Dystopia In Fahrenheit 451

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To properly examine Fahrenheit 451 as a dystopian novel a definition of dystopia is required. A dystopian society is a society characterized by human misery. The purpose of a dystopian novel critically analyzes dangerous social trends and provides a glimpse of a possible future. The future is portrayed as nightmarish and one which dehumanizes people and strips them of their in, individualism and offers a simulated sense of pleasure and reality which when combined keep society in check. Comparatively, Alas Babylon exhibits these features on a less significant scale and falls short when compared to Fahrenheit 451 as a dystopian novel.
Humanity has been crucial for forming a just society. However, in Fahrenheit 451 society becomes dehumanized …show more content…
Montag’s wife Mildred acts as an example of what society has become. Montag contemplates how his wife became a shell of a person “How do you get so empty?...“Who takes it out of you?” (Bradbury 44). At this point deeper emotional connections are no longer formed or even needed. The parlour TV offers all the stimulus and pleasure of having a relationship without the personally involvement. Mildred considers the people on TV to be her “family” and is completely engrossed in her false reality. At one point she exclaims, "Now my `family' is people. They tell me things; I laugh, they laugh! And the colours" ( Bradbury 73). This mindset is encouraged by society and the government. The government sees the only way to keep peace in society is to create an illusion of reality through the constant exposure to music, TV’s, and advertisements. This still rings true today, our obsession with technology is chipping away at our social interactions. Bradbury was able to recognize the trend early on and writes Fahrenheit 451 as a warning. On the other hand, Alas Babylon portrays a post apocalyptic society that is regressing not because of a dangerous social trend but rather a nuclear war. War is not determined by the individual but, the government. The warning that Alas Babylon provides is not something that everyone can apply or use. Additionally, in Alas Babylon people are confronted with reality early on. Although at the …show more content…
However, in many cases we have seen the opposite form. From totalitarian governments in North Korea to Hitler’s fascist movement, humanity created a dystopian society under the guise of a utopia. The entire debate of which novel better represents a dystopian society falls down to the definition and purpose of a dystopia. Fahrenheit 451 shows the dangers of societal trends and is able to portray a large scale dehumanization, loss of individuality, and engrossment in a virtual reality. Contrastingly, these important aspects for a dystopian novel are not prevalent nor is the message about the dangers of war useable. In conclusion, dystopian novels send a message to the world but, the real question is “are we
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