The society is going to become a mindless mass of zombies. This is the message in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. The story was written almost fifty years ago but the setting for the book is supposed to be in the future which, if the readers think about it, now corresponds to present day. The book portrays a dystopic society where the people are brainwashed through simple entertainment such as television and tabloids. Courses of literature and science are abolished in school thereby further speeding the erosion of society. But perhaps the most damaging loss of all is the degeneration of literature. In the society today, brainless television, acts of violence, and the censorship of books has increased to alarm highs. As a result, the society portrayed in Fahrenheit 451 begins to bear resemblance to contemporary society.
The people in Fahrenheit 451 spend most of their time engrossed in various programs on wall-to-wall television screens, which is not unlike the situation in current society. The society in the story is enthralled by television that they consider the characters in the soap operas to be "family". This utter devotion to television shows the readers how far-gone the people are. Ray Bradbury articulates the mindlessness of the people by bringing one character, Guy Montag, to enlightenment. Due to the fact that this story is written in third person, we are able to see the thoughts of realization as they occur to Montag. And this allows us to more relate to his character because we receive the sense that we are embarking on a journey alongside him. Moreover, the author uses the textual strategy of shaping the characters to his/her role. For example, his thought of "not happy" begins with his daily life with his wife because of the TV walls. Montag is depressed when Mildred says that! the parlour wall "is her family" (pg.49). Because she is not turning the TV walls off even though Montag is sick. The zombie-like state...