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The Dystopian Warning in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451

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The typical utopian world that people dream of consists of freedom, equality and political order. Dystopian fiction, however, is only the illusion of a perfect world. In reality, a dystopia is the complete opposite of a utopian society. It is commonly written to warn the reader of what might come if a certain way of life continues. In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury predicted many issues that plague society today. The larger societal and individual issues Bradbury warns against are the consequences from the lack of social interactions, the spread and focus on technology, and the rise in violence. When it comes to social interactions in Bradbury’s world, people tend to avoid discussion and other normal contact with one another. This lack of communication can be evident in modern day as well. In a conversation at the beginning of the novel, Clarisse tells Montag, “‘I’m antisocial, they say. I don’t mix’” (29). However, Clarisse is truly gregarious as she converses with her family and Montag while other people avoid people.Society pegs her as different and strange. In today’s world, people are more absorbed with their own lives than the lives of the people that surround them. Even with social networking, there is less face-to-face contact. It has become normal to communicate over the internet and other networks instead of speaking in person. Clarisse is the oddity in her world. Montag explains to Mildred what Clarisse was like, “‘But Clarisse’s favorite subject wasn’t herself. It was

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