In
the novel, Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury, the author, describes the
“civilized society” of the era as one that is not normal compared to the
society we live in today. In this novel, there are many actions that the
audience can see through the protagonist that may seem normal to them, however,
these actions are considered a peculiarity and some even illegal in the story.
First,
the concept of the “Fireman” is viewed differently. In the story, firemen were
used to burn books, which were illegal during the time. This may be because of
the general lack of interest in books that the people of this dystopian society
may have. Instead, forms of entertainment are underscored. Different forms of
entertainment include the television, radios blasting loud music, speeding
cars, and vivid advertisements. To the protagonist, however, these forms of
entertainment create a lifestyle with too much stimulation in which no one has
the time to concentrate.
Next,
the protagonist confronts a girl in the beginning of the book. The girl,
Clarisse McClellan, is thought to be odd in this “civilized society”. In the
story, Clarisse is alienated and viewed as an outcast because of her “strange”
acts such as hiking, playing with flowers, and asking questions. To the
audience, these are everyday, commonplace activities that one may do. However,
these actions are regarded to be “thinking too much”. Then, Clarisse continues
to talk about the endeavors of her family. She states that her “family sits
around and talks”, a pedestrian act. The protagonist is stupefied at this. Therefore,
we can already see a character that the audience may think of as “normal” in an
unusual behaving society.
In conclusion, the story embodies a dystopian
society in which certain behaviors are reckoned as atypical but the audience
may think of as realistic. However, through the eyes of the protagonist, it is
viewed as bizarre and out of place to do such things. The story makes a
connection to the readers by conspicuously pointing out that the different
activities that the reader may do in the real world would probably be
considered as unheard of or even illegal in the world of Fahrenheit 451.
