Short Piece on Fahrenheit 451
Fahrenheit 451 , written by Ray Bradbury, is another work in the long line of Dystopian fictions. It was published in 1951, and the feel of the Cold War is still evident, especially at the end of the story. But much that it pictures and describes feels very up-to-date. Wall-sized TVs on every side of the living-room ear buds cranking out music day and night, rush and hurry everywhere, elevation of entertainment - even real life-and-death moments being displayed on the big screen TVs for entertainment purposes (sounds like The Hunger Games), etc. A seminal statement in the book is the scene where Captain Beatty is explaining to Guy Montag, the reason for the demise of books, and what is the purpose of life: "There you have it, Montag. It didn't come from the Government down. There was no dictum, no declaration, no censorship, to start with, no! Technology, mass exploitation, and minority pressure carried the trick, thank God. Today, thanks to them, you can stay happy all the