Fahrenheit 451 Modernism Essay

Development of Modernism and Structure of Fahrenheit 451 Society

It will be discussed in this paper effects of modernism upon society on Fahrenheit 451 and criticism of Fahrenheit 451’s society; how does modernism influence the society, how does it formulate structure of society on Fahrenheit 451.

Rad Bradbury in his futuristic tale of a society where all printed material is banned, chose the title Fahrenheit 451, since that is the tempereture at which book paper catches fire and starsts to burn. A fireman employed to burn books in this society tells us how it all started with people ripping a page or a paragraph from books. A day came when the books were empty and the minds shut and the libraries closed forever. Are we moving towards that

destiny? (Banerjee 319)

As pointed out the quotation above belonged to Banerjee Sumanta, the distopian novel Fahrenheit 451 narrates a world which it is banned by authority to read or to publish book. People are afraid of firemen due to their duties. It is confirmed as ordinary act for society since men do not know the age when firemen put out the fire.
20. century includes of many wars and political polarization between world’s county. Fahrenheit 451 was written in 1951 by American novelist Rad Bradbury in order to criticize the society which is trapped the modern world and to stimulate the people the jeopardy which waits the world in the future. The period of World War I.which divides the countries into 2 political group: The Central Powers which involves United Kingdom, France and Russia and Allied Powers which includes Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary Empire and Italy ( then it withdraws from Powers.). In 1917 years, The October Revoluton emerged in Russia and following these facts, Russian withdrawed due to revolution. Hereby, The Communist Rejime ruled over throughout Russia. With end of World War in 1918, Imperialist Countries gained a victory and commenced occupation upon the territory of Allied powers most particularly Ottoman Empire ( at present Anatolia, Republic of Turkey). Other fundamental battle is World War II whose parties are Allies Powers: United Kingdom, the United States, The Sovyet Union, France and Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan. Nuclear Weapons, which are the greatest symbol of how science and technology metamorphosed a hazardous weapon, arised stage of history by whole severity and ferocity. One Of Allied Powers, the United States coventrized its enemy country Japan’s Hiroshima and Nagasaki province by launching Atomic Bomb which led to the death of people, environmental disaster and birth of uhealth children.
The United States had a role which brought the victory for the Allies Powers in World War I. Then it became the most significant ally of Allies Powers in World War II. After Second World War, the United Stated caught the most highest level. In addition to its achievements in world wars, it had financial forces which originated from its development on industry. Industrial Revolution commenced in 18. Century in Europe with effects of Age Of Englightenment. With revolution, mechanization increased, therewithal it decreased the need of manpower. Unemployment issue occured as a side reaction of revolution. The Unite States did not remain behind of industrialization movements. The English has founded colonies on the United States before revolution and then these colonies proclaimed their independence by American Declaration of Independence dated 4 July,1776. Thus the ‘’ American’’ concept approved above whole race who existed in state.
In 1900 years, great part of population maintained their life in ranch in the United States.

People are generally farmer. However, unto the beginning of 20.century, lifestyle began to tranform due to mechanization and Industrial Revolution. People immigrated to urban from ranch territory to find job and to earn theirs family keep. Furthermore they thought they had life which was more higher welfare level, in the urban. In 1980 years, majority of population started to settle in urban. The state urbanized, moreover the faubourg occured. On the other hand, the whites consisted the majority. Proviously, slave trade had existed ,but afterwards it was banned in 1808 to restrain entering of immigrant to state. Development of urbanization enhanced training level and quality, and also health standards. People could exploit these opportunities more than past. Orientation to sportif activity accrued since people had more financial gain. And the most significant breakthrough was field of media and intercommunication which ensured conveyance between the masses. Contrivance of televisyon in 1923 marked an era in the history in which it affected human lifestyle, thought, act, written and verbal communication. In Fahrenheit 451, the scriptor displayed these effects of technological advancement by fictionalising a distopian bourne in which people were restricted and suppressed by

laws.
By the beginning of Age Of Enlightenment in 17. and 18.century, a great deal artwork on philosophy, politics and literature were delivered. Indeed this age was insubordination to parish and its oppressor rules. It was advocated that humanity should elude from parish comprehension and gravitate towards intelligence by confirming supremacy of intellect. These advancement and rationalistic thoughts brought in company with the Industrial Revolution on following age. In Industrial Revolution, a new machineries were invented and correspondingly these discoveries mechanization increased. Afterwards, a new small factroies were established. And then these small factories grew up by transuming into a huge form. People immigrated to urban from countryside to find job and save money. But the majority worked in factory in exchance the low wages, and also some of them could not find a job for work. A working class conssisted. On the other way, there was slavery on community. Meanwhile the working classes still got poor, owner of factories was getting welth. Thereby, entity of working class and income injustice triggered off Socialism. Other economic system was Capitalism in which advocated capital accumulation and laissez faire economy. Effects of capitalism, in the United States, Age of Englightenment transumed into Modernizm in which refused old precedent belonged to kirk and its sovereignty.
Modernism , which criticized many philosopher, was one of the most significant thought system in 20. Century. Towards to middle of 20. Century, it was replaced with post-modernism due to variety justification such as World War II, capitalism and developing world economies. Maintaing its existence until middle of 20.century modernism advocated that objective and universal knowledge could be reached only with intelligence and experiment. Concisely modernism justified to consist a new upper culture by demosilhing the superrannuated moulds. Alterations occured on social and political structure with reflection of Industrial Revolution and hegemony of democracy and humanism upon the universe were circumstances which emanated the modernism.
Not only modern human of modernizm could direct its life with its mentality but it also dominates the nature by analyzing it with the mind.The mind is the greatest power. Therefore, It needs neither the God which creates and regulates the cosmos nor religions. Everything which could not to be comprehened by mind, is externalised and disregarded.(Kose 37)

