Ray Bradbury is well known for his television series, but Fahrenheit 451 is the first book of his I have read. Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature that books burn and in a futuristic dystopian landscape, houses are now fireproof and firemen have the goal of setting fire to any books they find, rather than putting fires out. It was first published as a series in Playboy.
Unfortunately, many of the scenes that were in Ray Bradbury's imagination are not unlike those of today. The fire captain says, "We've lowered the kindergarten age year after year, but can't get rid of all the odd ducks." Much like the role of some schools today using them to teach subjects unrelished by parents.
Another quote is "If you don't want a man to be unhappy politically don't give him two sides, but just one." Sounds like our biased media.
Front porches are removed so people don't socialize. People today "socialize" online with strangers instead of meeting with neighbors.
Televisions become the center point of a home with wall TVs and even postage stamp size TVs for constant indoctrination. Neither of which size was heard of in the early 1950s when Fahrenheit 451 was written.
Books are destroyed so that people only learn what the government wants them to know. (Cancel culture/censorship).
In the book Montag is a fireman who is intrigued by books, but his wife is engrossed in the 24/7 television programs. She asks for a 4th wall to be torn out and a television wall installed which Montag states will cost $2,000 and a third of his annual salary. Mildred also uses ear thimbles (like Bluetooth ear buds).
When he has a chance meeting with a young woman, Clarisse, he begins seeing his role differently and is reluctant to destroy books with his flamethrower. Instead he begins hoarding them, much to the dismay of his wife, Mildred. Her friends don't want to hear him read from them because it's both against the law and it brings about too much emotion which they feel is the very reason they are banned.
In Ray Bradbury's fictitious world, bomber planes fly constantly overhead and we've won 2 atomic wars since 2022!
There are several movies made of Fahrenheit 451. The oldest Fahrenheit 451 movie appears to be from 1966. In the older movie, a box (like a mail box) is shown outside the fire station where people could inform on their friends and neighbors anonymously. This is not unlike the Bocca Di Leone in Venice where lion head wall plaques have an open mouth and people who wanted to tattle on friends or relatives wrote down the "crime" and pushed it through the open lion mouth.
Note: Elton John's song Rocket Man was inspired by a Ray Bradbury short story of the same name.
