1.) “We have everything we need to be happy, but we aren’t happy. Something’s missing”. How might Bradbury be defining happiness in “Fahrenheit 451”? Does he present a new idea of happiness or preserve an older idea?
“We have everything we need to be happy, but we aren’t happy. Something’s missing”. In “Fahrenheit 451” people aren’t completely happy, although they think they are. Bradbury might be defining happiness as knowledge; knowledge being the key to happiness and this concept of happiness is new.
Happiness might be defined as knowledge in “Fahrenheit 451” because Bradbury says that “something’s missing” to be happy and the only thing that is missing in the futuristic society are books which lead to knowledge. This knowledge leads people to think by themselves and that way they can find happiness and what makes them happy by themselves, instead of being programmed to think they are happy when they are not. Although people in the novel say that books contain nothing, that is because the government has stuck that into their heads. People are not happy and that is demonstrated when Mildred tried to kill herself and it can also be questioned if Chief Beatty also let himself be killed by Guy Montag. If people in “Fahrenheit 451” were allowed to possess books and received an education which allowed them to understand what the books actually said, then people would have answers to questions, and would understand the world better. This would allow people to think for themselves and set themselves a goal in life and while completing that goal they would achieve happiness.
Having knowledge would also allow people to realize how important communication with other people is (to share thoughts and happiness) and people wouldn’t be so self-centred, which would contribute to a happier and more united society. In the novel Bradbury explains that people in that society didn’t even take care of their children, and they were a burden for their parents. When Mildred met with her friends, they met to watch the television together, not to talk like people would nowadays. Mildred also interacted more with her “family” (which were fictitious people) than with her husband. The lack of knowledge of the people in “Fahrenheit 451” also impedes people from imagining things and being creative. Imagination is the first step to set out goals and people in “Fahrenheit 451” don’t have the power to do that. They don’t even have religions (such as Jesus being a member of the family) and people can’t have faith or hopes, which brings them satisfaction.
Bradbury may be defining happiness in “Fahrenheit 451” as something that is achieved by knowledge. Happiness itself is then achieved by each individual in a unique way, because everyone may have different concepts of happiness. And knowledge also gives people imagination with which they can create their goals for happiness. As a whole, Bradbury is saying that for happiness books and knowledge are needed.
This concept of happiness is a new concept, because in the time the novel was written and nowadays happiness is generally not defined that way.
People nowadays say they are happy when they have material objects; it is few people that consider knowledge happiness. Despite this, many people in our world do consider happiness being with others and sharing happiness with other people. However, in “Fahrenheit 451” Bradbury warns us that if we don’t pay attention to knowledge and focus too much on material objects (such as Mildred does with her “parlor walls”) then our society will become similar to the society in “Fahrenheit 451”. Nowadays, people already resemble those in the novel, because people communicate a lot by computers, instead of face to face. Also, other electronic devices such as televisions, cell phones, or devices used for playing form part of our daily lives. This shows how our society is becoming more individual.
“Fahrenheit 451” is also a warning so society doesn’t become like the one presented in “Fahrenheit 451”. Bradbury warns us that if we do follow that model then we won’t be happy and people will not think anymore, they will just follow the crowd. The novel also inspires people to appreciate what they have and be grateful that people can think, and are not mindless robots like Mildred. This novel makes people believe that modern society is not bad, it could be much worst.
The idea of happiness Bradbury presents is also very different from the concept of happiness the inhabitants in “Fahrenheit 451” have. They think happiness is talking to television screens or burning books. Bradbury’s meaning of happiness differs very much from that concept; it’s almost the opposite. Bradbury says people should consider books and treat them with respect. People should also interact with one another and not be tied to looking at a screen. Bradbury also disapproves of the education people get in “Fahrenheit 451”, because their education leads them to not think and to not respect books.
By writing the novel “Fahrenheit 451” Bradbury shows what a “bad” society would be and he expects people to realize and take the novel as a warning to what could happen if people aren’t careful. He presents a new concept of happiness, one which nowadays we wouldn’t consider the definition of happiness. He presents the key to happiness as knowledge, which books offer, and then from that knowledge happiness is possible; by reaching goals or sharing happiness with others. This differs from what most people consider happiness because people usually consider happiness material objects, and that is what Bradbury reproaches. In conclusion, “Fahrenheit 451” is a novel that shows a new concept of happiness and warns us that knowledge is good, don’t unappreciated it.