Thursday, February 28, 2013

How do the issues and problems of present-day American society relate to the dystopian society in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451?

Many of the issues and problems with the dystopian society in Ray Bradbury's novel Fahrenheit 451 are similar to those experienced in modern-day America. Similar to Mildred's addiction to sleeping pills, reliance on prescription medication is a serious issue in America. Millions of people rely on psychiatric medication and mood stabilizers to palliate their depression and anxiety. Also, both societies share an unhealthy affinity for violence and entertainment. In the novel, citizens are violent and watch television via "parlor wall" TVs. In present day America, cities like Chicago have experienced dramatic increases in homicides and violent crimes. Also, televisions are becoming even larger, and Samsung has recently released a 170 inch TV! American citizens are constantly surrounded by annoying advertisements similar to Denham’s Dentifrice in the novel. Our population is also experiencing the commercialization of religion as well. Santa and the Easter Bunny have seemed to replace Jesus Christ during the holidays, and Biblical stories have become popular movies recently. Both societies have citizens who struggle with short attention spans and wish to have information condensed. American politics are similar to those in the novel, and there is a vast number of uninformed voters who are only concerned with politicians' appearances.

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Thomas Jefferson's election in 1800 is sometimes called the Revolution of 1800. Why could it be described in this way?

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