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Essay / Fahrenheit 451: The consequences of using technology without moderation
Imagine being in a world where technology dominates which causes the population to move further away from reality, thus exposing their unconsciousness and ignorance. This essay will analyze how, in the futuristic dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury uses similes and metaphors to warn us that if technology is not moderated, society will be harmed and lack interaction. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay On several occasions, Bradbury introduced the reader to how technology was used without moderation, resulting in a lack of interaction among the population. At the beginning of the novel, Montag, the protagonist, comes home from his job as a fireman (burning books as part of his job) and is already expecting his wife, Mildred, to listen to his electronic shells. “There had not been a night in the last two years that Mildred had not swum in this sea.” Bradbury uses this metaphor to compare Mildred using her seashells to her swimming in the sea, as they both draw one from reality. The seashell radio device is one of the best examples of immoderate technology that creates the lack of human interactions in Fahrenheit 451. This device allows the listener to hear radio broadcasts broadcast by the government. Just like headphones, the seashell radio device interferes with our ability to know what is going on around them. When Montag returns from work, Mildred is shown using this device. She seemed antisocial and withdrawn when Montag spoke to her. As for the seashell device, swimming in the sea removes the person from society and makes them drift into their own world of isolation. This contributes to the theme that if technology is not moderated, it leads to a lack of interaction and a mindless society due to the poor relationship between Mildred and Montag shown in the novel. Technology has also been included to reveal that technology is very harmful to society if not moderated. This is shown when Montag meets the Clockwork Dog at the fire station. “It was like a great bee returning from a field where the honey is full of wild poison, madness and nightmare, her body filled with too rich nectar, and how she slept with evil outside of herself.” Bradbury uses this simile to compare the menacing dog to a large bee, as they are both harmful and dangerous. The Mechanical Hound is an eight-legged robotic dog programmed to hunt down and kill heretics in the dystopian society of Bradbury. With the Hound, firefighters don't need to improve their job skills because the Hound can do the job for them. The Hound perfectly illustrates how technology is used to be harmful instead of beneficial. It is only used to harm residents with a sting, just like a bee can do. The dog and a bee can sting residents without consciously thinking about it. The Hound is programmed to be removed by the government and shows how ruthless it can be when a citizen interferes with its programming. This quote shows that if technology is not moderated, society will suffer, resulting in the deterioration of humanity. Bradbury presents the reader with an addition to the last paragraph about what would happen to society if technology is not moderated. of the novel with a devastating bomb that falls on the city and overthrows the six wanderers of society. “The concussion threw the air across the river and toppled the men like dominoes lined up.” Bradbury.