Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 shows a resemblance to our world today. Bradbury uses various rhetorical devices helps to depict the effects of a society without books. The novel warns readers of moronic influence and a lack of originality. Characters in Bradbury’s novel such as Mildred, Mrs.Phelps, and more cannot think for themselves. The characters practically all think and behave the same. Citizens in this society lack empathy for others and care little about the value of human life. Without books, people in this society sit in front of the television all day which they believe is happiness.
The inhabitants are “content” living in a society with fabricated happiness, which is essentially not happiness at all. Bradbury illustrates one example of a flaw in this society through Mildred. Mildred says, “But I think she’s dead… I forgot all about it” (47). After four days Mildred eventually recalls the fact that Clarrise passed away, and lets Montag know. How can a human being “forget” something so important? This reveals a lack of empathy for others. Bradbury depicts society’s imperfections in the novel to argue, that society will ultimately decline in a world with no books. Bradbury’s use of numerous literary techniques helps to further strengthen his argument.
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The characters live in a world with no books; resulting in innumerable flaws in their society. People did not know how to think for themselves, had no imagination, and a lack of morals. All of the above and more resulted in the downfall of their society. The author uses another character within the book, Captain Beatty, to exemplify another flaw in their society. Beatty talks about school and the corruption in how young children turn out. He says, “With school turning out more runners, jumpers, racers, tinkerers, grabbers, snatchers, fliers, and swimmers, instead of examiners, critics, knowers, and imaginative creators” (57).
The author uses rhyme to further depict how the school system is corrupt. Young citizens are not thinking, creating, or experimenting, they’re all doing the same thing, which is in essence, nothing. The author uses -er at the of the sentence to grab the readers’ attention, which helps to get across his message. By giving multiple examples throughout the novel, Bradbury strengthens his argument. Overall Bradybury’s language and literary tools emphasize to readers his exigence and main argument. Society cannot and will not survive without books. In the novel, a lack of books caused an inability to think, an absence of morals, and insufficient imaginative thinking.
Readers can recognize this argument through Montag, who in the end realizes the need for books in his society. Granger says, “You can’t make people listen; they have to come around on their own” (153). Bradbury may believe that you cannot make people listen, but that they have to come around on their own. Ray Bradbury’s message is not entirely just censorship or technology will destroy society, which many people believe. Although, this is not his message it is, in fact, a piece of his message. If we have no books, we are thinking the same, right and wrong are blurred, and we will not care about imagination.
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