Modernizmin modern insanı, aklı ile hem kendi yaşamına yöne verebilir hem de doğayı akıl ile çözümleyerek ona hükmedebilir. Akıl en büyük güçtür. Bu yüzden ne evreni yaratan ve düzenleyen bir Tanrı’ya ne de dinlere ihtiyaç vardır. Akıl ile kavranamayan her şey dışlanır ve yok sayılır.( Kose 37)

The sciptor, who clearly does not allowed for the God conception in Fahrenheit 451, reflects modern culture of American society which also he belongs. As empahized in quatiton above, modernism justifies being scientific by rejecting the divinity.
American community between period of the beginnig and middle of 20. Century was modern society in which it appropriated and acknowledged the modernism as culture and manner of life. The community liquidated superrannuated moulds and kirks’s hegomony by composing new upper culture and race as called Americans. Sekularism was confirmed as polity in contradistinction to church and state governance in Europe commonweal. On field of philosophy and science, The God- centered model in philosophy and science was abandoned and assessments oriented being scientific, tangibility and rationalness subrogated instead of it. Herewith, the United States became the most powerful state on the universe by the advancement on the field technology and science.
Effects of modernism on American society were displayed in Fahrenheit 451 which was written American distopian novelist Ran Bradbury in 1951. Bradbury, indeed aspired to criticize American community in this distopian novel by conceiving a new fictitious world. It would be presumptive if it was not made provision against to destructive impacts of modernism, this book could be real in the future. This great chef-d’oeuvre indited by Rad Bradbury pointed out how modernism formulated community and how directed society’s thoughts and behavior.
There were a social order in which individual obeyed rules. Such that they were afraid of to flout the law and they donounced each other in the case of breaking law, without hesitation. In book, when protagonist Guy Montag’s wife Mildred found out her husband was reading and hiding books in theirs household, she delated Montag to Firestation Department. She behaved as if her husband committed an horrid offense. This case clearly demonstrates that individual of state were scared of laws and government and so they could uncomplicatedly give up from their family at the risk of mislaiding them. Also it was considerable that individuals were lack of sense. They treated as if they were robot and did not sense anything. Justification, which lied behind this stolidity, could become technological development and over servitude of this technology.
In book, individuals dwelt on a state in which to read and to purvey books are proscribed by the Constitution. Books are pernicious more than to slaughter somebody. İndiviuals sacred of books as if they were detrimental wares. It could be addressed to that one day people would not to read book, they prefered to to pass the theirs time in front of the Tv, computer or cellphone. And also descendants, who did not read books and were captured by the technology, would lead to the frustration.
It was seemed there was not the God-centrism in which modernism never contained within itself it under no circumstance. Moreover, the god and religion conception did not exist. Nevertheless, instead of God, there was another conception called as ‘’ the Constitution’’. Captain Beatty the antagonist character, expressed that in book: ‘’ Not everyone born free and equal, as the Contituiton says but everyone made equal.’’ (77). The Contitution substituted the god conception and undertaked its duty. ‘’ It is emphasized that the difference between these two concepts.’’made equal’’ and ‘’ made equal’’(Brown 56). This statement clearly pointed out that the Constitution, which claimed that people did not created equal but the Constitution made them equal. It meant that the Constitution regarded itself transcendant than the God. At this point, the target could be the United States’s Government. The scriptor could intend that The Constitution refered to The United States; its warface policy which resulted from controlling everything in the universe. The renowned American author, Ernest Hemingway wrote in his masterpiece about effects of war on the society and represented other face of war.
‘The overman’ philosophy, which suggested by renowned German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, advocated that man should develop and get over itself. Nietzche assumed that man was destituent creature. When the man disposed of fallacy and sacred being which it had, it would surpass the defiency and complemented itself. The man would become ‘the overman’ if it always surpassed itself. From this point of view of Nietzche, it could be expressed in book that the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag reached level of the overman. Because at the beginning of the novel, he was the ordinary character and ordinary fire- officer who obeyed The constitution without questioning. But when he encountered a girl named Clarrisse, his view of point about books and mentality commenced to transume on the good way. Montag auspicated to illuminate throughout the interval which they spoke. Afterwards this process, due to his experiment which he encounter in overtime period, he commenced to interrogated himself about his work, life firestation system and also rules and laws about books. He was thinking as that how or why did such like people ( he referred to peopple reading and hiding books.) damage other people?. One night, at work, he introduced a woman who refused to renounce the her books. Upon her refusing to renounce her books, firemen burn her together with books. Montag, who influenced this afflictive occurent, reviewed why he worked in this duty and that books had something.
But now, tonight, someone had slipped. This woman was spoiling the ritual. The men were making too much noise, laughing, joking to cover her terrible accusing silence below.She made the empty rooms roar with accusation and shake down a fire dust of quilt that was sucked in their nostrils as they plunged about. It was neither cricket nor correct.Montag felt an immense irritaion. She should’t be here, on top of eveything! (50).

