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There are many important themes and issues that one can find in the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Many of these issues directly relate to today’s society, so perfectly, it’s almost scary. There are several morals to the story, and topics that should be discussed and learned from, so that we, as not only a nation, but all of mankind, can live a better life. One of the more important messages that you can get out of the book is that you cannot build the perfect culture, nor can you use high-tech mechanical devices to replace individuality, family, nature and emotion. When building a society around technology you end up with not a community of people, but a civilization of lifeless drones, and you find yourself needing to destroy all and start over. The characters of Fahrenheit 451 are bland, boring, and disinterested in the real aspects of life. Everyone is too caught up in high-speed chases, loud music and stimulating advertisements to settle down long enough to learn, teach, or even have a friendly discussion with their family and friends. Technology replaces books, school and education are taken out of everyday life, life size interactive television screens replace socialization, and nature, emotions and individuality are disregarded as the whole society is brainwashed by the system. As Beatty says on pg. 55: “ School is shortened, discipline relaxed, philosophies, history, languages dropped, English and spelling gradually gradually neglected, finally almost completely ignored. Life is immediate, the job counts, and pleasure lies all about after work. Why learn anything save pressing buttons, pulling switches, fitting nuts and bolts.” And then again explains why school and other old hobbies were eliminated on page 58, “We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the constitution says, but everyone made equal … A book is a loaded gun in the house next door.
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