Technological Temptations in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 (A literature analysis)

In a prime example of irony, a city floating on the back of innovation is destroyed by technology itself. This demolition effectively eliminates the anesthetized state of mind of the citizens in Fahrenheit 451 to allow society to begin afresh. The violent cleansing of civilization stems from the societal need for superficial enjoyment that leads to harmful technological “advancements”; these innovations ultimately poison the inhabitants’ way of life and ideals. The inability of the characters to retain their humanity in the presence of innovation illustrates Ray Bradbury’s view of technology as a dangerous temptation for the undisciplined human race.
         In Fahrenheit 451, society is utterly inundated with technology. Giant television screens known as parlor walls cover the insides of houses, and high-tech sports cars race in the streets; the characters develop a dependence on superficial entertainment, discouraging intellectual exchanges of ideas. This is evidenced among the children, as they “don’t talk about anything…they name a lot of cars or clothes or swimming pools mostly and say how swell! But they all say the same things and nobody notices anything different from anyone else” (Bradbury 28). And for adults, “happiness” is preserved with the censoring of intellectual content in the form of book burning. Without books, the citizens are capable of ignoring troubling ideas; they can succumb to their superficial lives numbed by excessive technology.
         Mildred Montag, the wife of the protagonist, emphasizes the personality-muting effect of technology as she lives vicariously through television shows so mindless “that five minutes later she can’t even remember what [they’re] about” (Green). She refers to her parlor walls as her “family,” and there are more TVs than people in the house. Rather than speaking to her husband, Mildred prefers to converse with her “family” in a program designed specifically for the interaction with the TV characters. There is no need for original thought, for each line of speech is scripted. The result is a withering of social skills that prevents Mildred from partaking in conversations of substance with her husband. Notably, the fact that technology takes precedence over all human interactions results in Mildred’s minimization of her own life. She derives pleasure exclusively from fictional characters, rendering her unable to appreciate the living. Her simulated relationships are unfulfilling, and Mildred begins to coast through a life of indifference due to the technological mundanity. 
         A life of technologically induced vapidity takes its toll on Mildred in the form of an attempt at suicide. This is a common occurrence in the world of Fahrenheit 451, as mind-numbing technology has infiltrated the entire society, and further mechanization is introduced to remedy the problem. Devices in the medical field evolve “to deaden the senses while keeping people alive as machines” (Bloom 6), bringing them closer to technology than ever before. The government deploys operators who travel with the “life-saving” innovations that slide “down into your stomach like a black cobra” (Bradbury 12). By comparing the machine to a snake, a long-standing symbol of evil, technology is depicted as a foul invention that results in the dehumanization of Mildred; she “was no more than a hard stratum of marble” (Bradbury 12) as all her blood and stomach fluid is replaced and sterilized. Bradbury utilizes this imagery to further emphasize the loss of humanity and the increasing dependence on innovation.
         The situation worsens, however, when it becomes apparent that a few individuals in the novel have retained their desire to think intelligently in the presence of technology. The government describes these deviators as “anti-social,” and, subsequently, attempts to eliminate those who threaten the “happiness” of society. The firemen of Fahrenheit 451 burn hidden books with their technologically advanced flamethrowers, and they slaughter those who attempt to defy the government with a killing machine (the Mechanical Hound). Clarisse McClellan, one such victim of government interference, is an intellectual, a dreamer, the type of person who doesn’t simply settle for a dull life of technological sameness- all of which makes her a threat to the government. Instead of watching the parlor walls, she and her family engage in profound discussions, and Clarisse pays for this deviation from the norm with her life. As Captain Beatty believes, the misfits in society are dangers to themselves and others; “the poor girl’s better off dead” (Bradbury 58). In this sense, Bradbury illustrates the loss of humanity of the firemen by depicting their inhumane treatment of those who reject innovation.
         Throughout the novel, Guy Montag, the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, becomes disillusioned as he begins to see the major flaws in society clearly with the help of the intellectuals. He recognizes the potential of technology to corrupt minds, but he comprehends that technology itself is not evil; it simply has been misused by the dysfunctional governing body and the deluded citizens of Fahrenheit 451. Montag therefore feels justified in turning the flamethrower on Captain Beatty, a proponent of human surrender to the temptation of technology. And suddenly, “he was a shrieking blaze…no longer human or known…like a charred wax doll” (Bradbury 113). This murder of passion is not an act of evil; it is an act of heroic necessity, for Captain Beatty’s death signifies the inception of a positive change in society as, for the first time, technology is used to eliminate a leader of the intellectual censorship. The antagonist’s timely demise is followed by the obliteration of the city in Fahrenheit 451, allowing for the purging of the benighted society. As Bradbury explains, “the whole culture’s shot through. The skeleton needs melting and reshaping” (Bradbury 83). By demolishing their homes, Bradbury demonstrates that their city of technology is corrupt and unnatural; ironically, the society is doomed by its own inventions.
         The survivors in Fahrenheit 451 hope to establish a new civilization beyond the influence of technology, but Granger, an intellectual who escapes the city in Fahrenheit 451, states that “when the war’s over…the books can be written again…and we’ll set it up in type until another Dark Age, when we might have to do the whole damn thing over again” (Bradbury 146). Through this character, Bradbury is implying that “the nature of life is cyclical” (Sisario 202), meaning the “rotation of knowledge” will continue in a sequence of ups and downs due to the seductive nature of innovation.
         This concept is highly applicable in our present-day society due to our constant push for technological advancement, which leads one to question if we can retain our humanity with the inevitable increase of innovation. Rodney Smolla, dean of Washington and Lee University School of Law, offers a hopeful stance. He declares, “If we are self-aware, we can have our technological advances and still fight to maintain our humanity. But we must be purposeful and contemplative to do so” (Smolla 911). Montag, for one, is able to retain a presence of mind; his desire to read books and eliminate Captain Beatty even while in the midst of seductive technology illustrates Smolla’s point.
         Ray Bradbury explores a variety of technological “advancements” to demonstrate his opinion on innovation and human nature. As the people in Fahrenheit 451 become focused on their television shows and fancy ear buds, they lose both their tenuous hold on humanity and their will to live. Information in books becomes meaningless, and the society demands superficial enjoyment- while allowing the government to use technology to eliminate anything and anyone that gets in its way. The irony of technological advancements leading to societal destruction emphasizes the dangers of excessive innovation for those who are unable to remain self-aware. In the eyes of Ray Bradbury, we must take care to retain our humanity in the presence of enticing innovation.