Examples Of Figurative Language In Fahrenheit 451

In “Fahrenheit 451”, there is a reoccurring theme in the plot that depicts a society that is continually assaulted by an omnipresent mass media so much so, it is an affront to the senses. The images shown on the screen are in a rapid fire rate, flashing in awe inspiring colors and patterns in a calculated attempt to produce distraction and fascination. As opposed to the televisions from the Mid Twentieth Century that Bradbury probably owned, these television sets were as big as entire rooms; all four walls streaming an interactive viewing experience to pacify the audience, thus eliminating the majority of meaningful interactions between people. Montag stated to Faber that he has to “can’t talk to the walls because they’re yelling at me. I can’t talk to my wife she; is listening to the wall.” (Bradbury, 78) Even when people leave their parlor rooms or they are sleeping, they have seashell earbuds inserted; not matter what time of the day, the populace is being inundated with fodder that keeps them distracted through most their day. Regardless of the medium, the quality of the information, the time to digest the information is are both hard to come by. Hedonism while not stated is the foremost trait that can be attributed to the society that Bradbury conjures with in the story. The urge to do what feels good and be happy is prevalent in the day to day lives of most people with in the country; they are so enamored with their own gratification, no one gives a second thought to

“Don’t face a problem, burn it.” (Bradbury 115). This is a quote from the book, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Fahrenheit 451 follows Montag’s journey after he begins to realize the truth about books. The overall theme is censorship and more importantly the result of it.

Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel published in 1950. The novel takes place in the futuristic American society where technology dominates in people’s lives. This is an era of prosperous technological advances, but people’s life quality is bad. The people live their life without knowledge, wisdom, and self-awareness. People are not critical because all books are banned, and illegal. The people think the same thing and they look alike also. The government uses propaganda to manipulate the people. Fear is the effective method the government uses to control them.

In the book, The Worst Years of Our Lives, Barbara Ehrenreich describes the current American response to the modern television. She believes that television had changed overtime as over a decade ago, a majority of things shown on television were things people could do themselves. Today, however, television is full of violence, close-range shooting, racing, etc. This worries her because today's people are unable to do what they see on television and eventually become "couch potatoes" when they watch for hours at a time. Her belief is that there's no reason for a person to continue watching television due to the boredom and jealousy it causes.

In Fahrenheit 451, technology ruins literature, and everyone’s life. Similar to in “Kid Kustomers”, technology ruins parents’ lives, as it explains that businesses are targeting kids for advertisements. These kids, annoy their parents until they give in to what they want. Both of the technology used in these texts is television. In Fahrenheit, television is responsible for replacing literature, curiosity, and intelligence. Technology is also the government's use of oppression. Faber states in Fahrenheit 451, “He took Montag quickly into the bedroom and lifted a picture frame aside, revealing a television screen the size of a postal card. "I always wanted something very small, something I could talk to, something I could blot out with the palm of my hand, if necessary, nothing that could shout me down, nothing monstrous big” (Bradbury Chap.2). Faber recognizes the power and danger that television has, and its ability to take over. Similar to how television is the main source of misconception and technology in Fahrenheit, Eric Schlosser states, “Far from being banned, TV advertising aimed at kids is now broadcast twenty-four hours a day, closed—captioned and in stereo...The typical American child now spends about twenty-one hours a week watching television — roughly one and a half months of TV every year” (Schlosser 3/4). This quote demonstrates how television is being used as business, rather than its original design for enjoyment. In conclusion, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and “Kid Kustomers” by Eric Schlosser, both use technology as a misconception, and a

Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451 presents readers with multiple themes. In the fictional society of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, books are banned and firemen create fires instead of putting them out. Bradbury portrays the society as dystopian. Bradbury crafted the novel to be interpreted intellectually. The characters claim to be happy. However, the reader can conclude otherwise. Bradbury creates a question for the reader to answer: Is ignorance bliss or does the ability to think for oneself create happiness? Bradbury shows the importance of self-reflection, happiness and the ability to think for oneself as well as isolation due to technology, and the importance of nature and animals. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury conveys the stories’ themes through characterization and symbols.

Would you rather have awareness of the world around you or just be completely oblivious? In Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, you clearly don't have a choice. Bradbury uses figurative language, symbolism, and biblical references in the book to express Bradbury’s concern about how powerful governments manipulate citizens.

