(AGG) Nothing good comes from technology in the book Fahrenheit 451. (BS-1) Montag’s society has an addiction to technology. (BS-2) Citizens are suffering the consequences of being addicted to it. (BS-3) People who don’t use technology all the time are better off than people who are constantly on it. (TS) The constant use of technology has a negative effect on Montag’s society. (MIP-1) Montag’s society is addicted to technology and it’s all that they care about. (SIP-A)
People in this society alway feel that they need technology, no matter the consequence. Whether it’s losing sleep or losing money. STEWE-1) Mildred wants a fourth wall, so she can be completely surrounded. “It’ll be even more fun when we can afford to have the fourth wall installed. How long you figure before we save up and get the fourth wall torn out and a fourth wall-TV put in? It’s only two thousand dollars” (Bradbury 18). Mildred is so addicted to her TV that she doesn’t care how much it costs. She wants a 4th TV even though it costs one third of Montag’s yearly salary.
She only cares about herself and the things that she wants and, doesn’t consider others. (STEWE-2) Before Mildred goes to bed she always has earbuds in her ear and listens to them constantly. There had been no night in the last two years that Mildred had not swum that sea, had not gladly gone down in it for the third time” (Bradbury 10). Mildred is addicted to her earbuds (seashells) and will not put them down, even to go to sleep at night. (SIP-B) Montag’s society can’t go a single second without technology. (STEWE-1) Mildred called the firemen about Montag’s books and when she left the house she said, “Poor family, poor family, oh everything gone, everything, everything gone now…. “(Bradbury 108). Mildred is on her TV so much that she views the people on it as her family.
She cares more about her TV than she does about her house burning down or Montag being arrested. (STEWE-2) Mildred has company over and Montag turns off the TV and their reaction was, “The three woman fidgeted nervously at the empty mud colored walls” (Bradbury 91). These women are so obsessed with their TVs, they can’t go a minute without going through technology withdrawal. (CS) Montag’s society is addicted to technology and it has negative effects on their behavior and their well-being. (MIP-2) The use of so much technology had a negative effects on Montag’s society, physically and socially. SIP-A) Technology is the main contributor to people hurting each other or themselves. (STEWE-1) Montag is talking to Clarisse and she tells him about the kids in her school and the people she knows. “I haven’t any friends. That’s supposed to make me abnormal. But everyone I know is either shouting and dancing around like wild or beating up one another. Do you notice how people hurt each other nowadays? ” (Bradbury 27).
Kids are hurting and killing each other because they spend so much time using technology that they don’t know how to connect or act around anyone their own age. STEWE-2) Montag is in the hospital because Mildred overdosed on pills and the operator said to him, “Hell… We get these cases nine or ten a night. Got so many, starting a few years ago, we had the special machines built” (Bradbury 13). Mildred isn’t the only person in this society that needs sleeping pills in order to sleep due to their technology addiction. People everywhere are overdosing and taking pills in order to go to sleep because they physically can’t sleep (SIP-B) Since people are constantly using technology, they don’t know how to act properly around each other. (STEWE-1)
Clarisse is talking to Montag and she tells him the observations that she sees in her community, “People don’t talk about anything. Oh, they must. No, not at all. They name a lot of cars and clothes or swimming pools mostly and say how swell! But they all say the same thing and no one says anything different from anyone else” (Bradbury Bradbury 28). People in Montag’s society don’t know how to have real conversations. They have lost the ability to socialize with one another because they are always on the TV. (STEWE-2) Montag is trying to have a real conversation with Mildred about work and a recent book burning, but she just doesn’t care.
Montag’s said, “We burned an old woman with her books. ” And Millie’s response was, “It’s a good thing the rugs washable” (Bradbury 47). Mildred only cares about herself because she has no real connections with Montag. Her response reflects her inability to connect with Montag’s problem or any other personal matter. (CS) Technology is the reason that Montag’s society is acting the way that they are. (MIP-3) The people that aren’t always using technology and addicted to it, are better off than the ones who are. (SIP-A)
People who stepped away from the constant distraction of technology can see the problems that it creates. STEWE-1) Faber is able to reflect on important things in life so, when Montag went to go speak to him he had an answer about books. “It’s not the books you need, it’s some of the things that once were in books” (Bradbury 78). People that aren’t always using technology can see the problem at hand and do something about it instead of just sitting around and doing nothing. Faber did this when he helped Montag understand the importance and meaning of books. (STEWE-2) When Clarisse is talking to Montag about her school she says, “Sometimes I’m ancient. I’m afraid of kids my own age.
They kill each other. Did it always used to be that way? (Bradbury 27). Clarisse is an outsider in her school, she’s different from everyone else. She can see the problems that are occurring in her community. (SIP-B) People that aren’t always using technology can impact the world and people around them for the better, whether it be big or small. (STEWE-1) Granger talks to Montag and tells him how his grandfather impacted his life. “Grandfather’s been dead for all these years, but if you lifted my skull, by God, in the convolutions of my brain you’d find the big ridges of his thumb print” (Bradbury 150). Grangers grandfather impacted him because of what he did.
He wasn’t always watching TV and using technology, instead he was outside and trying to make a difference in the world any way he could. (STEWE-2) In Montag’s society people are always on their TVs so they never have time to connect with anyone. When Montag met Clarisse it was the first time in awhile since someone actually asked him a meaningful question. “No, no he said it was a good question. It’s been a long time since anyone cared enough to ask. A good question” (Bradbury 26). Clarisse isn’t constantly using technology and in result she has the ability to connect with other and really listen to them. CS)
People who are not always using technology are better off than the people who are constantly on it. (RTS) In the novel Fahrenheit 451 technology only brings trouble and hardships to the people who are addicted to it. (BS-3) People are better off socially without technology. (BS-2) Too much technology can have negative affects on someone. (BS-1) Citizens are addicted to TV and other forms of technology. (R) The effects of technology in this book might just be a foreshadowing of what will become of our society, if we don’t step back from the TV and go outside.