Examples Of Materialism In Fahrenheit 451

As John Adams once said "The preservation of the means of knowledge among the lowest ranks is of more importance to the public than all the property of all the rich men in the country." In a world centered around materialistic gain, the value of education can be easily diminished. Society today pressures its members to consume and neglect the importance of obtaining knowledge. However, even with an abundance of materialistic goods, the feelings of internal and intellectual poverty remain. This void cannot be satisfied by physical goods, but by cognitive nourishment. Although ignorance may be considered bliss, In Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, without free thought, social interaction, and the questioning of authority and social norms, the celebration …show more content…
In Bradbury's novel, the need for communication is filled by materialistic goods. Montag's wife Mildred is a prime example of this social norm. Like many other community members, Mildred spends the majority of her time in the parlor with her "family", or also known as the characters on television. "These "parlor walls" bring a whiff of life to the dull routine of the residents of the city in which the novel takes place, providing a "family"--capable of pseudo-interaction with the viewers--to replace the nonexistent family life" (Ray Bradbury and the Assault on Free Thought). Montag finds this appalling and even mocks Millie and her "family" by saying '"...does the White Clown love you?"' (73). Millie doesn't answer her husband because she's afraid. Millie secretly knows that these characters aren't her "family" but doesn't want to admit that her relationships are fictional, because she and does not know how to communicate with actual people. So like many others within their society, Millie chooses to live in ignorance to avoid the reality of her internal unhappiness, which only proves to increase her feelings of …show more content…
The author uses this novel to question people in society who only value materials such as TVs and other ways of showing wealth. The author also uses the burning of books to create and stirring within readers. He wants to show that even though it seems outrageous to burn books, people can fall into ignorance and leave behind their moral values. By using the burning of the books Bradbury is able to remind society to check their moral views and considered "norms". Bradbury also uses the crumbling marriage of Montag and Millie to show the importance of communication. Marriage is supposed to be the strongest bond between humans, yet Montag and Millie can not even recall where they met. This situation creates a discomfort within the audience, which is the goal of the author. Bradbury wants the audience to understand how ridiculous the marital relation is, so they can see how important human communication is. Bradbury also shoes how sad and empty the characters are who live lives of ignorance. By doing so, the author is able to convey to the audience that obtaining of knowledge will satisfy the need for cognitive nourishment and happiness. Though ignorance may be considered bliss, In Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, without cognitive thought, communication, and the questioning of power and social norms, the celebration of innocence and materialism