Happiness In Fahrenheit 451
Emotional happiness might seem redundant at first, since happiness is an emotion. We will be looking more at emotional well-being, or whether characters are emotionally satisfied. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “No aspect of our mental life is more important to the quality and meaning of our existence than emotions” (Emotion). So it seems reasonable that we would examine the effect emotions have on our well-being or happiness. We are first introduced to the emotional aspect of the novel when Clarisse asks Montag if he is happy (Bradbury 10). At first, Montag asserts that he is indeed happy, but upon further reflection, he realizes that he is not (12). This awareness prompts Montag on his journey that becomes the center
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We learn of this problem when Montag is speaking with the rescuers after his own wife attempts suicide. The medics inform us that they attend to 9 or 10 suicide calls every night. The high occurrence of suicides had led to the invention of special machines to save suicide “victims.” Suicides are often committed out of despair, and often some type of mental disorder is present in the person who commits suicide. Suicide has become a serious issue in the world, more so in the developed nations. Suicide rates are highest in the Baltic states, such as Lithuania, Belarus, and Russia. The suicide rate in the US is half that in Russia (30,000 compared to 60,000). Since the time Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451, the suicide rate in the US has nearly tripled. Almost 11,600 people took their own lives in 1950 (Suicide Rates by 100,000). Suicide rates parallel with levels of unhappiness in these countries. The Happy Planet Index, which rates countries based on several factors, rated Russia, the Baltic states, the US, along with many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the lowest in “happiness” in the world. Interestingly, these countries also have the highest rates of suicide. Bradbury uses the suicide to dramatically illustrate just how unhappy the modern citizens are. The attempted suicide of Mildred could be considered a contributing event into Montag’s journey towards finding his own
We learn of this problem when Montag is speaking with the rescuers after his own wife attempts suicide. The medics inform us that they attend to 9 or 10 suicide calls every night. The high occurrence of suicides had led to the invention of special machines to save suicide “victims.” Suicides are often committed out of despair, and often some type of mental disorder is present in the person who commits suicide. Suicide has become a serious issue in the world, more so in the developed nations. Suicide rates are highest in the Baltic states, such as Lithuania, Belarus, and Russia. The suicide rate in the US is half that in Russia (30,000 compared to 60,000). Since the time Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451, the suicide rate in the US has nearly tripled. Almost 11,600 people took their own lives in 1950 (Suicide Rates by 100,000). Suicide rates parallel with levels of unhappiness in these countries. The Happy Planet Index, which rates countries based on several factors, rated Russia, the Baltic states, the US, along with many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the lowest in “happiness” in the world. Interestingly, these countries also have the highest rates of suicide. Bradbury uses the suicide to dramatically illustrate just how unhappy the modern citizens are. The attempted suicide of Mildred could be considered a contributing event into Montag’s journey towards finding his own