Theme Presentation

Theme #3: In the Wrong Hands, Technology can

Negatively Impact our Relationships and/or Communities

Group Members: Gabi Renshaw, Kelly Tibbetts, Sam Cannava, Suhas Kolli, Rishi Mehta

Timeline of Events:

Quote from Part I: “Wasn’t there an old joke about the wife who talked so much on the telephone that her desperate husband ran out to the nearest store and telephoned her to ask what was for dinner?” (Bradbury, 39)

Explanation: This quote represents Montag’s current situation with his own wife. Technology has ultimately led to the degradation of their relationship in the sense that Montag and Mildred would most probably communicate through technology rather than actual face-to-face conversations. Similistic technology in Fahrenheit 451 affects the relationships and communities due to the fact that they have almost completely disregarded social interaction and made technology their main means of communications even when social interaction is possible.

Quote from Part II: “It’s perpetual motion; the thing man wanted to invent but never did...it’s a mystery…Its really beauty is that it destroys responsibility and consequences...clean, quick, sure; nothing to rot later. Antibiotic, aesthetic, practical” (Bradbury, 109).

Explanation: In this passage, Beatty muses to Montag about the mystical nature of fire before he was burned alive by Montag. Fire in this passage represents Montag’s subjugation and his liberation. Montag who had been accused by Beatty, was told about how he wasn’t considering the consequences of his actions. Beatty then defines the beauty of fire and how it will destroy responsibilities and consequences.

Quote from Part III: “The sun burnt every day. It burnt Time….Time was busy burning the years and the people away, without any help from him. So if he burnt things with the firemen and the sun burnt time, that meant that everything burnt!” (Bradbury, 134).

Explanation: In this passage, Montag escapes the city and floats down the river in “Burning Bright.” Montag muses at the sun while he escapes. For the first time, he finally enjoys the leisure that Faber told him about, in order to regain his life. Montag for the first time sees the stars. He starts considering that the sun is constant to time and burns with its own fire. He then considered the moon, which gets its light from the sun. He and the firemen will burn everything since the sun burns time, meaning it burns away the people and years. Bradbury repeats the word “burning” to tell the audience how Montag experiences and how he now must redefine his conception of the burning and fire and also identity and purpose.

Theme Explanations:

    This theme is important to our understanding of the story because it helps us realize that we need to appreciate what we have and be weary of new advancements, as they may,ironically contribute to both the rise and fall of society.

    This theme connects to our modern-day society and how we see it play out in our lives and in society today by helping us realize that importance and significance of books while also highlighting the negative outcomes technology may potentially pose on both communities and relationships.