It made them feel like they were experiencing the TV show or movie they were watching. In Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451 the television is described as a way the government manipulates the population’s mind. For example the main character Montag has an ignorant wife called Mildred and she tends to say things like “‘ It’s really fun. It’ll be more fun when we can afford to have the fourth wall installed. How long you figure before we save up and get the fourth wall torn out and a fourth wall-TV put in? It’s only two thousand dollars.’ ‘That’s one-third of my yearly pay’”(Bradbury 18). Montag’s wife Mildred does not care about him, she is just using him for her own benefits. People in the 1950s were probably as ignorant as Mildred and this might be why Bradbury created a character like her. Another quote on people’s obsession over TV’s is “‘Now,’ said Mildred, my family is people. They tell me things; I laugh, they laugh! And the colors’”(Bradbury 69)! Mildred is extremely obsessed with the TV, and even considers the characters in the TV her family. Implying that TV’s were a new thing in technology and captured everyone’s attention in the 1950s, Bradbury used this event in his book to relate with us in the

Pertinent biographical information on author (must include a citation that matches the Works Cited page): Ray Bradbury was born in Waukegan, Illinois on August 22, 1920. Bradbury chose the writer path at the age of twelve and thirteen where he later discovered the importance of writing and the library which supported him during The Great Depression. In 1934 his writing career started to rise becoming a member of the Los Angeles Science Fiction League resulting to him publishing four issues of his own magazines (“Ray Bradbury Biography”). Later on, Bradbury marries his wife Marguerite McClure in 1947 where his best fantasy work was displayed in magazines throughout the country. Today, Ray and Maggie Bradbury continue to live in Los Angeles. They have four daughters and eight grandchildren. Ray Bradbury still writes daily and occasionally lectures. At an age when most men rest in their home, Bradbury remains an active storyteller and contributor of clear answers to impossible futures that could be prevented (“About Ray Bradbury”).

One way Bradbury illustrates that people in the book are distracted instead of truly being happy is with the way the televisions are viewed as family. In the book when Montag our protagonist reads a poem for his wife and her friends as he reads one of the friends, Mrs. Bowles starts to tear up and is quoted to say, “Why do you people want to hurt people?.. Come on, let’s be cheery, you turn the ‘family’ on now… let’s laugh and be happy now” (101). This quote tells the reader that Mrs. Bowles feels that crying is not normal and they are hurting the people that they read the poems to. She also seems to think that turning on the television would make her happy when she talks about how the ‘family” on and let them be cheery. Another way Bradbury shows that the television distracts the characters in the book is when shortly after Montag and the other firemen go to a call and watch a woman catch on fire and burn to death he arrives at his house and talks to his wife Mildred and asks, “”Will you turn the parlor off?” Mildred responds with ‘That’s my family.” which Montag responds with ‘Will you turn it off for a sick man.’ and Mildred ‘I’ll turn it down… That’s my favorite program’(49). What this shows is that Mildred like Mrs. Bowles see the television as family and is not even willing to turn it off for her husband who is claiming to be sick and does not want the television to be on but she refuses but to turn it off because it is her favorite program.

It’s amazing to know that people can lose their freedom and their ability to be human if they don’t learn to protect certain things. An example is, when people lose happiness and fun. “Happiness is important. Fun is everything. And yet I kept sitting there saying to myself, I’m not happy, I’m not happy” (Bradbury 82). Another example is Guy Montag’s wife, Mildred is so obsessed with her television that she doesn’t pay attention to anything. She doesn’t pay any attention to her husband, nor does she cares about his feelings. This shows how there is a really big obsession with television in the society, “It’s really fun. It’ll be even more fun when we can afford to have the fourth wall installed. How long you figure before we save up and get

Ray Bradbury’s style of writing the book Fahrenheit 451 is very unique. He sets a mood of dystopia. Bradbury uses literary devices and makes the language from the characters very rebellious to how they are supposed to be living. The world the characters live in is controlled and people have little personal freedom.

In the novel, depicted are giants television screens that cover their entire walls that constantly broadcast government-approved news and entertainment. Ray Bradbury uses well thought out diction when expressing the characteristics of Montag’s wife. Presented in the novel, Montag’s wife desires to have screens on all four walls of her parlor, so that she can be entirely indulged in television. Bradbury’s commentary on society has come true to an extent referring to internet and television; individuals today in our society rarely read books, magazines, and/or newspapers,

Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian, science fiction novel, which is written through the perspective of Bradbury’s protagonist, Guy Montag. Fahrenheit 451 was initially published in 1953; however it is set in the twenty fourth century in a conformist society, where literature is illegal. Throughout Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury conveys some very important messages and ideas. Among these are; censorship, the influence of technology, individual

The world has changed a lot since Ray Bradbury penned the story Fahrenheit 451, but the story remains applicable. Bradbury’s dystopian world was a place where books were burned and their owners outcast. The book spun a tale of ignorance, discovery, and rebirth. There was an emphasis on literature, a dark underbelly of war, and a world comparable to our own.