Introduction to Fahrenheit 451. Dystopian Novel A dystopia is a society characterized by a focus on mass poverty, squalor, suffering, or oppression. It.
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Slide 1
Introduction to Fahrenheit 451
Slide 2
Dystopian Novel A dystopia is a society characterized by a
focus on mass poverty, squalor, suffering, or oppression. It is the
opposite of utopia (ideal). Dystopian novels show a future that is
horrible and degraded due to choices made by mankind. Dystopian
novels usually extrapolate elements of contemporary society and are
read by many as political warnings. Speculative fiction speculates
on the future based on current society
Slide 3
Historical Context Ray Bradbury an award winning science
fiction writer Born August 22, 1920 and died June 5, 2012 The novel
began as a short story in 1951 and was finally published in 1953
Reflects many issues from Bradburys lifetime Post-World War II era
- Fashion, people and society are very conservative. People are
generally respectful of each other, the government, religion, and
life. Nazi book burnings of the 1930s were widely published after
WWII became a major symbol of the repression in Nazi Germany The
novel was written a time when the world was threatened by nuclear
war, new technologies were emerging and the world was getting
smaller.
Slide 4
Impending Danger As the 1950s and the Cold War progressed Ray
Bradbury saw the government taking a great deal of power over the
people and this worried him. Ray Bradbury saw the world changing
quickly and dangerously and this is why he wrote Fahrenheit 451 to
warn people of what would happen if society continued down what he
believed was a dangerous path.
Slide 5
The emergence of television Television became dominant medium
for mass communication 1946: 7,000 TV sets existed in the U.S.
1948: 148,000 sets 1950: 4.4 million sets Television vs. books
debate over bringing television into schools because reading level
of students was dropping The importance of books and the freedom to
read them was a central concern of liberal- minded people during
the 1950s. The remarkable thing about TV is that it permits several
million people to laugh at the same joke and still I feel lonely.
T.S. Eliot
Slide 6
Historical Context - McCarthyism Senator Joseph McCarthy made
public accusation that Communists had infiltrated the ranks of
government, military, literary, and film industries. Helped lead to
Cold War and Korean War. Thousands of people lost their jobs as,
all across America, state legislatures and school boards mimicked
McCarthy and his House on Un-American Activities Committee. Books
were even pulled from library shelves, including Robin Hood, which
was deemed communist-like for suggesting stealing from the rich to
give to the poor. Above all, several messages became crystal clear
to the average American: Dont criticize the United States. Dont be
different. Just conform. By 1953, his accusations were at their
height. His hearings were held in 1954 and were the first to be
publicly broadcast (ruined his reputation and career).
Slide 7
Historical Context - Society Fear of robots and other
technology was prevalent in the 1950s (mad scientist movies
compounded such fear by portraying machines that turned on their
creator). Mentality of hard work and following orders to get ahead
was prevalent at this time. Atmosphere of fear and repression left
over from WWII, development (and use) of atomic bomb, communist
scare, the Cold War, and McCarthy made it possible for government
or any other powerful group to manipulate public opinion. Movies,
books, television shows, peoples opinions, works of art, and other
expressions of speech were all censored by the government and other
groups.
Slide 8
The Setting It is the 24 th century. Books are considered
dangerous and illegal. Nobody is allowed to own them. Most people
are happy being plugged into their technology, where they do not
have to think too hard. All books that are found are burned by
firemen.
Slide 9
Symbols Fire The first part of the book is titled The Earth and
the Salamander. The fire salamander can walk through fire unharmed.
Books are burned and ideas are burned from the minds of the people.
Phoenix Bird from ancient myth Lives for 500 years and then perches
on a nest of spices, singing until sunlight ignites its body and it
is engulfed in flame A new phoenix rises from the ashes
Slide 10
Themes Censorship books are burned because they trigger
discontent and thought. Society chilling aspect of the novel is the
people themselves want the books burned Conformity vs.
Individuality Freedom of speech and the consequences of losing it
The importance of remembering and understanding history Apathy and
Passivity Alienation and Loneliness Change and Transformation
Technology -Machines as helpers to humans vs. Machines as
hindrances or enemies
Slide 11
Bradburys view on technology The novel depicts how demanding
and oddly isolating technology can be. We have friends we have
never seen on Facebook, cars with internet access, tablets and
smart phones to occupy our time anywhere we go, emails and text
messages instead of face-to-face or even voice-to-voice telephone
conversations, television instead of books, movies instead of
conversation, and we always seem to want more. In the novel, people
have abandoned books, conversation, and nature in favor of hollow
entertainment and instant gratification. Fast cars, loud music, and
a barrage of advertisements create a life of so much stimulation,
no one has time for individual thought.
Slide 12
Was Bradbury Right? Perhaps the events in Fahrenheit 451 are
not too far away. From 1973 until the late 1980s, the FBI conducted
a secret surveillance program within America's unclassified
scientific libraries, including both public and university
libraries. That program, known as the Library Awareness Program,
had two goals: To restrict access by foreign nationals,
particularly Soviet and East Europeans, to unclassified scientific
information; To recruit librarians to report on any "foreigners"
using America's unclassified scientific libraries
Slide 13
Are we headed for Fahrenheit 451? 60 years after the novel was
published: 33% of high school graduates never read another book for
the rest of their lives 80% of US families did not buy or read a
book last year 57% of new books are not read to completion 42% of
college graduates never read another book after college 70% of US
adults have not been to a bookstore in the last five years HOWEVER
there are over 17,000 radio stations and over 2,000 TV stations in
America today In a 65 year life span, the average person will spend
9 years watching TV The average child sees 20,000 commercials per
year The average American child watches over 19 hours of TV per
week