Apparently.
Apparently.
Sorry, I have not quite finished the book yet, and I was going to wait until I finished before adding my further thoughts, but I just have to say that I think thus far one of my favorite parts of the book is when Mrs. Phelps, Mildred, and that other woman whose name slipped my mind were sitting around discussing the election, and who they voted for or were going to vote for and all they really cared about was that one of the candidates was so tall and handsome and the other short and fat.
I think there is a lot of truth in that reflected in today's soceity. There are jokes people make today about how presidential elections will become run like American Idol. And the very existence and prominence of TV and media, has made physcial appearance to in face become an important part of the process. Once you are confronted with the visual images of these individuals than it is just a part of human nature for one to have a reflex reaction to thier appearances, and while an intelligent person recognizes these reactions for what they are and does not allow them to be the basis of thier decision it does play a role in how we think of things, and the truth is a lot of people do just go one thier gut reactions.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~ Edgar Allan Poe
I saw it as another way in which people were conditioned not to truly think for themselves becasue of TV and modern technology. But that idea can tie into it. People no longer have to seriously concern themselves with politics or worry about the election, the decision has been taken out of thier hands and pre arranged for them, and yet in order to continue that false sense of happiness which is instilled with them they are given the facade of a democracy without having to put the effort into it. But rather than just naivety I see it as a sort of self-denial. They would not want the actual responsibility of having to truly make the decision on thier own and so it is easier for them to have the decision hand fed to them while they get to pretend as if they acutally did have a say in the matter.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~ Edgar Allan Poe
I think this was insightful of Bradbury. Elections now have to have the right person. At the moment the Labour leader in the UK is being scrutinised for his charisma, which is a bit lacking. I remember Dukakis having the same effect in the US. And of course this has to be maintained. I think a lot of John Major's - former UK PM - credibility was eroded by the media image of him that grew into a grey man who wore y-fronts and spoke with a kind of David Beckham voice, (which he did). I remember some of the cartoonists would go on about him complementing his wife on the peas they were having.
At the time he was having a rather racy affair wit one of his ministers - which came out later - which just goes to show how wrong an image can be. Yet, as we can see, image becomes the main focus.
I definitely felt the scene indicated naivety, but I don't doubt that the people were intended to be blissful in their ignorance. That's the whole idea of replacing literature with the mindless "family" right?
Of course, given Beatty's oration about censorship stemming first from the citizens, I can see the government using political apathy as a means to gradually take control of elections in this way.
But I think it is something of a self-chosen naivety. As seen in Montag's attempts to try and wake Mildred up to get her to read the books with him, to make her feel and experiencing something real. She resists becasue she does not acutally want to be confronted with the truth.
It is not a matter of simply not knowing any better, but of not wanting to know any better.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ~ Edgar Allan Poe
Sorry for the late reply on my first book club, been a busy month.
My thoughts were that the writing was too simplistic and lacked any depth of character development or expression. I also felt he was way too overt with his point.
With that being said I think this is an excellent book for a new or young reader and would be perfect for someone transitioning from pulp writing into more serious stuff.
I actually enjoyed it overall largely because I agree with his implications. One question that I am still thinking about is whether books were burned by force or did people choose to reject them. This makes me wonder about our society now. Are we allowing our brains to turn to mush with reality show, cable news, facebook, etc. because it is forced on us or are we as a society choosing that path for ourselves?
Glad to finally read it.
Which people are you referring to? People don't turn to something en masse because they are of different ages and inclinations. Are we being dumbed down/ dumbing down ourselves? There are more qualified, educated and literate people today than there has ever been. The growth of Facebook and 24 hour news doesn't necessarily mean this, in fact is Facebook still popular? I do wonder if Facebook will go the way of Myspace, and just turn out to be a developmental fad in the wider development of social networking. Not that I think Facebook is dumb necessarily either. It has educated a wide portion of the population in what is possible with social networking - not just young people. Whether it continues perhaps depends upon what new spin can be given to socal networking that will entice a newer generation.
Sorry, was referring to Americans and our cultural/educational direction.
i really liked it. however, if it were a contest between Fahrenheit 451 and 1984 orwell would have my vote. that does not change the fact that this was a wonderful book. the thought of memorizing literature in order to keep it amongst man, if only amongst a few, is such a beautiful sentiment. by the way, i am new here. hope you don't mind that i joined in on this one. =)
Hi all,
Hopefully I have caught this discussion before it ends! I am new here and this book was recommended to me by a good friend (as was this site!).
This book is really a trip away from my 'usual' reading material and to be honest, I enjoy a good story with no questions asked, but I am beginning to appreciate that there is more to a good book than that.
I was blown away with the descriptive writing in Part One of this book in particular. I felt myself drawn in and able to imagine the world of Montag (perhaps something to do with my own job, but that's by the by!). But I came away, especially after Part One (which I had to re-read as it was so beautifully written), with an overwhelming sense of sadness.
Others have commented how our world today, in general, does not reflect Bradburys 'predictions'. But really, how far away are we from the many of the key points he made within society? It amazes me that this book was written so long ago and how accurate his ideas have become.
Anyhow, overall I enjoyed the book, but I found myself rushing the last 30 or 40 pages, as the story seemed to stall and almost get caught up in a bit of self indulgence. For me, there was not enough of Clarisse - she ended up feeling like a convenient addition to Montags life in order to progress the story. Beatty was the character I found perhaps the most complex - he seemed to have a power and knowledge that was never really fully explained - all in all a very dangerous person, I felt.
I know I have really not done everything in the book justice here, but those were my thoughts straight after reading it, and I am prepared to be shot down in flames!
Last edited by Abookinthebath; 10-08-2011 at 05:38 AM.
Welcome to the Forum, Choki, Lohena, Coffee and Bath! I am glad you are able to join our discussions. Don't forget to check out the other discussion threads in this section.
Would you like to watch Fahrenheit 451 on October 15th at 11.00 pm UK time?
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