Fahrenheit 451 And 1984 - The Fear Of Utopia Essay

Several conflicting frames of mind have played defining roles in shaping humanity throughout the twentieth century. Philosophical optimism of a bright future held by humanity in general was taken advantage of by the promise of a better life through sacrifice of individuality to the state. In the books Brave New World, 1984, and Fahrenheit 451 clear opposition to these subtle entrapments was voiced in similarly convincing ways. They first all established, to varying degrees of balance, the atmosphere and seductiveness of the â€Å"utopia† and the fear of the consequences of acting in the non-prescribed way through character development. A single character is alienated because of their inability to conform – often in protest to the forced†¦show more content†¦When these and other questions weigh upon his mind he begins to realize that something is fundamentally wrong with the world he is living in. In Brave New World the main character, Bernard, is set apart from society by physical differences, which, in a society of ‘engineered’ people is extremely inhibiting. It is these ‘defects’ which cause him to look for a deeper meaning than the drug induced happiness forced upon him. These characters, although alienated in the novels, are believable and rational. The acts of their questioning in their search for the truth and real emotion persuade the reader to do the same thing. It is in this manner that the utility of these novels becomes apparent; through the demands they make of the reader personally - a superior social commentary, one that demands interaction, is born. The characters’ struggles to hide their newly found individuality is a futile one. In Orwell’s interpretation of the totalitarian state of 1984, the society is technically and urbanly engineered to spy on and perceive people’s very thoughts. The society justifies these invasions by eliminating the importance of the individual. The constant barrage of information regarding the greatness of the state and Big Brother’s supremacy over the common man forces everyone (in good mental health) to accept these as the only unchanging facts. Any deviation from these beliefs would be immediately noticeable, andShow MoreRelated1984 vs. Fahrenheit 4512544 Words   |  11 Pages1984 vs. Fahrenheit 451 â€Å"Do you begin to see, then what kind of world we are creating? It is the exact opposite of the stupid hedonistic Utopias†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Orwell 267). 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 are both dystopias, although in each society, the government tells the citizens that it is a utopia. A dystopia is, â€Å"An imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression or terror† (â€Å"dystopia†). On the other hand, a utopia is described as, â€Å"An ideally perfectRead MoreEssay Moral and Ethical Issues, A Comparative Study2300 Words   |  10 Pagesour moral values and ethical views. This paper will explore some moral and ethical issues about choice through several short stories: Sonny Blues, Cathedral, and The Lottery, and there will be two novels explored primarily; Fahrenheit 451 and George Orwells 1984. The moral and ethical views that these books and short stories show us about our society today and the lessons that everyone could learn from them will be explored. To do this we must first understand the difference between moralsRead MoreFahrenheit 451 Critical Essay1607 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Lintang Syuhada 13150024 Book Report 1 Fahrenheit 451 Critical Essay Human beings are naturally curious. We are always in search of better ideas, and new solutions to problems. One of a basic idea of Indonesia has been freedom of thinking and a free flow of ideas. But in some societies, governments try to keep their people ignorant. Usually, this is so governments can keep people under control and hold on to their power. In trying to keep people from the realities of the world, these oppressiveRead MoreThe Loss of Personal Freedoms in a Totalitarian Government Essays1810 Words   |  8 Pagesspeak freely, they do not enjoy any personal freedoms or privacy, and the media is aggressively censored. This is the world of George Orwell’s 1984 and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. The protagonist of Fahrenheit 451 is Guy Montag, and he is a fireman. His job is to destroy books completely by setting fire to them. Winston Smith is the main character in 1984, where he works as a civil servant in the lower class ruling party. Both of these men bec ome entranced with the past and how life was before aRead MoreEssay The Myopia of Dystopia3805 Words   |  16 Pagesetc#8230; A utopian world is a difficult, if not impossible, one to forge. Novels such as Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, and 1984 are dystopian novels, with often-satirical undertones within their pages. This works are allegories, sardonic depictions of our societies ills. Each work contain strong hard-hitting political messages with common themes such as the fine line that divides a utopia and a dystopia and the sharp contrast in the perception of the characters within the works and the readerRead MoreOne Of The First Dystopian Novels To Become Famous Was1396 Words   |  6 PagesOne of the first dystopian novels to become famous was 1984. The concept of dystopian novels is not only to entertain readers, but to let them understand the characteristics and ideas of a dystopian society. Some of these characteristics are shown through our society but at a more drasti c level. Basic fears are exaggerated such as the following: distrust of others, disease, contaminated water, nuclear holocaust, etc. The reader can gain more knowledge by finding ways in which the topics the authorRead MoreGeorge Orwell s The Hunger Games979 Words   |  4 Pages1984, the first most influential dystopian novel, set the stage for the future post-apocalypse genre. The â€Å"Big Brother† style overbearing government plowed the way for novels such as the Giver, Fahrenheit 451, The Maze Runner, Divergent, and the Hunger Games. George Orwell wrote 1984 as a warning/prediction of what was to become of the world if it kept on its route. In many ways, some of Orwell’s predictions came true. The main ideas of Orwell’s 1984 inspired Suzanne Collins in her writing of theRead MoreCritics of Novel 1984 by George Orwell14914 Words   |  60 Pages1984 In George Orwells 1984, Winston Smith wrestles with oppression in Oceania, a place where the Party scrutinizes human actions with ever-watchful Big Brother. Defying a ban on individuality, Winston dares to express his thoughts in a diary and pursues a relationship with Julia. These criminal deeds bring Winston into the eye of the opposition, who then must reform the nonconformist. George Orwells 1984 introduced the watchwords for life without freedom: BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU. Written