Critical Analysis Of Fahrenheit 451

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The future is viewed as a place of wonder, amazement, and prosperity. Ray Bradbury takes those aspects and forms a society of control, technology, and conformity in the novel Fahrenheit 451. Bradbury based those aspects off of World War II and the cold war which sparked a time of change and conflict for many citizens. Fahrenheit 451 bases its themes off of the conflicts going on in the 1950s by presenting a critical view point of the social and political systems. Fahrenheit 451 follows Guy Montag, a firefighter, and his struggle with society promoting his overall change of opinion. Through his contemplation of the good of his society, Montag metamorphosizes based on his interactions with his environment. Bradbury was able to create a conflicting …show more content…

In particular, Montag exhibits an explosive amount of conflict with Beatty in the first part of Fahrenheit 451 as Donald Watt would agree (n.p). As Montag changes, he questions society’s authority, which leads him to conflict with Beatty in order to determine the origin of society’s views. In response, Beatty pressures Montag by testing his limits and telling him what he should and should not choose (McGiveron n.p). These pressures build leading to the climax in which Montag kills Beatty. Montag’s brutal actions present conflict but also Montag ponders, “Beatty wanted to die so much that he just stood there, joking, meddling, thought Montag, How strange to want to die so much that you let a man walk around armed and then instead of shutting up, you go on yelling at people and making fun of them until you get them mad” (Bradbury 122). Bradbury expresses the growth in conflict because Montag shows little sympathy but rather just questions Beatty’s motives. Mildred also leads to conflict for Montag because of the way society changes her. As Wayne Johnson examines Mildred is a feeling of the present through her drug addiction and technological dependence (64). Mildred is not the loving wife Montag once knew but rather a projection of society. Beatty and Mildred cause Montag to realize that his “happy” life no longer exists forcing him to

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