Montag’s these interrogations were steps which brought him to the overman. And then Montag begin to read books and discovered utterly different world which did not resemble their world. Montag has already lightened, and he metamorphosed someone else. When he decide to destroy firestation system, he was denounced by his wife, Mildred to hide book in their household. He fleed and went to Clarrise. Clarrise and a lot of people lived in forest to memorise the books. And he commenced to live with these bibliyofils and he was not a fireman anymore. He metamorphosed to someone else, the overman
The point of view of Nietzche about Republic was that the government was one of the greatest obstacle restrained improvement of humanity.

Nietzche admitted the Government as a ‘icon’ and it should be demolished. He criticized modernism and also criticized modern government. In Fahrenheit 451, the ‘icon’, which should be demolished, was the ‘ Constitution.’ Because, in book, the greatest obstacle restrained improvement of humanity was the Constitution. Individuals, who was obstructed to read book, did not illuminate and not improve themselves. The Constitution seized the right of knowledge acquisition since it admitted well-informed individuals was the threat for security of society.

The Constitution, the government of Fahrenheit 451 is despotic. It intends to control individuals by restraining their right of research and reading. Individuals who are dangerous for the government since they interrogates and never obey blindfoldedly. Therefore, the Constitution prohibits these movements and attempts. ‘’ Literature is banned because it might potentially incite people to think or to question the status guo of happiness and freedom from worry the elimination of controversy.’’(Sisario

201).
The antagonist characters of Fahrenheit 451 are Mildred, wife of Montag, and Capatin Beatty, the firestation marshal. Features of characters are at the forefront. For example, Mildread, wife of Montag is selfish, vacouos, childish person. Even if Captain Beatty burns books, he is educated well and he is staunch supporter of book burning. This point of him shows that people who are a strong apponent of ant law or rule, experinced it before.
The society admits the books as gun and well-read men are introduced as if they are killer, monster. ‘’So! A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot the weapon. Breach man’s mind. Who knows whow might be the target of well-read man?’’(77). When Captain Beatty advocates the Constitution’s saying these statement, Clarisse, the good character and also it could be said she is ‘’overman’’. reveals other side of society.
Sometimes I’m ancient. I am afraid of children my own age. They killed each other. Did it always used to be that way? My uncle says no. Six of my friends have been shot in the last year alone.Ten of them died in car wrecks. I am afraid of them and they don’t like me because I’m afraid. My uncle says his grandfather remembered when children didn’t kill each other.(42)

Clarrisse lines up with society, in reailty, does not be happy as the Constitutiton says.
You must understand that our civilization is so vast that we can’t have our minorities upset and stirred.Ask yourself, what do we want in this country, above all? People want to be happy, isn’t that right? Haven’t you heard it all your life? I want to be happy, people say. Well, aren’t they? Don’t we keep them moving, don’t we give the fun? That’s all we live for, isn’t it? For pleasure, for titillation? And you must admit our culture provides plenty of these.’’ (78)

Captain Beatty advocates with these statements that the society is happy, on the contrary Clarrisse’s thoughts. The Constitution makes the society happy and demands the obedience to the Constitution, the despot regime. Neverthless, Clarisse claims there are some mirthless individuals on society. Also individuals are a robot whose controls belongs to another ( the Constitution). The most greatest control appliance is Tv which represents mass media domination. In every household, has interactive television. Furthermore, tv and mass media are controlled by the Contstitution. The Constitution serves individuals artifact eudaemonia not the freedom. It demands obedience to itself without questioning in change for that artifact eudaemonia. This facts in society entails the individuals toward to a conflict. There are a conflict and dissociation among the society.
Also there is a suppression and assimilation; individual does not know the race conception since it does not exist. There is only one society.
It is clear Fahrenheit 451 portrays Americans’s society structure in written between fictition and reality. Modernsist movements which, commences with Age of Enlightenment, expandes toward to the United States and formulates American social, politic and economic structure. İndividuals modernized effects of development technology and science. However, these movement on society lead many problems.