Examples Of Paradoxes In Fahrenheit 451

“Everywhere you turn, the Fifties are marked by paradoxes. They were a time of peace and a time of fear; a time of prosperity and a time of unease; a time of conformity and a time of rebellion; a time of renewed religion and a time of widespread materialism” (Shmoop Editorial Team). In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury uses self-contradictory sentences and situations to express his message about society. In this book, the author is tenacious in using paradoxes to expose how people in the 1950s lived a blurred and less-than-mediocre life.
Given these points: In the 1950s, there was an unsurpassed rush of fun and entertainment as thinking and intellect became less popular. “She was simple-minded’
‘She was as rational as you and I, more so perhaps, and we burnt her’
‘That’s water under the bridge” (Bradbury 51). Mildred’s words are ironic because she is referring to a woman who died from a fire in a burning house. This situation is a paradox because Mildred calls the woman simple-minded because the woman was passionate about her books and knowledge. Mildred calls the lady simple-minded, but Mildred is completely naive and shows little intelligence. Similarly, in the 1950s, everyone was more focused on fitting in the status quo versus gaining actual education. According to www.dictionary.com, social is defined as, relating to, devoted to, …show more content…
”He pressed at the pain in his eyes and suddenly the odor of kerosene made him vomit” (Bradbury 49). This situation is paradoxical because earlier in the book Montag completely enjoyed the smell of Kerosene, and now the smell is making him vomit; This shows that his mindset of the associated feelings with the chemical have changed. There wasn’t much diversity in the vast workforce of the Fifties. Even though the jobs weren’t so extreme, people would feel uncomfortable if they realized they were just following the roles of society: not choosing their own