Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 Misinterpreted Essay Example for Free

Ray Bradburys Fahrenheit 451 Misinterpreted EssayReading Fahrenheit 451 one can except wonder on some nave, but nevertheless terrible prophecy of the dark future to come, brought on us by Ray Bradbury. Often seen as a survive of fiction or anti-utopia, in fact this is just a social horror story, if such a genre can be invented for its description.The technologies depicted in Fahrenheit are rather primitive compared to ultramodern times. Sure, Bradbury had extrapolated the TV screens of 50s and predicted the invention of giant TV walls, with presence effect that allows the viewer to chance himself in the center of action. Bradbury had expressed the fears that TV means death of media of a previous generation, being the books. still, as McLuhan stated, the technologies of past ages dont die so easily, The dominant technologies of one age become the games and pastimes of a later age (McLuhan, p99).As fears that cinema would mean the death of theatre had proved themselves to be incorrect, therefrom a larger-scale fear that TV means the end of books had proved itself to be false too. On the other hand, Bradbury hadnt predicted the invention of a new media which would outscore the TV as much as TV outscores the books the Internet. The TV had no chance to progress into totally-enveloping media reality depicted in the book, losing the race to more modern media.While Bradburys technology prediction hadnt been correct, his social predictions had proved to be uncannily true, if somewhat optimistic. The all- terra firma media programming is here, broadcasted by orbiting satellites, turns the globe into a repertory theater to be programmed (McLuhan, p9). And the news brought to us by every source from TV to Internet and even to Radio are apt to be manipulated simultaneously, as was shown brilliantly in Wag the Dog. The censorship depicted by Bradbury isnt here instead, we have a total media coverage that produces fake events identical from real. People do not charter to follow instructions told to them on TV instead, we follow the views and ideas presented to us daily. The Electric Dog doesnt roam the streets the corporation is our Electric Dog that doesnt kill nonconformists in real sense but effectively blocks them from us.What brings salvation and hope in Bradburys world after the holocaust are Bible words. It doesnt mean that he relies on religion to carry us through the new Dark Ages rather, he tells us about our inner faith, which isnt expressed but felt and understood. But as no holocaust had happened yet, only those who really feels in need seek salvation, others are content with what theyve got.Bradburys views on organisation in Fahrenheit border with clear accusations of fascism, the burning of books being the most obvious diachronic reference. But fascism in US had became such a popular scare since the end of WWII that we dont fear it as much anymore. After all, if government would ever decide to apply a stricter views to political economy like Roosevelts New Deal in 30s, (which is quite possible now because of economics crisis), most voices would be raised in its defense rather than in its critics. People feel the government to be controlled by them, not the other way of life round.In Fahrenheit society education of youth program them to see their world as unquestionably right, defies critical thinking and praises the conformity instead. This is not only an exaggerated, but also a distorted picture of modern education, depicted just to scare us even more, to create a sense of come on isolation of Guy Montag from the world. Bradbury doesnt give much attention to the youth this is sensible, for what he longs for is the past.Fahrenheits ending can be seen as a longing for Golden Age, the times that never were real but always in our eyes seem to be brighter than today. It is a hymn to nostalgia. But one cannot contemplate his past too long he must consider the future. We should look ahead and be bra ve, no matter what dangers are hold for us there.Works CitedBradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. Published by Del Rey Books, Random House Publishing Group, 1953, renewed 1981.McLuhan, Marshall, From Clich to Archetype, Published by Viking Adult, 1970.Wag the Dog, by Barry Levinson, 1997 (the movie).