Other influential social
criticisms of the time include
George Orwells 1984 and
Animal Farm.
The 1950s

By mid-century, nearly The United States

60% of Americans were became an automobile
members of the middle culture.
class; they had more
discretionary income. The increase in
prosperity after the war
Consumerism = Success led to an increased
The electronics industry passivity and conformity.
became the 5th largest Jobs were plentiful and
industry. Television had the common adage of
a widespread impact in the time period was:
American homes. follow orders, and you
will succeed.
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.
Themes: Censorship

Censorship is defined as
the removal or
withholding of
information from the
public by a controlling
group or body.
Typically done by
governments, religious
and secular groups,
corporations, or the
mass media.
Censorship in the Novel

In the world of
Fahrenheit 451, books
are burned because they
trigger thought and
discontent, two things
that are unwelcome in
this happiness oriented
society.
Whats unexpected about
the censorship in
Fahrenheit 451 is that it
seems to have originated
with the people, not the
government.
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 booksand
with themknowledge.
Theme: Technology-Deadening
Human Experience
Technology in Bradburys
24th century is highly
advanced and dominates
society.
TV, radio broadcasts, fast
cars and atomic weapons
dominate peoples
experiencesat the
expense of things like
nature, music and
poetry.
 an imagined
place or state in
which everything
Theme: Dystopian Society is unpleasant or
bad, typically a
totalitarian or
environmentally
degraded one.

The Dystopia motif,

popular in science
fictionthat of a
technocratic and
totalitarian society that
demands order at the
expense of individual
rightsis central to the
novel.
Dystopias
Characteristics Types of Control
Propaganda is used to Corporate/Economic: large
control citizens. corporations control
Information, independent society through products,
thought, and freedom are advertising, and/or the
restricted. media.
A figurehead or concept is Political: red tape,
worshipped by citizens. relentless regulations and
Citizens are under incompetent government
constant surveillance. officials.
Citizens feel trapped and Technological: society is
struggle to escape. controlled by technology
The natural world is robots, computers, etc.
banished and distrusted. Philosophical/Religious:
Citizens are dehumanized. ideology is enforced
through a dictatorship or
The society is an illusion of theocratic government.
a perfect utopian world.
Can you think of any additional
examples of dystopias in film or
literature?