Fahrenheit 451 – Censorship and Technology

Censorship and technology are some of Fahrenheit 451's most important themes. A Burning book as a form of censorship has been around for a long time. Fear of exposing people to information that is considered dangerous is associated with repressive regimes by controlling citizens access to ideas governments can control the people. Technology is also used by the government to censor and control their citizens TV distracts people disheartening them from having their own thoughts it encourages people to connect with electronics rather than other people. Real human connection is replaced with fabricated one's like Mildred's TV family. will you turn the parlor off? he asked. That is my family (46).

In Fahrenheit 451 people seem to have lost all touch with reality that they have forgotten what it means to be alive. Mrs. Phelps cries when Montag reads the poem because she hears emotion in his words. One of the points made by society in removing all literature and substitute it with tech which gave no room to think and proces the death of her second and third husbands. When Montag turned the TV off and asked Mrs. Phelps about her husband Mr. Phelps she was getting unsure of her husband's safety. he said if I get killed off, you just go right ahead and don't cry, but get married again, don't think of me. (91)In conclusion Bradbury's main point is the creation of a mass culture, as technology got more progressed the world got smaller and minority voices got louder.

So, a super PC culture was created to keep anyone for telling the truth that some other person could not handle. Captain Beatty says, we stand against the small tide of those who want to make everyone unhappy with conflicting theory and thought (59). But it is not only the government that is to blame. Ray Bradbury reprimands how Americans always want things to be simple and positive. Most people think with better technology comes more connected society. But Bradbury is saying that just because we have the best technology it isn't going to bring us closer to each other. Maybe technology is not the problem, but a poor solution to escape from this harsh reality of not living up to society's expectations, and the fear of failing.

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