Fahrenheit 451 Analysis

Discuss the blurred distinction between life/death in Fahrenheit 451, referring to Mildred, Clarisse, and life-like machines that dominate society. Use specific examples.

Fahrenheit 451 is a story about the future of humanity, and how it would eventually funnel down to staying indoors and completely shutting out the outside world. In this science fiction world, people are dominated by their reliance on technology and the strict leadership of their own governments. They are shut off from life-changing events going on around them, such as war and politics. They are also shut out from death. Guy Montag seems to be one of the only people to notice the blur of life and death, between his wife, neighbors, friends, and acquaintances. Throughout the story, Guy observes the snake-like machines and how "the impersonal operator of the machine could... gaze into the soul of the person" (14), and that being even near death did not mean much anymore. The next example of a blurred line between life and death was how Mildred was impartial about the fact that Clarisse had passed away. She tells Guy that "I meant to tell you. Forgot." (47), and that it apparently didn't mean much to her. Mildred remains impartial still when Guy says to her "We burnt a thousand books. We burnt a woman", because it did not affect her own life (50). Mildred herself does not feel any weight in terms of life. Her hobby is explained in her quote to Guy, "The keys to the beetle are on the night table. I always like to drive fast when I feel that way. You get it up around ninety-five and you feel wonderful. Sometimes I drive all night and come back and you don't know it. It's fun out in the country. You hit rabbits, sometimes you hit dogs. Go take the beetle." (68). The hound also represents the mix of life and death in society. The book described it as a being that "slept but did not sleep, lived but did not live." (24), with its intimidating killer instincts that made its own purpose only to end other beings' existences. Another blurred distinction is because of indifference; the indifference to life and death, and to war. Even as cities are bombed and destroyed in seconds, it might as well have been that they had not existed at all. In the end, Granger explained to Guy how "There was a silly damn bird called a Phoenix..." (163), and how no matter how far man strayed from the values of life, it would always return again from the ashes.